Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) cases where first-class mail sent from (i) the Forest of Dean and (ii) other rural constituencies fails to arrive in a timely manner and (b) other delays in the postal system.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas.
It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure more (a) reliable and (b) timely delivery of first-class mail in rural areas.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to a sustainable universal service for users throughout the UK, including those in remote and rural areas.
It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect pubs in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) other rural communities.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Pubs and hospitality businesses, including those in rural areas and Forest of Dean, are at the heart of our communities and are vital for economic growth. That is why the Government is creating a fairer business rate system by introducing permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses from 2026-27 and extending the current relief for 1 year at 40%.
The government is also reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, representing an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year.
Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.