Ofcom call for input

Chief Legal Officer, Matt Newman, writes:

This morning the postal regulator Ofcom has published a call for input, setting out evidence and options for how the Universal Service might need to evolve to more closely meet consumer needs.

Ofcom’s report demonstrates that reform is urgently needed to protect the future of the one-price-goes-anywhere Universal Service. We are doing everything in our power to transform, but it is not sustainable to maintain a network built for 20 billion letters when we are now only delivering seven billion.

We have been calling on Government and Ofcom to tackle this issue for four years, and the lack of action means that we are now facing a much more serious situation.

Whilst other countries have grasped the opportunity to change, the UK is being left behind. There has been a lot of discussion about dropping Saturday letter deliveries in the UK, but as other countries have shown, there are a range of options to consider.

A modern and sustainable postal service is crucial for our people, our company and the customers we serve.

This is the start of a consultation where Ofcom will seek views on options for the future of the Universal Service. The consultation will close on 3 April 2024, and can be found on the Ofcom website here.

We are analysing the options Ofcom has put forward in more detail, and we will be engaging with all stakeholders as part of the process to find an outcome that will allow us to compete and adapt to today’s realities.

Royal Mail will be submitting a detailed response to the consultation, and will continue to lobby Ofcom and the Government to take action quickly.

Do look out for more information across our internal communications channels over the coming weeks. We will hold a series of sessions with opportunities to ask questions and feed in your views so that we can work together to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Universal Service.