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4 Mar 2009 : Column 1695W—continued
Postal Services
Colin Burgon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions since his appointment the Secretary of State has met Richard Hooper to discuss his review of the UK postal services sector; and on what dates. [259338]
Mr. McFadden
[holding answer 27 February 2009]: My noble Friend the Secretary of State met Richard Hooper on 8 October and 21 November 2008 to discuss
Hooper’s analysis of the challenges facing the postal sector, and his recommendations for policies which will sustain the universal postal service.
Regional Development Agencies: Finance
Mr. Rob Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of each regional development agency's budget for 2008-09 comes from developer contributions. [258150]
Mr. McFadden: Developers routinely make contributions as part of an overall funding package for projects that are supported by RDAs. They do not, however, make a direct contribution to the budget of a RDA.
Regional Development Agencies: Trade Unions
Robert Neill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the names are of the trade union representatives appointed to each regional development agency. [259687]
Mr. McFadden: The names of the trade union representatives appointed to each regional development agency are as follows:
| RDA | Trade union representative |
Royal Mail
Kate Hoey: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department has spent in hiring UBS to evaluate interest from prospective bidders for a stake in Royal Mail. [259658]
Mr. McFadden: Details of the fees agreed between the Government and UBS for this work is commercially sensitive information and the Department is unable to release it.
Royal Mail: Finance
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the merits of options for raising revenue for Royal Mail apart from selling a minority shareholding. [260125]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 2 March 2009]: The Government are taking forward a package of measures to maintain the universal postal service and to secure the future of Royal Mail. These include Royal Mail entering into a strategic partnership with an experienced postal or network operator. Partnership is not simply about giving Royal Mail access to capital. A partner will deliver corporate experience of major transformation of a network business at all levels of the business. This will reduce the current risks to a successful modernisation of the company and accelerate the company’s response to changes in the communications market.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the effects on Royal Mail's finances of establishing a universal support fund as provided for under the EU Postal Directive. [260128]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 2 March 2009]: The Government recognise that the universal service has a cost. We do not believe that a levy and fund to finance the universal service is necessary at this time. However, we intend to legislate for a power to create such a levy and fund if this is needed in the future.
Mr. Byers:
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much of the £1.2 billion loan made by the Government
to Royal Mail has been spent; when the loan was expected to be taken up; when the full amount of the loan will have been taken up; and if he will make a statement. [260309]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 3 March 2009]: Royal Mail has spent or committed £600 million on modernisation so far and is expected to draw down the full £1.2 billion loan facilities Government have made available over the next two years, to assist with implementation of their existing transformation plan.
Royal Mail: Pensions
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what independent assessment Royal Mail's Pension Fund trustees have commissioned of the projected numbers of new pensioners to the fund between 2010 and 2015; [259627]
(2) what independent assessment Royal Mail pension trustees have commissioned of their fund's deficit projections between 2010 and 2015; [259628]
(3) upon what independent actuarial analysis the Chairman of the Royal Mail's Pension Fund trustees based her estimate of the 2009 fund deficit. [259629]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 27 February 2009]: This is a matter for the Royal Mail Pension Fund trustees.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many meetings the Chairman of Royal Mail's Pension Fund trustees has had with Ministers and officials in his Department since September 2008; and what matters relating to the Pension Fund were discussed. [259630]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 27 February 2009]: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has had three meetings with the Chair of the Royal Mail's Pension Fund Trustees during this period. The discussions at these meetings related to the upcoming triennial valuation and the challenges presented by the large deficit in the scheme.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform who the trustees of the Royal Mail Pension Fund are; what recent discussions he has had with those trustees on the status of the pension fund; and when he was first informed of the recent report issued by the trustees on the fund deficit. [259844]
Mr. McFadden:
Royal Mail Pension Trustees Ltd. are the trustees of the Royal Mail pension plan. Its board
comprises an independent chair, Jane Newell OBE, plus ten other members, five nominated by Royal Mail Group (of which two are independent), four nominated by the unions and one is selected by a pensioner ballot.
My noble Friend the Secretary of State has had three meetings with the chair of the Royal Mail Pension Plan Trustees since September 2008. The discussions at these meeting related to the upcoming triennial valuation and the challenges presented by the large deficit in the scheme.
My noble Friend the Secretary of State was updated by the chair of the Trustees on the current position of the fund in her letter of 19 February 2009.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether there has been a meeting of the Royal Mail Pension Fund Trustees to discuss the Fund's deficit, since the Secretary of State's recent meeting with the Chairman of Trustees. [259869]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 2 March 2009]: This is a matter for the Royal Mail Pension Fund trustees.
Mr. Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what mechanisms his Department plans to use to assess the (a) financial strength and (b) current and future pension funding liabilities for existing employees of overseas companies expressing interest in a minority shareholding in Royal Mail. [260126]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 2 March 2009]: Negotiations with companies interested in entering into a partnership with Royal Mail will be commercially sensitive. The Government will use the following criteria to judge potential partners’ suitability:
the price offered for a minority stake or partnership and their ability to finance the investment;
ability to add value to Royal Mail as a whole, including by assisting in the transformation of Royal Mail’s letters business and the modernisation of its network; and
capacity to manage stakeholder issues successfully, including relations with trade unions.
Trade Unions: Political Levy
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what proportion of members of each trade union with a political fund have exercised their right to opt out of the political levy, according to the records held by the Certification Officer. [258377]
Mr. McFadden: The figures requested are in the following table.
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