The six post offices recently announced as up for closure in our local consultation came as no surprise to me. However, there has been some justified criticism of the process and questions raised in Parliament over the procedure, but it is not good enough for the opposition parties to opportunistically and blankly oppose all closures and ignore the real issues that exist. The increasing preference of consumers and agencies to use email and direct debit has taken business away from post offices, with around 1,600 branches serving fewer than 20 customers a day and incurring a loss of £8 on every transaction.

Change does need to happen, and the Government are trying to support and make viable the rest of the network, and have committed £1.7 billion until 2011 for this purpose. However there are still issues to be addressed over the proposed 6 closures in our area, and I will be taking these up on a post office by post office basis. I would encourage the people that use these post offices and want them saved to take part in the consultation process. To do this, you need to send your views (freepost) to Laura Tarling, Network Development Manager, C/o National Consultation Team, Freepost Consultation Team or email them to consultation@postoffice.co.uk by June 2^nd when the consultation ends. Please copy me in to any submission you make to enable me to more persuasively make the case for retention of your particular post office. I would also encourage people to sign the genuine petitions at the individual post office you use to highlight the number of people using their services.  

Up in Westminster this month, as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Sea Cadets Group, I was pleased to open and host an exhibition at the House of Commons displaying the work of the sea cadets nationwide. The Marine Society and Sea Cadets, the national charity that put the exhibition together, is a fantastic organisation and supports 400 units throughout the UK working with around 15,000 young members. The youngster’s I met that were manning the display over the week were in stark contrast to image of the youth today we regularly hear reported in the media. These youngster’s are happy, energetic, polite and motivated, and take great pleasure in participating in the fantastic opportunities the Sea Cadets provide for them. The same can certainly be said for the Marine Cadet troop in Winterton who held a Guard of Honour at my veterans’ event last year and put on a great display. I also look forward to meeting more local Cadets this Sunday when I attend the 70^th anniversary event of the Great Yarmouth Sea Cadet Corps 160 Unit. It is interacting with these youngster’s that we realise there is much to be valued in the youth of today, not just lamented.  

Also this month I was pleased to attend an Oceanology conference in Canary Wharf entitled ‘Technology, Sustainability and the Ocean Environment’. The conference explored the role of marine science and ocean technology in addressing modern challenges such as climate change, satisfying energy needs and ensuring environmental and civil security. As a seaside constituency with a vibrant market in offshore industries, it was fascinating to hear about the many business opportunities available to our offshore companies, and with a good showing of businesses from the Yarmouth area, I know these businesses want to grasp these opportunities with both hands.  

Another aspect of our local economy is of course tourism, and as part of this years British Tourism Week I visited two businesses investing locally in tourism. First was the new Travelodge at Beacon Park where I was given a tour of the facilities and spoke with the representatives about their investment plans in support of British tourism, and secondly I went on to visit the Sea Life Centre to view their recent investment.

However, one thing that cannot be legislated for is the weather, and as someone that has lived in Yarmouth all their life, I cannot remember Easter weather as bad as we had this year. It was a terrible start for the businesses but am sure that they are robust enough to come through this.