Quality and reliability of parcel delivery services - House of Lords

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/qual ... -services/ full briefing at link

The House of Lords is scheduled to consider the following question for short debate on 3 September 2026:

Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat) to ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve the quality and reliability of parcel delivery services, particularly in relation to their impact on small businesses and vulnerable consumers.

1. Key points
The UK parcel delivery market is competitive, with major operators including Amazon Logistics, DPD, DHL, Evri, InPost and Royal Mail. Ofcom regulates postal services under the Postal Services Act 2011 and monitors delivery operators’ performance and standards and their impact on consumers and businesses.

Research by Ofcom and Citizens Advice indicates generally high consumer satisfaction but frequent delivery problems, including damaged parcels, inappropriate delivery locations, and issues with accessibility and complaints handling. Performance varies between operators, with some consistently scoring below average (such as Evri and Yodel, which has been taken over by InPost).

The government recognises the operational independence of delivery operators but has called on operators to provide a reliable service and reduce delivery issues. It has also welcomed Ofcom’s continued monitoring of these operators and enforcement action, where necessary.
Ofcom states that it has taken enforcement action against such operators, including issuing fines to Royal Mail for repeatedly missing mail delivery targets and requiring the company to publish and implement an improvement plan. It continues to monitor accessibility, affordability and service quality, and has issued guidance to operators on complaints handling and the fair and appropriate treatment of disabled consumers.

[yellowbelly]

Nice to know our representatives will be back at work soon keeping democracy alive.

[TopperGas]

How is OFCOM fining Royal Mail for late mail deliveries actually dealing with the poor package delivery service from EVRI etc mentioned in the proposed debate?

[WalkerX]

I bet the CEOs of these companies are quaking in their boots.

The Sphinx, continued the great RM tradition of lying without shame to a governmental enquiry. The race to the bottom continues.
I`m working on a system where myself and a partner drive the van along the road with the side door open, throwing parcels/packets into customer`s gardens as we go, US paperboy style. (Still working on launching the letters, however, we`re a parcel delivery service, so the letters will have to stay under the frame in several trays for a couple of weeks.)

[Mr Rush]

I`m working on a system where myself and a partner drive the van along the road with the side door open, throwing parcels/packets into customer`s gardens as we go, US paperboy style.

Just imagine the savings that could have been made if RM, when it was under national ownership, had the same clout the federally administered USPS possessed to mandate letterboxes at the property line. Thank goodness that was never allowed to happen or duties would have been ripped out with abandon and 100,000 jobs would have been lost. W-wait a minute