Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have conducted research to review whether end-to-end competition in the postal sector is more likely to affect the universal service than in other European countries due to (1) the United Kingdom's economic geography, and (2) the United Kingdom mandatory access requirements.

Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament gave Ofcom, as an independent regulator for postal services, the primary statutory duty to secure the provision of the universal service.

Parliament has given Ofcom the regulatory powers and tools it needs to intervene in the market if the provision of the universal service is ever at risk.

Given its statutory duties, it is for Ofcom to monitor and assess any impact of postal competition on the provision of the universal service. To this end Ofcom has put in place a comprehensive monitoring regime to keep the situation under review.

More information about Ofcom's regulatory regime can be found on its website (www.ofcom.org.uk).