Oral Answers to Questions

Elsie Blundell Excerpts

Thursday 11th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris McDonald]

I thank my hon. Friend for the work that she is doing to champion the Welsh semi- conductor cluster, which is so important for our entire advanced manufacturing sector. The Minister for artificial intelligence and online safety—the Under-Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Kanishka Narayan)—was in Wales last week, meeting industry leaders and co-chairing the semiconductor advisory panel, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade was recently at the Wales investment summit. We hope to attract many more investors to the compound semiconductor cluster in south Wales.

[Mrs Elsie Blundell (Heywood and Middleton North) (Lab)]

3. What discussions he has had with Royal Mail on improving service levels in the north-west.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Blair McDougall)]

I have discussed Royal Mail’s performance with the chief executive of Royal Mail and its parent company, and they recognise the need to do more to meet service delivery targets. In addition, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £21 million for failing to meet its service targets, and told it to urgently publish and deliver a credible plan that delivers major and continual improvement.

[Mrs Blundell]

I commend the efforts of posties across the country, especially at this time of year, but residents in Middleton in my constituency have been without a reliable postal service for well over a year. That has meant that crucial medical documentation and urgent financial correspondence have been reaching the people of Middleton too late, if at all. What steps are the Government taking to bring about serious improvements in Royal Mail’s service provision in north Greater Manchester, given that Royal Mail alone is proving unable to deliver the change that people in Middleton deserve?

[Blair McDougall]

On this, as on all things, my hon. Friend is a strong voice for the problems faced by her local people. I know that she raised those concerns about local services and resourcing challenges, particularly in Middleton, with Royal Mail. I understand that Royal Mail has recruited 17 more staff in the past few weeks, and that the Middleton delivery office is now fully staffed. As I say, I am discussing such issues with Royal Mail, and it recognises the need to improve.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the whole House, I wish all our heroic posties a merry Christmas at this most difficult time of year for them.