If the Post Office succeeds in keeping rural branches open, it will receive an extra £450 million over three years, Patricia Hewitt announced yesterday.

There are currently about 8500 rural post offices and about 80 per cent of them would face closure without some form of subsidy.

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Adrian Yalland, spokesman for the Countryside Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "The Countryside Alliance welcomes investment in this essential aspect of the rural infrastructure - but regrets that for many it is too little too late."Rural post offices continue to play a vital part of life in many rural areas and offer services beyond their core role as the local post office - especially in the 45 per cent of rural parishes that have no permanent shop.

"Almost all rural post offices are suffering and many are faced with immediate closure. This means that already disadvantaged communities with socially excluded and geographically isolated residents would be further disadvantaged."The Countryside Alliance eagerly awaits the implementation of the government's 'universal banking' proposals which will enable many post offices to continue operating and offering essential services to rural people. The Universal Banking plans will alleviate some of the expected problems that the government's proposals to phase out Automated Credit Transfer will cause to at least 40 per cent of post offices."

Forum Response: Country Land and Business Association

A spokesman for the CLA told ePolitix.com: "The CLA welcomes the announcement of £450 million for rural post offices over the next three years. We have been pressing for this for some time.

"However, we are concerned with what will happen after the three year period. There needs to be more government support over the long term."