Guy Forkes
Date
2 May 2024
Post Office
100 Wood Street
request-1097623-
London EC2V 9ER
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Your Ref:
Classification:
Public
Dear Guy Forkes,
Freedom of Information Request – FOI2024/00384
We are writing in response to your email received by Post Office Limited (“
Post
Office”) on 6 March, which has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (“
FOIA”).
In your email you have requested the information shown verbatim in bold below:
“
How many of your Drop & Collect branches are profitable for Post Office?
Please can you advise the cost distribution of setting these up in % terms :-
by branch setup ongoing cost.”
We can confirm that Post Office does hold the information you have requested.
The information you requested is being withheld as it falls under the exemption in
section 43(2) of the FOIA, which relates to information which would, or would be
likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public
authority holding it). In applying this exemption, we have had to balance the public
interest in withholding the information against the public interest in disclosure.
We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosure of information concerning
details of the volume of profitable Post Offices that operate a Drop & Collect service
,
as this helps promote transparency in Post Office business and reassurance about
the way public money is being spent.
Page 1 of 2
Post Office Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered No. 2154540.
Registered Office 100 Wood Street, London WC2V 7ER
postoffice.co.uk
Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trade marks of Post Office Limited.
However, there is a strong public interest in withholding the information as it would,
if disclosed, prejudice the commercial interests of Post Office and Postmasters. This
is because disclosing information about how many Post Office branches are
profitable with a Drop and Collect service would prejudice Post Office's commercial
interests as the costs to setup a branch is information that our competitors would
benefit, to our disadvantage, from knowing. This information could also impact Post
Office’s ability to negotiate contracts with suppliers. It would not be in the public
interest to disclose information if Post Office would be unable to operate in a fair
marketplace regarding the competitive dialogue procedure and are commercially
damaged by the release of the information.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of this response, you do have a right to
request an internal review. You can do this by writing to the address above within 40
working days of receipt of this response stating your reasons for your internal review
request or alternatively, by emailing
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx. If, having requested an internal review by Post Office, you are still not satisfied with
our response you also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Team
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx
https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/en/governance/access-to-information/access-to-
information/
Post Office Limited is committed to protecting your privacy, information about
how we do this can be found on our website at www.postoffice.co.uk/privacy
Page 2 of 2
postoffice.co.uk
Classification