It is a stark and undeniable measure of this Government's having failed communities throughout the country that since 1997, under Labour, there have been 66 debates in Westminster on the Crisis in Our Post Office Network, compared with only 15 such debates in the five years to 1997, under the previous, Conservative Administration.

Yesterday, in Opposition time, I, as her shadow, led for the Opposition in the debate on the continuing Crisis in the Post Office Network, which is under her watch, but she could not be bothered to turn up and take her place to defend her policy to every Labour Member who spoke, as well as to all my hon. Friends, who each criticised the shambles of our postal services, over which she presides and for which she is accountable.