Royal Mail: Performance Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Business and Trade
Sadik Al-Hassan
Main Page: Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour - North Somerset)Department Debates - View all Sadik Al-Hassan's debates with the Department for Business and Trade
Royal Mail: Performance
Sadik Al-Hassan Excerpts(1 day, 12 hours ago)
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Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. The performance of Royal Mail is an issue of significant concern across North Somerset. Issues with deliveries are having real consequences for residents and businesses alike. In the light of concerns highlighted to me, I launched a survey in mid-February to ask constituents about their experiences with Royal Mail. I have also been working constructively with local CWU representatives and meeting staff in sorting offices to understand the challenges Royal Mail is facing and to find practical solutions. I am grateful for the engagement and look forward to continuing those conversations.
The issue was brought into sharp focus for me in January when I hosted a town hall for constituents. Many residents unfortunately received their event invitations after the town hall had already happened. One property business in Clevedon shared its experience. The business deals with house and flat sales, where deadlines carry real legal weight. The business went nearly two weeks without a single delivery. Royal Mail said it is either a staffing issue or that other delivery routes are taking priority. The property business asked whether it might be able to collect its post directly from the local sorting office, but it was told that that would not be possible.
According to my survey, 87% of respondents in North Somerset are experiencing delays, and 53% said that delayed deliveries had caused them to miss appointments and deadlines. Those figures reflect a level of disruption that goes beyond what most North Somerset residents would consider acceptable, and it is a concern shared by staff. One of my survey respondents has stage 4 cancer. They manage over 50 medical appointments alongside work and caring for a four-year-old child. They depend on NHS letters to manage care and plan their life around it, and one key appointment letter sent in December has still not arrived. As a pharmacist, I see that risk as unacceptable.
Our posties are a pillar of our community, working tirelessly in all weathers to deliver a vital postal service. I want to be clear: my concerns are with systemic issues in our postal system. Perhaps, as the CWU asks, Royal Mail should be back—
Derek Twigg (in the Chair)
Order. Unfortunately, we are now going to have to move to a time limit of a minute and a half. I am still trying to get everybody in.