Postwatch welcomes Royal Mail's strong half-year results

Postwatch, the watchdog for postal services, today welcomed Royal Mail’s
results for the first six months of the financial year, which show the company is
on course to meet all 12 of its performance targets.

Across the UK, Royal Mail achieved 94.5 percent of 1st class post delivered the
next working day. Royal Mail met this minimum target of 93 percent of 1st class
post delivered the next working day in 111 of the 118 UK postcode areas.

Commenting on the results, Millie Banerjee, Chair of Postwatch, said:
“Royal Mail’s results represent excellent progress and show the company is on
course, for the first time, to meet all its targets over the course of a financial year.

“These figures are evidence not just of the hard work put in by Royal Mail staff,
but also of the positive motivating effect competition in the mail market is having
on Royal Mail to up its game.

“Congratulations in particular to Royal Mail staff in Swindon, who recorded the
best performance in the UK. Postwatch hopes that Royal Mail throughout the UK
can keep up the good work and continue to provide the standard of service
customers expect over the coming months, and beyond.”

Notes to Editors
1. In 2005 – 06, Royal Mail passed 10 of its 15 minimum performance targets. In
2004 – 05, Royal Mail passed four.

2. Nationally, in the first six months of this year, Royal Mail achieved 94.4
percent of 1st class post delivered the next working day, against the minimum
performance target of 93 percent.

3. Visit Postwatch’s website www.postwatch.co.uk and blog
www.postwatchuk.blogspot.com,

Top performing postcode areas, April – September 2006
The table below shows the best performing postcode areas in the first six months
of the current financial year. This is based on the percentage of 1st class stamped
and metered items posted within that postcode area to anywhere in the UK
arriving the next working day.

1 SN Swindon 97.4
2 HU Hull 96.3
2 KT Kingston upon Thames 96.3
4 SS Southend-on-Sea 96.2
5 BR Bromley 96.0
5 NG Nottingham 96.0
5 OL Oldham 96.0
5 RH Redhill 96.0
5 WD Watford 96.0
10 DE Derby 95.9
10 DG Dumfries 95.9
10 SL Slough 95.9
13 SG Stevenage 95.8
14 AB Aberdeen 95.7
14 LU Luton 95.7
16 BD Bradford 95.6
16 HD Huddersfield 95.6
18 AL St Albans 95.5
18 DA Dartford 95.5
18 IP Ipswich 95.5