ROYAL Mail has been given two weeks to respond to accusations that it has been prioritising parcels over first-class mail resulting in delays for urgent letters such as appointment notices and bank statements.

Staff in some depots sounded the alarm over an alleged understanding that they were to clear parcels first if they build up quickly in order to make space in the delivery offices.

Asking to improve what was described as “chaos” across the service, the business and trade committee of MPs requested the company explain the reports which first appeared in the BBC.

Royal Mail said it would respond to MPs in detail and is working to resolve short-term disruptions before the March 2 deadline.

The letter from the committee raised “significant concerns” about reports of “failures in service” which go beyond the expected seasonal pressures.

They also demanded “categorical assurance” that parcels are not being prioritised over letters.

CWU General Secretary Dave Ward told the Star: “Parliament is right to be worried about the situation at Royal Mail, and postal workers welcome the concern over the company’s self-inflicted declining standards.

“Across the country, serious delays in postal deliveries have been taking place for over three years.

“Not because of illness, as senior Royal Mail figures claim, but because of chronic mismanagement at the top of Royal Mail itself.

“The British public can see very clearly what is happening to the Royal Mail as an institution.”