Question follow-through · 1270
Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with (a) Royal Mail and (b) prospective buyers for Royal Mail on retaining the universal service obligation.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Department for Business and Trade
- Tabled
- 23 Jul 2024
- Target answer date
- 25 Jul 2024
- Answer
- 31 Jul 2024 · 8 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Economy and business
- Retail Trade: Urban Areas · 29 Jul 2024
- Small Businesses: Northern Ireland · 2 Sept 2024
- Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland · 3 Sept 2024
- Conditions of Employment: Northern Ireland · 10 Sept 2024
- Shipbuilding: Trade Promotion · 4 Oct 2024
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Draft Code of Practice on Electronic and Workplace Ballots for Statutory Trade Union Ballots · 15 Jul 2026
- Draft Trade Unions (Permissible Means of Voting) and Employment Rights (Unfair Dismissal) (Amendment) Order 2026 · 15 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5 · 1 Jul 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
23 Jul 2024
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with (a) Royal Mail and (b) prospective buyers for Royal Mail on retaining the universal service obligation.
25 Jul 2024
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
31 Jul 2024
Answer published
The Secretary of State and I have met with Royal Mail’s parent company, International Distribution Services, and the EP Group to discuss the proposed takeover of IDS.The universal service obligation is a legally binding commitment on the designated univer...
Official data retrieved 27 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Retail Trade: Urban Areas
29 Jul 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to support high street retailers.
Small Businesses: Northern Ireland
2 Sept 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Department for the Economy on protecting small businesses in Northern Ireland.
Foreign Investment in UK: Northern Ireland
3 Sept 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to increase inward investment in Northern Ireland.
Conditions of Employment: Northern Ireland
10 Sept 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the provisions of the proposed Employment Rights Bill will extend to Northern Ireland.
Shipbuilding: Trade Promotion
4 Oct 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will extend export support programmes for civil maritime sector participation in international trade shows.
Manufacturing Industries: Government Assistance
8 Oct 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support manufacturing in the UK.
Unfair Dismissal
8 Oct 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to increase employee protection from unfair dismissal.
Small Businesses: Interest Rates
9 Oct 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of interest rates on SMEs.
Companies: Insolvency
23 Oct 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential for abuse of voluntary insolvencies.
Drugs: Licensing
24 Oct 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department supports the use of Compulsory Licences to gain access to medicines (a) generally and (b) by Columbia for access to dolutegravir.
Foreign Investment in UK
4 Nov 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage international investment across the UK.
Health Services: Regulation
25 Nov 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make a comparative assessment of (a) the UK's regulatory system and (b) those of international comparators.