We became a plc on 26 March 2001 wholly owned by the UK Government, our sole shareholder. The framework for change was the Postal Services Act 2000 that created a commercially focused company with a more strategic relationship with the Government. The Postal Services Act also established a new regulatory regime with an independent regulator, Postcomm, and a reformed consumer body, Postwatch.

On 4 November 2002 we changed our name from Consignia to Royal Mail Group plc. Through our predecessors The Post Office Corporation, the General Post Office and Consignia, we have a record of over 360 years of providing the public with postal services.

In the UK we operate under our trusted brands Royal Mail, Post Office™ and Parcelforce Worldwide.

Royal Mail 

Royal Mail provides an essential public service relied upon by local residents, businesses, local and national government, public services and the community generally. Notwithstanding the introduction of e-mail and other electronic messaging, and the continuing use of faxes, the volume of mail delivered each day is some 82 million items and continues to grow.

We have a statutory duty to provide a letter delivery service to each and every one of the 27 million addresses in the United Kingdom at a uniform price, irrespective of the distance travelled. The duty also includes an obligation to carry out at least one collection daily from each of our letterboxes.

www.royalmail.com

Post Office™ 

Ninety-four per cent of people in the UK live within a mile of a Post Office™ branch. Twenty-eight million people visit a Post Office branch every week to take advantage of more than 170 different products and services available, ranging from financial products, travel services, government information and retail products.

Through Post Office Ltd, we are also the operator of the UK's largest retail network. We have more Post Office™ branches than the combined UK total - 14,400 - of the four major building societies and six banks. The network is unique in that Post Office Ltd only owns around 500 Post Office branches. The remainder of the network is owned by the people who run it, including franchisees and subpostmasters and mistresses.

www.postoffice.co.uk

Parcelforce Worldwide 

Parcelforce Worldwide is focussed on the growing express market for UK time-guaranteed and next day services and international parcels. It provides access to the world's largest delivery network, covering more than 99.6 per cent of the global population and reaching 239 different countries and territories.

www.parcelforce.com

Postwatch 

Postwatch (initially called the Consumer Council for Postal Services) was established to promote the interests of users of postal services within the framework of the Postal Services Act 2000. It replaces the Post Office Users' National Council (POUNC) and has a more extensive regional structure.

Postwatch is responsible for monitoring postal service standards and acts as a focus for consumer issues and complaints. It is consulted on key decisions including variations in the services for which postal licences are required, the granting and modification of licences, and the enforcement of licence conditions. Together with the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm), Postwatch also monitors and advises on the network of Post Office branches.

Visit the Postwatch website at www.postwatch.co.uk

Postcomm 

The Postal Services Commission, or Postcomm as it is more commonly known, was created by the Postal Services Act 2000. Initially established as an advisory body, it became the new independent regulator for postal services on 6 November 2000. Postcomm's primary responsibility is to maintain the provision of a universal postal service at a uniform tariff. It has set tough standards of service and is monitoring them closely. In addition, Postcomm has licensed other companies to compete with us, typically in the business-to-business market between large urban centres which is the most profitable part of the mails business.

Visit the Postcomm website at www.postcomm.gov.uk