Postal Services Bill (HL). Lords third reading debate. Agreed to on question. New clause (Amendment 1) debated and agreed to. Privilege amendment made. Bill passed with amendments and sent to the Commons.

Postal Services Bill (HL). Lords third reading debate. Agreed to on question. New clause (Amendment 1) debated and agreed to. Privilege amendment made. Bill passed with amendments and sent to the Commons.

Clause 41: Review of costs of universal service obligations Amendments 4 to 6 4: Clause 41, page 23, line 8, leave out "may" and insert "must" 5: Clause 41, page 23, line 12, at end insert— "( ) In carrying out a review under this section OFCOM must consider the...

Clause 41: Review of costs of universal service obligations Amendments 4 to 6 4: Clause 41, page 23, line 8, leave out "may" and insert "must" 5: Clause 41, page 23, line 12, at end insert— "( ) In carrying out a review under this section OFCOM must consider the...

Motion That the Bill do now pass

Motion That the Bill do now pass

My Lords, I want to acknowledge the fact that the content and tenor of our debates, which have lasted in the region of 35 hours over the past two months, have upheld the tradition of this House in subjecting legislation to robust and detailed scrutiny and holding the Government to...

My Lords, I want to acknowledge the fact that the content and tenor of our debates, which have lasted in the region of 35 hours over the past two months, have upheld the tradition of this House in subjecting legislation to robust and detailed scrutiny and holding the Government to...

Clause 36: USP access conditions Amendment 3 3: Clause 36, page 20, line 19, at end insert— "( ) In imposing a USP access condition that imposes price controls in connection with the giving of access to the universal service provider’s postal network or to part of that network, OFCOM...

Clause 36: USP access conditions Amendment 3 3: Clause 36, page 20, line 19, at end insert— "( ) In imposing a USP access condition that imposes price controls in connection with the giving of access to the universal service provider’s postal network or to part of that network, OFCOM...

My Lords, in moving Amendment 3, I will also speak to the other amendments in this group standing in my name. Under Clause 36, Ofcom would have the power, provided that certain conditions were satisfied, to set the price that other companies must pay to access the network maintained by...

My Lords, in moving Amendment 3, I will also speak to the other amendments in this group standing in my name. Under Clause 36, Ofcom would have the power, provided that certain conditions were satisfied, to set the price that other companies must pay to access the network maintained by...

Clause 14: Annual report on post office network Amendment 2 2: Clause 14, page 6, line 35, leave out paragraph (b) and insert— "( ) the postal services, services provided under arrangements with a government department and other services that are provided at those post offices, and ( ) the...

Clause 14: Annual report on post office network Amendment 2 2: Clause 14, page 6, line 35, leave out paragraph (b) and insert— "( ) the postal services, services provided under arrangements with a government department and other services that are provided at those post offices, and ( ) the...

My Lords, Amendment 2 adds to Clause 14, which requires an annual report on the post office network. The amendment adds a requirement to report on services provided at post offices; that is, postal services, services provided under arrangements with government departments, and other services provided at post offices. This...

My Lords, Amendment 2 adds to Clause 14, which requires an annual report on the post office network. The amendment adds a requirement to report on services provided at post offices; that is, postal services, services provided under arrangements with government departments, and other services provided at post offices. This...

Amendment 1 1: After Clause 13, insert the following new Clause— "Report on agreement to dispose of shares in a Royal Mail company etc (1) This section applies to any agreement that would (or could) reduce the proportion owned (directly or indirectly) by the Crown of a Royal Mail company....

Amendment 1 1: After Clause 13, insert the following new Clause— "Report on agreement to dispose of shares in a Royal Mail company etc (1) This section applies to any agreement that would (or could) reduce the proportion owned (directly or indirectly) by the Crown of a Royal Mail company....

My Lords, I have provided a number of commitments to this House to be as transparent about the process to find a partner for Royal Mail Group as commercial confidentiality allows. Amendment 1 stems from this. We have had a number of debates during the earlier stages of the Bill...

My Lords, I have provided a number of commitments to this House to be as transparent about the process to find a partner for Royal Mail Group as commercial confidentiality allows. Amendment 1 stems from this. We have had a number of debates during the earlier stages of the Bill...

Clause 42: Sharing of burden of universal service obligations Amendment 7 7: Clause 42, page 24, line 40, at end insert— "( ) Regulations under subsection (5) may not be made unless— (a) the Secretary of State has consented to the making of the regulations, and (b) a draft of...

Clause 42: Sharing of burden of universal service obligations Amendment 7 7: Clause 42, page 24, line 40, at end insert— "( ) Regulations under subsection (5) may not be made unless— (a) the Secretary of State has consented to the making of the regulations, and (b) a draft of...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, puts his case always with such reasonableness that it makes it so much harder to resist what he is saying—harder but not impossible, I am afraid, because, as he acknowledged, what can start off as speedy and cheap when you are creating new...

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Hunt, puts his case always with such reasonableness that it makes it so much harder to resist what he is saying—harder but not impossible, I am afraid, because, as he acknowledged, what can start off as speedy and cheap when you are creating new...

My Lords, my response to the noble Lord will probably test my powers of persuasion. It is quite a challenge, but I am up for it. The amendments seek to limit Ofcom’s powers to regulate in respect of services which do not currently require a licence. The amendments are not...

My Lords, my response to the noble Lord will probably test my powers of persuasion. It is quite a challenge, but I am up for it. The amendments seek to limit Ofcom’s powers to regulate in respect of services which do not currently require a licence. The amendments are not...

My Lords, Amendment 62 aims to apply the affirmative resolution procedure to any further regulations dealing with the scheme for the assessment, collection and distribution of contributions to a compensation fund. This would require Parliament formally to approve any proposals put forward by Ofcom before it could create such a...

My Lords, Amendment 62 aims to apply the affirmative resolution procedure to any further regulations dealing with the scheme for the assessment, collection and distribution of contributions to a compensation fund. This would require Parliament formally to approve any proposals put forward by Ofcom before it could create such a...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Christopher for his references to my grandfather. Indeed I have reflected on the approach that he took to public ownership and I suppose that in a sense I continue in his tradition by sponsoring a Bill, which your Lordships are considering, that...

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Christopher for his references to my grandfather. Indeed I have reflected on the approach that he took to public ownership and I suppose that in a sense I continue in his tradition by sponsoring a Bill, which your Lordships are considering, that...

My Lords, I shall respond first to the noble Baroness, Lady Byford. The Government announced in November that the Post Office would be awarded the successor contract for the Post Office card account and that this will run from 2010 to 2015, with the possibility of a two-year extension beyond...

My Lords, I shall respond first to the noble Baroness, Lady Byford. The Government announced in November that the Post Office would be awarded the successor contract for the Post Office card account and that this will run from 2010 to 2015, with the possibility of a two-year extension beyond...

My Lords, this amendment looks to introduce requirements for Government to report to the House on the issue and disposal of shares or rights in the Royal Mail company and the ability of the private sector partner to meet certain selection criteria. As I said during debate in Committee, I...

My Lords, this amendment looks to introduce requirements for Government to report to the House on the issue and disposal of shares or rights in the Royal Mail company and the ability of the private sector partner to meet certain selection criteria. As I said during debate in Committee, I...

My Lords, the practice is so continuous that it would be invidious of me to select one example of what happens. I quite understand that when a workforce feels that it is being challenged or pushed to modernise or bring about change by the management, and feels that the management...

My Lords, the practice is so continuous that it would be invidious of me to select one example of what happens. I quite understand that when a workforce feels that it is being challenged or pushed to modernise or bring about change by the management, and feels that the management...

Amendment 22 22: After Clause 12, insert the following new Clause— "Employee share schemes The requirement that a Royal Mail company be publicly owned does not prevent the establishment of an employee share scheme provided the Crown continues to own (directly or indirectly) more than half of the company." Amendment...

Amendment 22 22: After Clause 12, insert the following new Clause— "Employee share schemes The requirement that a Royal Mail company be publicly owned does not prevent the establishment of an employee share scheme provided the Crown continues to own (directly or indirectly) more than half of the company." Amendment...

Amendment 23 23: After Clause 12, insert the following new Clause— "Annual report on post office network (1) A Post Office company must send to the Secretary of State each year a report on its network of post offices. (2) The report must give details of— (a) the number and...

Amendment 23 23: After Clause 12, insert the following new Clause— "Annual report on post office network (1) A Post Office company must send to the Secretary of State each year a report on its network of post offices. (2) The report must give details of— (a) the number and...