19.7.2000

** Campaign Success **

Brand new mail sorting office to serve Kingston

"First Class, Red Letter Day" says Davey

News that Kingston is soon to benefit from a state-of-the-art mail sorting facility has been enthusiastically welcomed by local MP, Edward Davey. Mr. Davey has campaigned for this £40 million investment since his research in the House of Commons Library in 1998 revealed that Kingston then had one
of the worse delivery performances in the country.

His work two years ago with senior Royal Mail managers has already helped to produce significant improvements, but he believes the new "mail factory" is needed to raise performance to the best in the country.

Mr. Davey commented:

"This is first class news for Kingston - a Red Letter Day!

"This major investment by Royal Mail in the local sorting network will bring huge benefits to residents and businesses alike - and not before time. Fewer items lost and improved delivery performance should be the main effects.

"Residents and shops in Surbiton will benefit too from reduced traffic congestion. When the Borough's existing sorting office moves, they will be saved from the large number of daily journeys by Royal Mail vans to and from the St.Mary's Road site in Surbiton.

"Royal Mail staff will be delighted to move out of their cramped conditions. I visited a similar facility near Gatwick with local postal workers, and they were impressed by the state-of-the-art sorting equipment and the excellent working conditions such a modern facility offers."

Recalling that local Conservatives oppose this investment, Mr.Davey said:

"I was surprised when Mr.Shaw, the Conservative PPC for Kingston and Surbiton, recently came out against these improvements. I wonder whether Mr.Shaw still wants to campaign against the mail sorting office moving from Surbiton?

"Why do the Conservatives want a second class mail service for local people? Is it because they could then say "it needs to be privatised?"

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