UK Parliament / Open data

Postal Services Bill

Committee of the Whole House (HL) and Debate on bills on Wednesday, 6 April 2011, in the House of Lords.
Postal Services Bill. Lords committee stage fourth day. Clauses 16 to 91 agreed to, with clauses 21, 23, 24, 58, 80 agreed to as amended. Schedules 3 to 11 agreed to. Schedule 12 agreed to as amended. Bill reported with amendments (HL Bill 66).

About these Parliamentary proceedings

Reference

726 c1732-824 

Session

2010-12

Department

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Legislative stage

Committee stage

Procedure

New clauses

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords chamber

Related items

Postal Services Bill. As amended in Committee. (Lords Minutes)
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Bills
House of Lords
Postal Services Bill. Brought from the Commons. Explanatory notes also published (HL Bill 38-EN).
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Bills
House of Lords
Postal Services Act 2000
Friday, 28 July 2000
Public acts

Proceeding contributions

Viscount Eccles | 726 c1753-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we have had two very interesting contributions—I am tempted to call them Second Reading sp...
Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde | 726 c1756-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Amendment 24PB, which stands in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Brooke of Alverth...

Show all contributions (108)
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1749 (Link to this contribution) On reflection, I am happy to do that and shall conclude my comments at this point.
Lord Jenkin of Roding | 726 c1749-53 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Young of Norwood Green, has said that this is a very large group of a...
Baroness Wheatcroft | 726 c1758-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I share the concerns of the noble Baroness, Lady Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde. Overgearing is...
Baroness Kramer | 726 c1759 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hesitate to rise on this occasion because there have been so many detailed, coherent and...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1745-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this important amendment seeks to reassert that the universal service should be maintained...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1749 (Link to this contribution) In the interests of time, it may be better for the noble Lord to wait until I explain what it is abo...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1745 (Link to this contribution) 24GB: Clause 24, page 13, line 17, at end insert— ““( ) Any order under this Part may provide for it...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1745 (Link to this contribution) 24GC: Clause 28, page 15, line 14, leave out subsection (3)
Baroness Drake | 726 c1741-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I hope that I may respond to some of the points made in the debate, particularly to the co...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1743 (Link to this contribution) Before the noble Baroness withdraws her amendment, I am happy to provide some clarification on the p...
Baroness Drake | 726 c1743-4 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for those further clarifications. They are helpful, although they trigger one o...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1744 (Link to this contribution) 24EC: Clause 17, page 10, line 9, at end insert— ““( ) Before making an order under this section, th...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1744 (Link to this contribution) I, too, welcome the clarification. We will study the words closely. I concur with the points made by...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1744-5 (Link to this contribution) 24F: Clause 21, page 11, line 40, at end insert— ““( ) For the purposes of this section as it applie...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1745 (Link to this contribution) 24G: Clause 23, page 13, line 6, at end insert— ““( ) Information that— (a) relates to pensions or o...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1738-41 (Link to this contribution) Yes, my Lords. As a general point, could I say that we are in Committee? So the noble Lord is free t...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1741 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank my noble friend very much for an extremely clear exposition. We started the group ...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1741 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, my noble friend makes an extremely important point. The terminology is confusing but I thi...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1762-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the essence of this large group of amendments concerns the balance between protecting the ...
Lord Jenkin of Roding | 726 c1767 (Link to this contribution) I was not referring to the cost of Postcomm. I was referring to the cost that fell on the Royal Mail...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1767-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am most grateful to my noble friend for his clarification. I hope that I can reassure hi...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1768 (Link to this contribution) As a matter of historical accuracy, I did not play a prominent part in dealing with the previous Bil...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1760-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall comment on some of the other amendments and points that have been made in this deb...
Lord Christopher | 726 c1762 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I had not intended to speak, but some of the comments made require a response. The noble L...
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe | 726 c1759-60 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall speak briefly in support of Amendment 24PB, which has already been spoken to by my...
Lord Morris of Handsworth | 726 c1738 (Link to this contribution) The Minister made reference to the liabilities. Could he say a word about the inherited assets?
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1737-8 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, before I start I should repeat my declaration of an interest in that my wife jointly owns ...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1735-7 (Link to this contribution) I will speak to Amendments 24EC, 24ED, 24FA and 24GA, which stand in my name, and also to Amendment ...
Baroness Drake | 726 c1733-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Amendment 24EB seeks to place a duty on the Secretary of State to provide certain informat...
Baroness Drake | 726 c1732-3 (Link to this contribution) 24EB: Clause 16, page 10, line 3, at end insert— ““( ) On making an order under subsection (2), and ...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1777-81 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, in responding to the last two groups of amendments, the noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, said t...
Lord Laming | 726 c1781-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, perhaps I may speak very briefly in support of Amendments 24J, 24K and 24N, in the name of...
Viscount Tenby | 726 c1773-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall speak to Amendments 24J and 24K. I hope that I will not be accused of being self-i...
Lord Laird | 726 c1776-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I have two amendments in this grouping. I propose, with the permission of your Lordships, ...
Baroness Kramer | 726 c1789-90 (Link to this contribution) I shall speak briefly to Amendment 24AB in my name and that of my noble friends Lord Razzall and Lor...
Lord Cotter | 726 c1789 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Amendment 24X suggests that the proposed period for the review of the universal service pr...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1786-9 (Link to this contribution) I shall speak also to Amendment 24AHA. All the amendments in this group have a common theme. Amendme...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1786 (Link to this contribution) 24NZA: Clause 34, page 19, line 3, leave out subsection (1) and insert— ““( ) OFCOM must designate a...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1785-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am very grateful to all those who have taken part in the debate on this group of amendme...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1782-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, the primary purpose of the Bill is to protect the universal service. The Bill requires Ofc...
Lord Jenkin of Roding | 726 c1792 (Link to this contribution) We tried to give notice to my noble friend’s office that this amendment would not be moved, but the ...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1792-3 (Link to this contribution) I apologise. Scrap that. How about Amendment 24NZA? This amendment is tabled in the name of the nobl...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1793-4 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for her full reply. It was good of her to take the time to go through the detai...
Lord Laird | 726 c1794 (Link to this contribution) 24P: Clause 34, page 19, line 40, at end insert— ““( ) Prior to a sale or transfer of a Post Office ...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1790-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, this group of amendments relates to the actions that could be taken if Ofcom found that th...
Lord Skelmersdale | 726 c1795 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I readily understand why the noble Lord, Lord Laird, seeks to protect local post offices, ...
Lord Laird | 726 c1795 (Link to this contribution) The post office network is part of the fabric of rural life. In Northern Ireland, as elsewhere, the ...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1798-800 (Link to this contribution) In these amendments, noble Lords express a concern that has been debated at length in the other plac...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1795-8 (Link to this contribution) Amendment 24PA, standing in my name, would ensure the continuation of the current inter-business agr...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1800 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the Minister for her response. I have a couple of comments to make. She talked abo...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1800 (Link to this contribution) We have gone on record in the other place and I have repeated it here today. I have no doubt that th...
Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde | 726 c1801 (Link to this contribution) 24PB: After Clause 34, insert the following new Clause— ““Indebtedness of potential USP (1) OFCOM, i...
Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde | 726 c1801 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I was encouraged, and I hope rightly so, by the Minister’s response that this matter would...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1800 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I remind the Committee that the amendment was moved by the noble Lord, Lord Laird.
Lord Laird | 726 c1800-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the Minister and all noble Lords who took part in the debate. I was particularly i...
Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde | 726 c1801-3 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister very much for that. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 24PB with...
Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde | 726 c1801 (Link to this contribution) I noticed that the noble Lord was somewhat distracted. My concern on this amendment is that if, on l...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1801 (Link to this contribution) I am sorry. May I ask the noble Baroness to repeat that? I was having words in my right ear.
Earl Attlee | 726 c1803 (Link to this contribution) 25: Clause 58, page 36, line 36, at end insert— ““( ) An order under subsection (6) applying an enac...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1804 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for introducing these amendments. We on this side have no objection to them. Th...
Lord Christopher | 726 c1804-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am slightly nonplussed to see two of these amendments grouped together as they are entir...
Lord Clarke of Hampstead | 726 c1805 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, obviously I completely support my noble friend. I do not intend to delay the Committee any...
Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville | 726 c1806-7 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Christopher, with whom, more than 25 years...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1809 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I suspect that everything that needs to be said has been said already and I do not want to...
Lord Boswell of Aynho | 726 c1807-9 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I am delighted to follow my noble and good friend, Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, whose...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1809-11 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I very much understand and appreciate the sentiments behind these amendments. Royal Mail h...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1768 (Link to this contribution) I felt that the Minister’s comments were helpful. He has agreed to take away some issues, which woul...
Lord Clarke of Hampstead | 726 c1768-70 (Link to this contribution) I start by declaring my usual interests. From the age of 14, as a telegraph boy, I have been directl...
Lord Clarke of Hampstead | 726 c1768 (Link to this contribution) 24GD: Clause 28, page 15, line 15, leave out ““financially sustainable”” and insert ““profitable””
Baroness Kramer | 726 c1770 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I had not expected to speak on this amendment at all. Having looked at the language, I tho...
Lord Christopher | 726 c1770-1 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it would be extremely helpful if the noble Baroness could explain at some point the precis...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1771 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I can understand why my noble friend tabled his amendment, given his long association whic...
Lord Clarke of Hampstead | 726 c1772 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Kramer, the noble Lord, Lord Christopher, and my noble fr...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1772 (Link to this contribution) 24HZA: Clause 29, page 15, line 30, leave out ““, as a minimum,””
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1772 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall be brief. I await with interest the remarks of other Members of the House on this ...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1824 (Link to this contribution) 31: Schedule 12, page 149, line 30, leave out paragraph 174 Amendment 31 agreed. Schedule 12, as a...
Lord Kennedy of Southwark | 726 c1824 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the Minister for his response. These issues need looking at. I am happy at this st...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1823-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, as we have discussed, for the universal service to be sustainable the provider must be abl...
Lord Kennedy of Southwark | 726 c1822-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, my noble friend Lord Whitty is unable to be in your Lordships’ House today and I have agre...
Lord Kennedy of Southwark | 726 c1822 (Link to this contribution) 27: Schedule 12, page 129, line 6, at end insert— ““( ) A postal operator wishing to exercise the po...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1820-1 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister very much for his comments. He came up to us at the end of day three of the Com...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1818-20 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, before I address the amendments it may be helpful to the Committee if I say a few words ab...
Lord Christopher | 726 c1818 (Link to this contribution) These amendments certainly deserve support. One of the problems with writing the law is that you do ...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1816-8 (Link to this contribution) The amendment introduces an additional objective for the postal administration so that the main aim ...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1822 (Link to this contribution) 26: Clause 80, page 49, line 20, at end insert— ““An order under this subsection is subject to negat...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1821-2 (Link to this contribution) I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 25D withdrawn. Amendment 25E not moved. Clauses ...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1821 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I must confess to never having read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but I do have my...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1821 (Link to this contribution) I intended no criticism of the individuals in Postcomm. We need to remember that regulators have onl...
Lord Stevenson of Balmacara | 726 c1816 (Link to this contribution) 25D: Clause 67, page 41, line 4, after ““order,”” insert— ““( ) the rescue as a going concern of the...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1815-6 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it may be helpful to the Committee if I explain the extra flexibility that substantially t...
Baroness Wheatcroft | 726 c1816 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I thank the Minister for his response. I am to some extent relieved to know that nothing o...
Baroness Wilcox | 726 c1812 (Link to this contribution) I will of course add the comments of the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, to those that we have already ...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1811-2 (Link to this contribution) Very briefly, I recall that 55 years ago, I used to be responsible for making 5 foot 8 inch diameter...
Baroness Wheatcroft | 726 c1812 (Link to this contribution) 25C: Schedule 9, page 100, line 17, at end insert ““but they may not impose any conditions that coul...
Lord Christopher | 726 c1812 (Link to this contribution) I thank noble Lords who have spoken in support of the amendment, which is very encouraging. I was go...
Lord Young of Norwood Green | 726 c1813-4 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I oppose Amendment 25C moved by the noble Baroness, Lady Wheatcroft, and Amendment 30 also...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1815 (Link to this contribution) My noble friend has referred extensively to Schedule 9 covering the transitional arrangements, to wh...
Viscount Eccles | 726 c1762 (Link to this contribution) You could run Royal Mail on the basis of the universal service only. That is to say, if you were bei...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1803 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendment 31. Amendment 25 implements a recommendation made by your ...
Lord Christopher | 726 c1804 (Link to this contribution) 25A: Clause 60, page 37, line 21, leave out ““may”” and insert ““must””
Lord Flight | 726 c1761 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, we have had an extremely important discussion of the Bill today. The real logic of what I ...
Lord De Mauley | 726 c1771-2 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, Amendment 24GD, moved by the noble Lord, Lord Clarke of Hampstead, seeks to delete ““finan...
Baroness Wheatcroft | 726 c1812-3 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, it is precisely because I do not want what is now known in so many quarters as snail mail ...
Earl Attlee | 726 c1814-5 (Link to this contribution) My Lords, before turning to Amendments 25C and 30 in the name of my noble friend Lady Wheatcroft, I ...

Subjects

Contracts
Devolved matters
Competition
Finance
Insolvency
Privatisation
Workplace pensions
Staff
Post offices
Prices
Pension funds
Postal services
Parcels
Ofcom
Postal Services Commission
Post Office
Postage stamps
Reform
Wales
Surcharges
Rural areas
Royal Mail
Universal service obligation
Operating costs
British Postal Museum and Archive

Legislation

Postal Services Bill 2010-12

Link

View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk
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