The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of making "disastrous" decisions about the future of the Post Office network.

The party was using an opposition day debate in the Commons on Monday to try to raise awareness of struggling local post offices and said ministers to do not care about the issue.

It came after a report in Monday's Financial Times newspaper suggesting that trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling is to back a rescue plan that will see large-scale branch closures.

He told the paper the Post Office should be put on "a long-term stable footing".

A report published last week by the postal services watchdog said uncertainty in government policy and a failure to take decisions was putting thousands of post offices at risk.

Postcomm urged the government to make the "tough and overdue decisions" needed to plan the future of the Post Office network.

Commenting ahead of the debate, Liberal Democrat trade and industry spokesman Edward Davey said: "The Post Office network is vital for communities up and down the country, particularly in rural communities and many less well-off urban areas, yet ministers don't seem to care.

"The government has already presided over a succession of disastrous decisions hitting post offices and their customers, from the ending of the pension book to the decision not to continue with the Post Office card account.

And on the work of the cabinet committee, he added: "John Prescott chairs the cabinet committee considering the future of the Post Office network and even though he has little else to do, we are all still waiting for any disclosure of what this committee has considered or if it has even met since its formation - apparently that is secret information.

"I urge the government to stop sitting on its hands and take action now to protect and develop the Post Office network before it is too late."