Questions have been raised over the viability of introducing competition to the Post Office service, in remote areas such as the Islands.
The proposals have been condemned by the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland, two of the remotest areas in Britain and have been labelled ‘Unviable’. Such a change would create problems within the Isles of Scilly as rivals to Royal Mail would have to set up contracts with either the Helicopter or Steamship Company in order to carry the mail over to Scilly.
The postal service, at the moment, sets very high standards throughout the Islands. Mail is Delivered by helicopter in the morning (having been sorted on the mainland) and then distributed throughout the Islands by local Post workers. As a rule Islanders usually receive their mail before midday, even on the off Islands. They are then given plenty of time to respond to any correspondence, the post then leaving the Islands by helicopter during the afternoon. The ‘next day’ promise is usually kept.
Initial competition is to be introduced for businesses within the next couple of years, but the proposals say that full competition will be introduced by 2006. It is unlikely that any competition to Royal Mail would be keen to operate within the Islands as the operating and implementation costs would be so high for factors such as charter of transport to the Islands and then distribution to the off Islands twice daily.