The services are included in Royal Mail’s licence, which was issued by Postcomm, and the proposed changes need Postcomm’s approval before they can be implemented. Royal Mail’s proposals are as follows:

Special Delivery.

This is a service that provides proof of posting and captures a signature on delivery. Royal Mail charges £3.75 to deliver a package weighing up to 100g the next day. It wants to:

• Move the time of delivery after which the fee is returned for non-delivery from 12 noon to 3pm
• Increase the standard level of compensation that can be claimed for loss or damage from £250 to £500
• Introduce a charge of £2.20 to meet requests to provide customers with a copy of the signature obtained when the item was delivered.

Royal Mail also has told Postcomm that it intends to introduce an express delivery product, which would have a 9am delivery time.

Standard Parcels Service

Currently Royal Mail provides the Standard Parcel Service to deliver customers’ parcels weighing up to 30kg anywhere in the UK within three to five working days. The price varies from £3.32 for parcels up to 1kg to £10.76 for parcels weighing between 10kg and 30kg. Royal Mail wants to stop providing the service for parcels weighing between 20kg and 30kg.

Notes for editors

The proposed changes are detailed in a consultation document: Proposed Changes to Royal Mail’s Standard Parcels and Special Delivery Products, which is published today on Postcomm’s website www.postcomm.gov.uk. Responses are requested by 20 August 2003. Printed copies of the document will be available shortly from Postcomm at 6 Hercules Road, London SE1