Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the privatisation of Royal Mail on the provision of postal services in North West Durham.

Royal Mail, as the UK’s universal service provider, is required to provide postal services in accordance with the minimum criteria set by Parliament under the Postal Services Act 2011 and quality standards set by Ofcom.

Ofcom’s assessments of postal services have been published annually on its website since 2011-12.

Royal Mail’s performance is set out in its Annual Reports and Accounts.