Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to help strengthen (a) the quality of service targets in the universal service obligation and (b) the effectiveness of Ofcom's enforcement of those targets by Royal Mail.

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to monitor and enforce Royal Mail’s delivery of the universal service obligation. The Government does not have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions.

Ofcom fined Royal Mail £5.6m for failing to meet its obligations in 2022/23. It continues to hold Royal Mail to account and has said it will take appropriate further enforcement action as required in response to failure to meet quality of service targets. I have also raised concerns with Royal Mail’s parent company and will continue do so if service levels fail to improve.

I note that Ofcom’s recent call for inputs on the future of the universal postal service set out the importance of reliability and affordability in consumers’ expectations for postal services and that it will consider if further safeguards are necessary to ensure people’s needs are met.