In reply, Minister Julia Lopez noted that: “The Government greatly values the UK’s publishing sector, of which magazine publishers form a key part. The sector is a UK success story and a significant soft power asset”.  

She added: “Specialist publishing remains an integral part of the media industry, worth £3.74 billion to the UK economy – employing around 55,000 people. The Government recognises the role that special interest publications play within the UK’s media ecosystem, and the demand for the specialist insights they provide, with more than 40 million adults in the UK reading a magazine every month”. 

Stafford also asked the Department for Business what assessment the Government has made about the potential impact on the magazine sector if the Universal Service Obligation (USO) – which currently requires Royal Mail to deliver letters six days a week – is lowered to five days. 

This follows a Westminster Hall debate earlier in January where the impact of a change to the USO on magazine deliveries was noted by the Minister and several MPs. 

In response to Stafford, Minister Kevin Hollinrake, who is responsible for postal policy, re-stated the Government’s position that there are “no current plans to change the statutory minimum requirements of the universal postal service, set out in the Postal Services Act 2011”.  

In November 2022, Royal Mail publicly called on Government to remove the statutory requirement to deliver letters on Saturdays. Since then, a range of organisations including the PPA have highlighted the economic harm that this would cause to UK businesses. 

Even though magazine deliveries are not USO mail, non-USO mail is reliant on and funds the USO network. The PPA has argued that Government must take the importance of non-USO mail into account when assessing the need to retain the USO. 

The PPA will continue to highlight the immense economic and cultural value of the magazine publishing sector to the UK, as well as engaging with Royal Mail and Government to ensure that publishers are able to continue to deliver subscription mail six days per week.