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Public Bill Committee: 2 December 2010                  

125

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

Government to retain majority shareholding in Royal Mail Holdings plc and subsidiaries

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC2

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘The Government must retain a majority of shareholdings in Royal Mail Holdings

 

plc and its relevant subsidiaries.’.

 


 

Guarantee of inter-business agreement

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC3

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘Prior to any sale or transfer of a post office company an agreement must be

 

secured to guarantee the inter-business agreement between Post Office Ltd and

 

Royal Mail for a period of at least 10 years.’.

 


 

Guarantee of inter-business agreement (No 2)

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC4

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘Prior to any sale or transfer of a post office company an agreement must be

 

secured to guarantee the inter-business agreement between Post Office Ltd and

 

Royal Mail for a period of at least 15 years.’.

 


 

Restriction on universal service provider disposals

 

Mr Mike Weir

 

NC5

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘Any company providing a universal postal service must, prior to selling any part

 

of its business to another entity, first report its intention to OFCOM who must


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 2 December 2010                  

126

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

certify the sale does not in any way reduce the company’s ability to deliver its

 

universal service.’.

 


 

British Postal Museum Collection

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC6

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘Companies in the new postal market must continue to have regard to the integrity

 

and united custodianship of the British Postal Museum Collection as a social

 

obligation.’.

 


 

Universal service obligation

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC7

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The universal service provider must send to the Secretary of State each year a

 

report on its fulfilment of the universal service obligation.

 

(2)    

The report must give details of—

 

(a)    

the range and extent of the service, including access points,

 

(b)    

the utilisation of the service by its customers,

 

(c)    

any surveys, or studies, of the use of the service, and

 

(d)    

any exceptions in the service.

 

(3)    

The report must give details of how it is adapting service provision to ensure it is

 

accessible to—

 

(a)    

individuals living in rural areas,

 

(b)    

individuals living in urban areas,

 

(c)    

small and medium-sized enterprises,

 

(d)    

disadvantaged individuals,

 

(e)    

individuals with low incomes,

 

(f)    

individuals with disabilities, and

 

(g)    

elderly individuals.

 

(4)    

The report must contain such relevant information as the Secretary of State may

 

from time to time require.

 

(5)    

The Secretary of State must lay a copy of the report before Parliament.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 2 December 2010                  

127

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

Report on the future viability of the Post Office network

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC8

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

Before the time at which the first relevant disposal is made in relation to the Royal

 

Mail Company, the Secretary of State must report to Parliament on the future

 

viability of the post office network.

 

(2)    

The report must include details of—

 

(a)    

the inter business agreement, and

 

(b)    

plans for any new forms of business for the Post Office network.’.

 


 

Annual report on Post Office network to devolved government bodies

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC9

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

A Post Office Company must send to the Secretary of State each year a report on

 

its network of post offices as operating within the territory of the devolved

 

government bodies.

 

(2)    

The report will give details in an identical manner to Clause (Report on the future

 

viability of the Post Office network) above with the exception that these will cover

 

the territory of the Great London Authority, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the

 

Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

 

(3)    

The report must contain such other information as the Secretary of State may

 

from time to time require.

 

(4)    

The Secretary of State must ensure that a copy of the report is laid before each of

 

the appropriate devolved government bodies.’.

 


 

Protection for certain members and prospective members of the RMPP

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

NC10

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Secretary of State may make regulations for the purpose of securing that—

 

(a)    

no qualifying member of the RMPP is placed in a worse position by

 

reason of—

 

(i)    

any winding up, in whole or in part, of the RMPP; or

 

(ii)    

any amendment of the RMPP which results in benefits under that

 

scheme being reduced, or contributions by employees being


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 2 December 2010                  

128

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

increased, and is made otherwise than in such circumstances as

 

may be prescribed;

 

(b)    

no person who is an active member of the RMPP or who could be an

 

active member of the RMPP upon the attainment of a specified age or

 

upon election to be such a member is prevented from becoming entitled

 

to or continuing to participate in or acquire pension rights under the

 

RMPP by reason of any change of employer—

 

(i)    

which does not affect his continuity of employment and is made

 

otherwise than in such circumstances as may be prescribed; and

 

(ii)    

where his new employer either is a participant in the RMPP or is

 

wholly owned by one or more companies which, or each of

 

which, is such a participant; and

 

(c)    

no person is placed in a worse position by reason of any change of

 

employer of that person which does not affect his continuity of

 

employment but prevents him from continuing to participate in or acquire

 

pension rights under the RMPP.’.

 


 

Mr Edward Davey

 

That certain written evidence already reported to the House be appended to the

 

proceedings of the Committee.

 

 

Order of the House [27 OCTOBER 2010]

 

That the following provisions shall apply to the Postal Services Bill:

 

Committal

 

1.    

The Bill shall be committed to a Public Bill Committee.

 

Proceedings in Public Bill Committee

 

2.    

Proceedings in the Public Bill Committee shall (so far as not previously

 

concluded) be brought to a conclusion on Thursday 9 December 2010.

 

3.    

The Public Bill Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on

 

which it meets.

 

Consideration and Third Reading

 

4.    

Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

 

brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the

 

day on which those proceedings are commenced.

 

5.    

Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

 

brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

 

6.    

Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

 

proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

 

Other proceedings

 

7.    

Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on

 

consideration of Lords Amendments or on any further messages from the

 

Lords) may be programmed.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 2 December 2010                  

129

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

 

Order of the Committee [9 November 2010]

 

That—

 

(1)  

the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 10.30 am on Tuesday

 

9 November) meet—

 

(a)  

at 4.00 pm on Tuesday 9 November;

 

(b)  

at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 11 November;

 

(c)  

at 10.30 am and 4.00 pm on Tuesday 16 November;

 

(d)  

at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 18 November;

 

(e)  

at 10.30 am and 4.00 pm on Tuesday 23 November;

 

(f)  

at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 25 November;

 

(g)  

at 10.30 am and 4.00 pm on Tuesday 30 November;

 

(h)  

at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 2 December;

 

(i)  

at 10.30 am and 4.00 pm on Tuesday 7 December;

 

(j)  

at 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Thursday 9 December;

 

(2)  

the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following

 

Table:

 

(3)  

    

 

TABLE

 

Date

Time

Witness

 
 

Tuesday 9

Until no later

Royal Mail

 
 

November

than noon

  
 

Tuesday 9

Until no later

Communication Workers Union

 
 

November

than 1.00 pm

Unite

 
   

National Federation of SubPostmasters

 
 

Tuesday 9

Until no later

Office of Communications (Ofcom)

 
 

November

than 5.00 pm

Postal Services Commission (Postcomm)

 
 

Tuesday 9

Until no later

Mail Users’ Association

 
 

November

than 6.00 pm

Mail Competition Forum

 
 

Tuesday 9

Until no later

Mutuo

 
 

November

than 7.00 pm

Employee Ownership Association

 
   

ifs ProShare

 
 

Thursday 11

Until no later

Consumer Focus

 
 

November

than 9.55 am

Association of British Credit Unions

 
   

Limited

 
 

Thursday 11

Until no later

Royal Mail Pension Plan Trustees

 
 

November

than 10.25 am

  
 

Thursday 11

Until no later

Richard Hooper CBE, Chair of the

 
 

November

than 2.00 pm

independent review of the UK postal

 
   

services sector

 
 

Thursday 11

Until no later

Department for Business, Innovation and

 
 

November

than 3.00 pm

Skills

 

 
 

Public Bill Committee: 2 December 2010                  

130

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

(4)  

proceedings on consideration of the Bill in Committee shall be taken in the

 

following order: Clauses 1 to 8; Schedule 1; Clauses 9 and 10; Schedule 2;

 

Clauses 11 to 37; Schedule 3; Clauses 38 to 41; Schedule 4; Clauses 42 to 50;

 

Schedule 5; Clause 51; Schedule 6; Clause 52; Schedule 7; Clause 53;

 

Schedule 8; Clauses 54 to 64; Schedule 9; Clauses 65 to 71; Schedules 10 and

 

11; Clauses 72 to 89; Schedule 12; Clauses 90 and 91; new Clauses; new

 

Schedules; remaining proceedings on the Bill;

 

(5)  

the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

 

conclusion at 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 December.

 


 
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