STAMP PRICES

That this House expresses its deep concern at the decision by Royal Mail to increase the price of postage stamps from 30 April 2012; is troubled that the price of a first class stamp is increasing by 30 per cent to 60 penceand the price of a second class stamp is increasing by 39 per cent to 50 pence; draws attention to the recent Report from the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee on Stamp Prices (Fifteenth Report, HC 1841) which highlighted the negative impact which stamp price increases could have on vulnerable customers and small businesses and noted that increases could lead to a reduction in the number of Royal Mail customers; believes that such increases are an unfortunate result of the liberalisation of the postal market; and calls on Royal Mail immediately to cancel its planned price increases.