Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales – in the Senedd at 1:41 pm on 11 November 2020.
Since COVID, the Royal Mail service in the Rhondda has deteriorated dramatically. Constituents have reported examples like a first-class letter taking eight days to get from Porth to Pentre, and another six days to get from Porth to Pontypridd. People are being told to make appointments with the sorting office in Clydach if they can't wait for urgent mail. Now, this would be bad enough in normal times, but with increasing numbers of people working from home, and increasing numbers of people waiting for urgent medical appointments, this is hampering the local economy, as well as people's health. I wrote to the Royal Mail almost a month ago, asking them for improvements and for an explanation, and I'm still waiting for a reply. In the light of the problems this is causing to so many people in so many communities in the Rhondda, what can the Government do to address this issue? Can you remind the Royal Mail of their responsibilities and their duties to our communities right throughout this country?