Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 40
40
Accepted
Royal Mail's service for ballot and postal vote delivery remains encouraging but must be maintained.
Conclusion
We found the level of service provided by Royal Mail, especially in regard to the delivery of ballot packs and postal votes, encouraging. For as long as postal votes continue to be a substantial and essential part of the voting system, it is imperative that this level of service be maintained. (Conclusion, Paragraph 110)
Government Response Summary
The government states it already works closely with Royal Mail on election preparedness and will continue to do so, believing that Royal Mail's current performance and focus on election mail means no further government or regulatory intervention is needed to maintain service levels.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
On the Committee’s fourth recommendation, the Government already works alongside Royal Mail in the period preceding an election, to discuss plans and preparedness for the upcoming poll. This work will continue in future polls, building upon the positive working relationship that has been developed over a number of years. In relation to the Committee’s recommendation on the universal service obligation (USO), Parliament has given Ofcom the role of independent postal regulator under the Postal Services Act 2011. This places a duty on Ofcom to secure the provision of a universal postal service and they must, by order, set out a description of the services that they consider should be provided in the UK as a universal postal service, as well as the standards with which those services are to comply. During an election, a range of business mail and election services are used through either an access operator or directly with Royal Mail. These are business accounts which are not regulated under the USO, though they align with its reformed delivery model. The Government is confident that Royal Mail has a major focus on delivering election mail to the required standard and the reports from the Electoral Commission, as well as from this Committee, conclude that Royal Mail performed well under the difficult circumstances of last year’s General Election. Therefore, we believe there is no need for further regulatory or Government intervention in this area.