Explaining her position, Mrs McKenna said: "I have always sought to make a constructive contribution to the debate over potential Post Office closures and I have asked my constituents to do so as well. That is why I have not only encouraged the general public to participate in the consultation, but I have actively facilitated this process by providing petitions and collecting hundreds of signatures."

And Mrs McKenna has challenged the SNP to stop posturing over Post Office closures and to admit that Scottish Ministers have scope to intervene yet chose not to do so.

She continued: "The SNP are crying crocodile tears over Post Office closures. The Labour-led administration in Wales has revived its Post Office Development Fund, and it a devolved administration in Scotland are genuinely concerned, then why have they not brought forward plans for a similar scheme? Under the last Executive it was not uncommon for Scottish Ministers to top up Treasury subsidies for Post Offices to promote diversification, and it is telling that the SNP has remained silent on this particular aspect of the debate. Perhaps the SNP release that they cold have intervened were it not for their sweeping budget cuts to social inclusion funds or slashing rural development funding by £17m. This is yet another example of the SNP saying g one thing locally but doing nothing nationally."

She stressed that Post Office Ltd was losing £3.5 million every week and there are four million fewer customers using post offices each week than in 2004. This is a marked decline which is occurring despite over £2 billion of investment by the Labour Government and an ever-increasing public subsidy. Without reform, however controversial it may prove to be, then the Post Office network will suffer and the standards of customer service will decline."

On the proposed closures in Banton and Queenzieburn, Mrs McKenna added: "Many post offices now receive unrealistic and unsustainable subsidies from the taxpayer and so it is simply not viable for certain outlets to remain open. According to Post Office Ltd., both the Banton and Queenzieburn outlets receive fewer than 200 customers per week. The village communities must appreciate that his is the context in which they will have to make their argument to Post Office Ltd as part of the consultation.

"However, there are potentially new, alternative services, which may of value to communities throughout the constituency, especially in rural or sparsely populated areas."