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Postal Services: Rural Areas
04 February 2026
Lead MP
Stuart Anderson
South Shropshire
Con
Responding Minister
Blair McDougall
Tags
Employment
Word Count: 14542
Other Contributors: 21
At a Glance
Stuart Anderson raised concerns about postal services: rural areas in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
I will continue to campaign against further closures and for more banking hubs in areas such as Church Stretton which has just lost its Yorkshire building society branch. I am also asking the Minister to address the Government consultation on post offices that could remove minimum branch requirements, potentially leading to half of Britain’s post offices closing.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Residents of rural areas such as South Shropshire deserve access to good postal services. The cost of a first-class stamp has almost doubled since 2020, and is now £1.70 a stamp. Since the election, I have campaigned successfully against the planned closures of post office services in South Shropshire, including Clunton and Clunbury. Additionally, concerns exist about the impact on communities due to bank closures and internet access issues.
Adam Dance
LD
Yeovil
Highlights poor recruitment leading to unachievable workloads at Royal Mail, agreeing with the need for better retention packages.
Ben Lake
PC
Ceredigion Preseli
Expressed concern about the increasing number of mobile spots assigned to individual postmasters, leaving the network vulnerable if a postmaster falls ill or wants to retire.
South Devon
Reports of constituents receiving hospital appointment notices late or together with PINs, causing security risks. There is growing distrust and use of private delivery services.
Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
Across Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, postal services became a source of frustration and anxiety last year. Constituents reported serious issues such as parcels being marked as delivered but never arriving, items left unsecured on roads, and difficulties in contacting customer support.
David Mundell
Con
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
In rural communities, postal services are crucial for older populations with poor broadband reception. Early collection times have made it less convenient to post mail, and there is an issue with the focus on parcel delivery over traditional mail. The hon. Member for Corby and East Northamptonshire made a point about the last mile delivery challenge in rural areas, highlighting concerns about sustainability due to parcel providers leaving the hardest deliveries to Royal Mail.
West Dorset
Mr Morello highlighted the hard work of posties in rural areas and raised concerns about Royal Mail's performance, with issues such as delayed deliveries and fines from Ofcom. He also mentioned challenges faced by post offices due to bank closures and delivery issues by Evri.
Helen Morgan
LD
North Shropshire
Villagers in Trefonen and other areas of North Shropshire have faced post office closures, reducing access to essential services. Constituents reported going three weeks without mail delivery, affecting health and finances.
James Naish
Lab
Rushcliffe
Conducted a survey where over 700 people reported issues with mail delivery, but less than 20% had contacted Royal Mail directly about their problems.
Jamie Stone
LD
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Mr Stone shared an example of his constituents' frustration with high delivery costs for small items like a pot of paint, illustrating the challenges faced in delivering postal services to remote areas.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Commends the hon. Member for South Shropshire for highlighting Royal Mail's failures in rural communities but expresses disappointment at having to discuss such issues. The hon. Member raised concerns about minimum wage for staff and suggested that paying a decent wage could help retain employees and improve service from the bottom up, rather than imposing fines on Royal Mail.
John Milne
Con
Horsham
Mr Milne discussed the pressure on postal services in rural areas, highlighting a case where a constituent lost her job because of missed court correspondence. He emphasised the importance of reliable postal services for people's lives and responsibilities. Discussed how devastating the consequences of unreliable postal services can be for constituents.
Lee Barron
Lab
Corby and East Northamptonshire
Praised the hard work of posties despite criticisms and complaints from MPs.
Mark Garnier
Con
Wyre Forest
Confirms similar issues in his constituency, highlighting 700 uninvited comments on Facebook expressing anger towards the postal service's failure to meet targets.
Mark Pritchard
Con
The Wrekin
Royal Mail prioritises parcel deliveries over letters due to higher profitability. This has resulted in significant delays affecting health and legal documentation delivery for constituents. Asked what powers of intervention or sanction the Minister has regarding Royal Mail's golden share and its performance. The hon. Member highlighted the need for a clear solution to address constituents' concerns.
Bayo Alaba
Lab
Southend East and Rochford
Residents in rural areas face substandard postal service, leading to missed medical appointments and delayed deliveries. There is a need for reliable services regardless of geographical location.
Julie Minns
Lab
Carlisle
Questioned why there is no requirement for consultation when closing mobile outreach services compared to bricks-and-mortar branches and suggested that Post Office should be under the same obligation to consult with the community.
Tiverton and Minehead
Agreed with Sarah Olney's points about the impact on small businesses due to Royal Mail failures and supported the need for proper consultation before closing any post offices.
Rebecca Paul
Con
Reigate
Addresses the resilience of post office networks, highlighting the importance of maintaining a minimum network size of at least 11,500 branches and retaining access criteria for rural communities. Also discusses reliability issues with deliveries.
Sarah Dyke
LD
Glastonbury and Somerton
The Henstridge post office closure highlights the need for rural-proofing the Post Office network to prevent financial exclusion and support small businesses.
Sarah Olney
LD
Richmond Park
Discussed the everyday frustrations experienced by constituents due to poor postal delivery services, highlighted issues faced by small businesses, and emphasised the importance of post offices in rural communities.
Warinder Juss
Lab
Wolverhampton West
Acknowledged the nationwide issue of poor postal services and highlighted problems in his urban constituency such as bills and birthday cards not arriving, hospital appointments being missed due to late delivery.
Government Response
Blair McDougall
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Government Response
Acknowledged the importance of reliable postal services in rural areas, praised the efforts of Royal Mail staff, and committed to addressing issues related to recruitment and retention. Emphasised the Government's commitment to the universal postal service and highlighted ongoing discussions with Royal Mail on improving conditions for posties.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.