Postage price will be the same in Scrabster as Surbiton
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LOCAL MP John Thurso is "stamping" out dissent about changes to postage charges.
Over the past few weeks the Westminster representative has been at loggerheads with his Holyrood counterpart, Rob Gibson, over media watchdog Ofcom’s proposed changes to stamp and delivery prices within Royal Mail.
Once again this week Mr Gibson accused the Lib Dems of "burying their heads in the sand" over the changes, which would give the government-owned postal service freedom to set its own prices for the majority of its products.
Mr Gibson said this could open the floodgates on postage pricing and allow Royal Mail to penalise rural areas with crippling postage costs.
However, John Thurso said that this is not the case as there will still be some form of universal service obligation – a guarantee of the same service to everyone in the country.
"The idea that the universal service is being scrapped in rural areas is a complete fallacy and there is not one shred of evidence for it," said John Thurso.
"Royal Mail are looking at taking the cap off first-class post which means they will be able to determine the price.
"But it will be the exact same price in Surbiton [suburb of London] as it will be in Scrabster."
The MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross added: "This Government enshrined the universal guarantee in legislation that we passed last year and it was people like me who insisted on it to protect the distant parts of the country.
"To have someone walking around saying this isn’t the case is ludicrous."
Ofcom was in consultation between October 2011 and January this year over proposals to give Royal Mail freedom to set its own prices for the majority of its products including first-class post and parcels, second-class large letters and heavy parcels, any other parcels and business and bulk mail.
The consultation closed at the start of the year.
Mr Gibson claims these changes would pose a serious threat to small and medium-sized businesses in the Far North.
"The removal of the cap would have very serious consequences for small businesses who rely heavily on Royal Mail’s services, and the proposals come at a time when many are already under real pressure," he said.
"Small businesses rely on Royal Mail’s service to be able to deliver letters and packages around the country.
"They could be priced out of the market, risking their very survival."
Mr Gibson is calling on all politicians in the Highlands to lobby the Lib Dem’s business minister, Norman Lamb, to drop the proposals.
He added: "My invitation includes Lord Thurso, who despite his previous denials is more than welcome to join me in this fight."
However John Thurso said that Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards has made it clear that small businesses will have an option for sending packets and parcels for a fixed price across the UK within the universal service agreement.
"Whatever the charge for first-class post may be it will be the same across the whole country," he said.
"Mr Gibson claimed that you will pay more in the Highlands – there is no evidence to support that.
"The critical point for small businesses and individuals is that there is a guaranteed universal service which has a uniform price wherever you are in the UK."
Ofcom says that Royal Mail has introduced some surcharges for very large packet contracts for collections from more rural areas but at present these only apply to large contracts with large businesses.
If Royal Mail sought to introduce surcharges to smaller customers then there would be an option to switch to a universal service option.
