For a number of months, residents served by the Newtownards sorting office have been suffering lengthy delays of several weeks in receiving their mail. There are residents who are missing important medical appointments and running out of vital medication. At the early stage of that, we were being told that there were staff shortages due to sickness. The problems continue, and I have contacted Royal Mail asking for a meeting to find out what steps it is taking to reach a solution, but I have heard nothing, unless, of course, it is using the post to give a response. I have raised the matter with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets) highlighting the problems that local people face.

That is not the type of service that we expect from Royal Mail. It is not the service that people are paying for at a rapidly increasing price. Local residents appreciate that it is not the fault of the local postman, but, in the absence of any other explanation, there seems to be considerable foot-dragging on the part of Royal Mail in sorting it out.

My office receives at least four or five calls a day from across the area served by the Newtownards sorting office from people who are deeply concerned at the lack of service. Residents were told that they should collect their mail from the Jubilee Road depot. One gentleman, when he attended, was told that his mail was out for delivery, yet he did not receive it for another three days. Another lady from Cloughey was told last Thursday that hers was to be delivered the next day, and it still has not arrived. One gentleman told me that he had been paid a tax rebate and a week later received the letter telling him that he was getting it. Another gentleman from Killinchy is unable to leave his home, so he could not go to the depot and was without mail for over two weeks until late last week, when a huge bundle of mail was dropped through his letter box.

The stories are the same in towns right across the area, be that the peninsula, Newtownards, Comber, Killinchy and so on. It is not just an issue of inconvenience to those residents; there is a knock-on effect on services and businesses. For example, if National Health Service appointments are missed, that has implications for the health service. That has happened multiple times during the period of postal delays. It is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable that Royal Mail should bury its head in the sand and not meet local representatives on the issue. Instead, we have a situation where the rumour mill starts to run wild with all sorts of speculation, which is fuelled by customer frustration.