House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Universal Postal Service Order: Rhondda

08 May 2024 · 1 other contributor · 4,219 words

Opened by Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore

Responding minister: Kevin Hollinrake

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Chris Bryant raised concerns about universal postal service order: rhondda in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

Chris Bryant is concerned about Royal Mail failing to meet the universal service obligation in his constituency, with residents facing issues like sporadic mail delivery and missed hospital appointments due to late letters.
Letters have decreased from 14.3 billion in 2011-12 to 7.3 billion in 2022-23, while parcels increased from 2.6 billion to 3.6 billion during the same period.
Postal workers report insufficient staffing, prioritisation of parcels over post, large undeliverable rounds, and vans too small for both parcels and mail.

Key requests to Government

Bryant wants Royal Mail to employ enough staff, value them properly, ensure that letters are not treated as second-rate compared to parcels, have a proper complaint process, and return to the system from about ten years ago. He also requests an apology if issues have been obscured locally.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Chris Bryant Lab Rhondda and Ogmore

Chris Bryant is concerned about Royal Mail failing to meet the universal service obligation in his constituency. Letters have decreased from 14.3 billion in 2011-12 to 7.3 billion in 2022-23, and parcels increased from 2.6 billion to 3.6 billion during the same period. Residents face issues such as sporadic mail delivery, missed hospital appointments due to late letters, and difficulty contacting Royal Mail for complaints. Postal workers report insufficient staffing, prioritisation of parcels over post, large undeliverable rounds, and vans too small for both parcels and mail.

Other contributors (1)

Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

Committed to the hon. Gentleman's initiative and emphasised the need for clear legal obligations under the universal postal service order to ensure availability in rural areas.

Government Response

Kevin Hollinrake

The Minister acknowledged the importance of maintaining a six-day delivery service, highlighted concerns over Royal Mail's performance in meeting delivery targets, and noted recent improvements following agreements with unions. He emphasised the need for actions to address ongoing issues such as recruitment challenges and sickness absence affecting local services. Ofcom fined Royal Mail £5.6 million earlier this year for contravention of conditions in 2022-23, and the Minister stated that action was needed beyond words. Recent performance data shows a reduction in sickness absence and improvements in delivery rates. The Minister also discussed measures to address local service issues in Ferndale and Mid Rhondda, including recruitment efforts and prioritisation of mail deliveries on subsequent working days if missed.