Anneliese Dodds

Unfortunately, in Oxford East, we have had a series of problems with the reliability of Royal Mail deliveries. Initially, there was an unwillingness to acknowledge those problems. I undertook one visit to a sorting office that had apparently been cleaned up in advance of my visit, with all the mail put out of the racks and into boxes. I was told about that, so I then did an unannounced visit and saw the real state of play, which was very different. Following those unfortunate events, the management engaged more with me and local residents, and a number of changes were instituted following a public meeting. The east Oxford sorting office counter is now open for longer. There is a special system for NHS letters in Oxford, pioneered by Oxford posties, and measures have been introduced to improve retention of staff. Both my local residents and I have been advertising recruitment events for the local Royal Mail. I underline to the Minister that the one thing that worked in Oxford, even though we still have big problems, was engaging with the local posties and residents. We should listen to them, because they know how to improve the service. We really need to see that from the management of Royal Mail, as was rightly underlined by the hon. Member for Exmouth and Exeter East (David Reed). Secondly, we need to stop the unfair competition with delivery cowboys. We have all seen this, unfortunately, in our constituencies. I have heard some appalling tales from people who are employed under really dreadful terms and conditions. They do not even have time to go to the toilet. They cannot eat, apart from when they are driving. They are paid a pittance. They have completely impossibly expectations placed on their shoulders. Ultimately, they are undercutting the Royal Mail model. We need to deal with it. We need the Employment Rights Act 2025 enacted in full and we need more action to stop that unfair playing field.