Written questions

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Commons · Question 106497 · Tabled 19 Jan 2026 · Department for Business and Trade · Official record

Answered 23 Jan 2026

Question

Asked by Mark Pritchard

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is able to take to encourage Ofcom to sanction Royal Mail if it fails to fulfil its Universal Service Obligation.

Answer

Answered by Blair McDougall, 23 Jan 2026

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification. In October last year, Ofcom fined Ro...