BURNHAM DEMANDS ROYAL MAIL PLAN TO RESTORE DELIVERY STANDARDS

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Royal Mail to produce a plan to restore letter delivery standards after the company missed its targets in August. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, he said the service had been “unacceptable for far too long”. Burnham said Royal Mail needed to act quickly or the government would consider “further measures”. He made the comments in response to Labour MP Imogen Walker, who raised delays affecting people in Hamilton and Clyde Valley.

Walker said some of her constituents had waited weeks for post and urged Royal Mail’s leadership to put a working system in place. Postal delays have also been linked to missed medical appointments. Royal Mail said it delivered 85% of first-class letters the next day and 91.4% of second-class mail within three working days during the first quarter of the year. Ofcom’s targets require 90% of first-class mail to arrive the next day and 95% of second-class mail within three working days. Those figures place both services below their respective targets.

Burnham said ministers had asked Royal Mail to attend regular meetings and that Ofcom was examining its performance. The Communication Workers Union called last week for an emergency summit on Royal Mail’s future. The union said the service was “on the brink of collapse”, while its general secretary, Dave Ward, called the company a “ticking timebomb”. Royal Mail has also announced job cuts affecting head office and other support roles.