The postal services regulator, Postcomm, is threatening to undermine universal deliveries through its plans to introduce more competition, according to the House of Commons public accounts committee.

Committee chairman Edward Leigh said Postcomm was making decisions "in the dark" and should be cautious about the potential consequences of its plans.

Forum Response: Communication Workers Union

Tony Kearns, acting general secretary of the CWU, told ePolitix.com: "Postcomm wants to risk the entire public postal service on an uninformed hunch that competition will improve the service.

"The fact is that the Postcomm model is completely untried. But if the hunch fails to come off, the Royal Mail could be permanently lost to the public. This is not regulation. It is gambling with the family silver. It is utterly irresponsible.

"I am delighted that a body as respected as the PAC shares the union's fears. The PAC report says that there is little reliable management information from Consignia, and there are major question marks over Postcomm's analysis.

"This is exactly what the union has said for the last six months. I cannot believe that the government will continue to sit on the side-lines and allow the regulator to march us down a path that is opposed by the PAC, the workers in the industry, and the general public."