The Government has published a response to the recent Green Paper consultation on the Post Office’s future.
Its proposal highlights include maintaining a minimum requirement for 11,500 branches, as well as introducing the requirement for over half of branches to be full time and full service.
Post Office CEO, Neil Brocklehurst, has welcomed the Government’s response, and said: “The Government’s Green Paper response provides direction for our network and recognises the essential in-person services our postmasters and partners offer to make everyday life easier for communities across the UK.
“The Government’s investment is also a vote of confidence in Post Office’s transformation. It means we can continue to upgrade branches and their technology to provide the modern and efficient retail experience which our customers expect from their local Post Office.
“We will continue to work closely with postmasters, partners and the Government throughout Post Office’s transformation…”
“We will continue to work closely with postmasters, partners and the Government throughout Post Office’s transformation and, with the right conditions, I’m confident we’ll see a thriving Post Office network across the UK for generations to come.”
The Government’s response includes five new priorities for the future of Post Office, including protecting access to essential services, supporting high streets, strengthening culture within the business and “moving towards greater financial sustainability and less reliance on government funding.”
There are also new expectations to improve branch consistency, with at least 50% operating full time and full service. Key for the high street, support for the evolution of in-person services, including government and cash services, is also a priority.
The Government’s announcement is available here while the full response is available here.
The latest proposals are informed by over 2,500 submissions from postmasters, partners, stakeholders and members of the public during the Green Paper consultation, which ran between July and October 2025.
This is the first part of the Government’s response on the future of Post Office. The second, covering culture, governance and long‑term ownership models (including mutualisation), will be published after the second volume of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report.
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