END-TO-END COMPETITION AND THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL SERVICE

That this House notes with concern the expansion of end-to-end postal services by TNT Post UK in major UK cities; further notes that the sustainability of the Universal Service depends on Royal Mail being able to use revenue from easier-to-serve, densely populated, areas to cover the cost of a nationwide network; is concerned that cherry-picking of urban and suburban areas by TNT Post UK could have a serious impact on the financial sustainability of the one-price-goes-anywhere, six-day-a-week Universal Service; expresses its support for the Universal Service that many people, including rural communities and small businesses, rely on; and calls on Ofcom to undertake a full review of end-to-end postal competition as a matter of urgency, and determine quickly any regulatory changes needed to protect the Universal Postal Service.