Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with Ofcom on the adequacy of the provision of postal services in rural areas.

Ofcom, as the independent regulator, is responsible for the provision of a universal postal service. Its regulatory framework requires Royal Mail to ensure that, for the UK as a whole, the premises of not less than 98% of users of postal services are within half a mile of a post box and, in all postcode areas, the premises of 95% of users of postal services are within 3 miles of an access point (such as a post box, a Post Office or a Customer Service Point within a Delivery Office).

As part of its 2022 review of postal regulation, Ofcom considered accessibility of the service, including for rural users, and decided to maintain the existing regulations.