Royal Mail boss could face MPs over ‘deeply disturbing’ parcel priority claims
Royal Mail’s chief executive could face a summons before MPs following allegations that the national post service is prioritising more profitable parcel deliveries over letters.
Martin Seidenberg has come under pressure from the Commons business and trade committee to turn the flailing company around, else he could face another grilling in parliament.
Labour MP Liam Byrne, who chairs the committee, said in a letter to Seidenberg: “If the committee remains concerned about Royal Mail’s steps to improve its performance and the answers to the questions contained in this letter are unsatisfactory, the committee retains the right to summon you to provide further oral evidence.”
Byrne said MPs were “deeply disturbed” by the allegations of the illegal favouring of parcels over letters.
Last month, Ofcom fined Royal Mail £5.6m after its performance report for 2022/23 revealed that it fell far short of delivery target benchmarks.
The watchdog’s regulations dictate that Royal Mail must achieve a 93 per cent on-time delivery rate for First Class mail within one working day and a 98.5 per cent on-time delivery rate for Second Class mail within three working days.
More recently, accusations have surfaced that the company is instructing staff to prioritise parcels over letters, including fines and medical appointments, according to a Sunday Times undercover investigation.
Royal Mail has denied these claims, defending occasional delays during busy periods like Christmas, citing the need to prevent parcel backlogs.
Royal Mail has received the letter from the committee asking for more information and will respond in due course.