Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many times he has met Royal Mail leaders in the past 12 months; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.

In November last year, I met with Royal Mail’s CEO, Alistair Cochrane, and with Martin Seidenberg, the CEO of Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distribution Services (IDS).

In July last year, my predecessor, Justin Madders MP, met with Mr Cochrane, then Royal Mail’s interim CEO.

In May last year, the then Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds MP, met with Daniel Křetínský, the CEO of EP Group, which owns IDS.

Ministers and officials continue to have discussions with Royal Mail on a regular basis in its capacity as the universal service provider. However, minutes of these meetings are not routinely published.