THIS week's Conservative Party Conference sees Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins chair a special fringe meeting organised by the Post Office and the British Bankers' Association on how post offices and banks can work together to provide a universal banking service.

It follows Mr Collins' campaign for south Cumbrian sub-post offices to provide banking facilities as a means of generating new income and creating much-needed services for local residents in the wake of government plans to have pensions paid direct into bank accounts.