ROYAL Mail’s six-day delivery service will remain as it is, Rishi Sunak has vowed amid proposals to ditch Saturday deliveries.
The PM was asked to give a “commitment” that under his watch there will be no reduction in postal services provided by Royal Mail.
RuckasPrime Minister Rishi Sunak was asked to give a commitment Royal Mail’s universal postal service would remain as it is[/caption]
Royal Mail has called for Saturday letter deliveries to be ditched, arguing its current network is not sustainableAlamy
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Sunak said: “We remain absolutely committed to ensuring that it remains as it is.”
It comes after in a long-awaited report, regulator Ofcom outlined options for reforming Britain’s universal postal service, warning that it risks becoming “unsustainable” without reform.
The proposals include cutting Royal Mail’s letter delivery service from six days to five, or even three, a week.
The regulator says this could save the courier firm £100 million to £200 million if the service was cut to five days and £400 million to £650 million if it was reduced to three.
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Royal Mail itself has called for Saturday letter deliveries to be ditched, arguing its current network is not sustainable.
But any reform to the universal postal service would ultimately be up to the Government as it requires a law change.
Downing Street has already said it would “not countenance” scrapping Saturday deliveries, given the importance of the service, particularly to businesses.
The group has warned it may need a Government subsidy to stay afloat.
The firm, which is owned by International Distributions Services (IDS), recorded a £419 million loss in its previous financial year, while it was also fined £5.6 million for failing to meet its delivery targets.
Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said Britain’s universal postal service was “getting out of date and will become unsustainable if we don’t take action”.
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She told the BBC: “Postal workers are part of the fabric of our society and are critical to communities up and down the country.
“But we’re sending half as many letters as we did in 2011, and receiving many more parcels.”
Postal Affairs Minister Kevin Hollinrake told the BBC the Government was “happy to have a conversation” about reforms.
But he insisted that Saturday deliveries were “sacrosanct” and that a six-day service would remain.
Ofcom wants to spark a “national debate” on the future of the UK’s postal service, with a consultation on the proposals open until April 3.
It plans to provide an update in the summer.
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