To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Ofcom has conducted any analysis of regulatory options to protect the universal postal service in the event of a significant increase in end-to-end competition.

The regulatory options to protect the universal service are set out in the Postal Services Act 2011.

Parliament has given Ofcom the primary statutory duty to secure the provision of the universal service and the powers and tools its needs to do so.

Ofcom has carried out a consultation on end-to-end competition in the postal services sector and published a Guidance paper on the use of its regulatory options and the circumstances under which it would intervene to protect the universal service from any serious threat from competition. More information about Ofcom’s consultation on end-to-end competition and its Guidance (“Final Guidance on Ofcom’s approach to assessing the impact on the universal service”) can be found on its website (www.ofcom.org.uk).