Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of post boxes that have been decommissioned since the privatisation of Royal Mail.

Providing Royal Mail maintains its network of access points in accordance with the framework set by Ofcom, the postal regulator, decisions relating to local post boxes are made on operational grounds by Royal Mail’s management. The company’s decisions are not subject to a consultation procedure though it does have a system of notifying and advising customers where the removal or relocation of a post box is considered necessary.

Following a consultation last year, Ofcom enhanced regulatory protection to cover all UK addresses. This was based on extensive market research to inform its understanding of the reasonable needs of postal users. Royal Mail is now required to ensure that there is a post box within 0.5 miles of at least 98% of delivery points (i.e. addresses) nationally; and for the remaining 2% of delivery points, Royal Mail must provide or procure the provision of access to the universal service by other means (for example, collection on delivery from very remote or isolated locations such as farmhouses) to meet the reasonable needs of users. Ofcom monitors Royal Mail’s national provision of access under this framework.

Royal Mail is currently exceeding the agreed level of provision on a national basis.