Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Royal Mail's performance in meeting its universal service obligation on people who rely on letters to receive (a) health appointment invitations and (b) energy support vouchers.

The Government’s objective continues to be ensuring the provision of a sustainable, accessible and affordable universal postal service.

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail’s service standards and decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification. The Government has no role in Ofcom’s regulatory investigations.

On 15 May 2023, Ofcom announced an investigation into Royal Mail’s quality of service performance for 2022-23.