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 pence and 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 of Session 2010-12, 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 to cancel immediately its planned price increases.