Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
2nd Report - The regulation of postal services
Business and Trade Committee
HC 131
Published 22 May 2026
Recommendations
4
We urge Ofcom to investigate this as a matter of urgency.
Recommendation
We urge Ofcom to investigate this as a matter of urgency. (Recommendation, Paragraph 15)
Conclusions (8)
2
Conclusion
If such a restriction on disclosing information to Parliament exists in legislation, this Committee’s strong view is that this should be amended. (Conclusion, Paragraph 12)
3
Conclusion
We have not heard persuasive evidence to refute the previous Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s finding that Royal Mail has deprioritised delivery of letters. (Conclusion, Paragraph 14)
5
Conclusion
There are many reasons for Royal Mail’s persistent poor performance and today it is a private company, operating in a market that has changed beyond recognition in the 13 years since privatisation. Ofcom however is directly accountable to Parliament, and through Parliament to the public, for ensuring the nation’s postal …
6
Conclusion
We are concerned that Ofcom’s regulatory approach has for years now failed to bring about the required step change in Royal Mail’s performance. Three consecutive years of fines and a demand for an “urgent” improvement plan were not enough, as both short-term improvements and long-term USO reform became ensnared in …
7
Conclusion
Beyond the immediate concerns with Royal Mail, we also have growing concerns that Ofcom is not up to the job of regulating a postal market that is growing in competition and complexity. Much of the mail that our constituents rely on, from hospital appointments to energy bills, falls outside the …
8
Conclusion
Ofcom must deliver better regulation of the postal market. It should produce a clear roadmap for achieving this which sets out the statutory and non-statutory tools Ofcom currently has at its disposal, and how it intends to use these to bring about demonstrable improvements in public satisfaction with postal services. …
9
Conclusion
We respect Ofcom’s operational independence, and in the first instance it should be for the regulator itself to reform its approach. However, Ofcom is ultimately given its remit by Parliament. This remit can be changed. (Conclusion, Paragraph 22)
10
Conclusion
If the improvement plan we have recommended fails to deliver meaningful change within six months of this Report, the Secretary of State should consult on statutory changes to Ofcom’s duties and/or powers, to ensure it is fit for the 21st-century postal market. As a first step, the Secretary of State …