Parliamentary concerns are mounting over widespread delays in Royal Mail deliveries, affecting over 100 postcodes across the UK. The Business and Trade Committee, led by chair Liam Byrne and comprising 11 cross-party MPs, has formally sought explanations from Royal Mail’s chief executive, Alistair Cochrane.
In their recent correspondence, the committee expressed “significant concerns about the quality of the postal service being provided by Royal Mail.” Of particular worry are allegations suggesting that Royal Mail might be intentionally withholding mail until enough items accumulate for a single address, a practice known as “batching.”
If true, batching could lead to customers missing crucial, time-sensitive communications such as medical appointment notifications, seriously undermining the reliability of the postal service. The committee emphasized that this practice also jeopardizes Royal Mail’s delivery performance statistics.
Responding to the claims, a Royal Mail spokesperson acknowledged customer frustrations but assured that the majority of mail continues to be delivered on schedule. They said, “We understand how frustrating it is when post does not arrive as expected, and we want to reassure customers that the vast majority of mail is delivered as planned.”
As the inquiry unfolds, affected customers and stakeholders await further details on how Royal Mail intends to resolve these delivery disruptions.