Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of Royal Mail failing to meet their USO letter delivery targets 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.

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