NATIONAL boss of Royal Mail Simon Thompson will face further questioning in Parliament on February 22 after doubts were thrown on the accuracy of the evidence he gave to MPs last month.

Among the topics he will be quizzed on is a poster instructing staff to prioritise parcels - something residents in Cornwall are questioning might be behind a delay in mail deliveries.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has described his behaviour as “evasive”.

The CEO of Royal Mail had been called before the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee to answer questions on a range of topics, including on the tracking of staff to monitor productivity.

Mr Thompson was also questioned about a poster, displayed in a local office elsewhere in England, which instructed staff to make parcels their priority, potentially compromising the Universal Service Obligation that guarantees the mail service.

The Cornish Times asked Royal Mail if people in South East Cornwall have been getting their letters late because of a management approach which encourages postal workers to prioritise parcels above other mail.

A spokesperson for the company said: “This poster was created and displayed at a local office by a colleague, and does not accurately reflect the instructions that we are giving to colleagues nationwide. Every item of mail is important to us.

"Royal Mail does not operate a policy of prioritising parcels. We regularly remind colleagues that the delivery, collection and processing of letters and parcels should be treated with equal importance.

“Due to the amount of space they take up, parcels can restrict the movement of both people and mail in our offices, leading to health and safety issues and delays to other mail. 

"At particularly busy times, such as in the recovery days after a strike, we may occasionally at a local level clear parcels to free up space and address health and safety concerns so that we can keep all mail - including letters - moving efficiently through our network.”

The CWU has just re-balloted its members and further industrial action among postal workers is likely to take place over the coming months. A 24-hour strike is set to happen on February 16 and 17.