Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people in the Weaver Vale constituency are receiving their post delivered by Royal Mail on time; and if his Department will make an assessment on the potential merits of further Government steps on this matter.

The Government sets the minimum requirements and service standards for the UK postal service in the Postal Services Act 2011 and designates the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as the independent regulator for the sector.

Ofcom has a duty to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service. It monitors Royal Mail’s provision of the universal service and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its performance targets as appropriate, taking account of all relevant factors.

Ofcom is carrying out a review of the future regulatory framework for post which it aims to complete in 2022. As part of this, Ofcom is considering whether its approach to regulating the quality of service for key universal postal services remains appropriate. Ofcom published a consultation document on proposals for the future regulation of postal services on 9 December 2021.