AM joins calls for action over Neath and Port Talbot's Junk Mail Mountain.

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Sep 2006

The Post Office must do more to make Neath and Port Talbot residents aware of their right to opt out of receiving junk mail, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black, has said.

Mr. Black was speaking in the light of news that a South Wales postie, Roger Annies, has undergone a disciplinary hearing for daring to tell householders on his round how to stem the flood of unwanted junk mail landing on their.

The amount of junk mail has gone up by 65% since 1997. One national newspaper has calculated that 3.3 million trees are used in its manufacture. The industry had pledged to recycle 30% of unwanted mail by the end of 2005, and 70% by 2013. The actual figure in 2004 was only 25%.

"The amount of junk mail delivered amounts to around 18 items per household per week which suggests over 1 million items in Neath and Port Talbot alone. I recognise that Royal Mail isn't the only player in delivering junk mail," said Mr Black. In fact it only handles less than a quarter, and uses the money to cross-subsidise other parts of its business. However, people have a right to know that they can opt out and the Post Office should play its part in assisting to disseminate that message."

"Ministers can help by naming and shaming the worst offending companies, and legislating to give mail blocking schemes legal force. It is not enough to call for householders to recycle the junk mail when it arrives as the Conservatives are doing, important though recycling is. Instead, the volume of unwanted mail must be reduced. In the meantime, Royal Mail should drop the disciplinary action against Mr Annies, and instead commend him for his approach to customer service."