MP asks Government to deliver ban on low-level letterboxes in new Bill
Labour MP Anneliese Midgley said she had spoken to postal workers in her Knowsley constituency who had lost parts of fingers, and suffered back problems from stooping to post mail through foot-level flaps.
She said the Government could halt the danger to postal workers by changing existing British Standards – required technical regulations on products and services in the UK – to ensure manufacturers and housebuilders install the features at least 70cm off the ground.
Introducing a 10-minute rule Bill in the Commons, Ms Midgley told MPs: 'This Government says it wants to raise standards and focus on delivery. So I have got a perfect Bill for them. It's the Letterbox Positioning Bill.
'Last Christmas, I visited the Royal Mail delivery office in my constituency in Huyton. I watched our posties working flat out, and it really hit home how hard they work, whatever the weather, whatever the conditions, and I asked, what could I do to help?
'They said 'sort out those low-level letterboxes', because they're worried that one of these days, one of them could get a life-changing injury.'
She said one postal worker in Lancaster lost the top of a finger when it was bitten off by a dog when he was posting a letter. Another in south London suffered damage to a finger when a dog 'locked on' to his hand, she added.
'Around 1,000 of our posties have had their fingers partly or fully bitten off through a letterbox in the past five years. It is clear to me that letterboxes have reached a new low, and it's time we in this House raise them,' she said.
MPs also heard political party campaigners had suffered injuries while leafletting.
Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani responded to the end of Ms Midgley's speech and said: 'As a frequent leafletter in Sussex Weald I am particularly invested in this piece of legislation.'
In addition, the Commons heard that Royal Mail had recorded more than 18,000 back injuries in one year. Ms Midgley said Ireland, Portugal and Belgium had already adopted measures similar to those she proposed.
'Let's catch up with our neighbours on this,' she said. 'Let's raise the bar, or height, literally on letterboxes. It will save pain, prevent injury and cut costs.
'It's the right thing to do for the people who deliver our post, a part of our community who look after us day in, day out.'
She added: 'So I ask this House to give this Bill the stamp of approval and get it signed, sealed and delivered.'
Her Bill will be added to private members' Bills that could be debated on July 11.
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