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33

 

House of Commons

 
 

Thursday 18 November 2010

 

Public Bill Committee

 

New Amendments handed in are marked thus Parliamentary Star

 

Parliamentary Star - whiteAmendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

 

Postal Services Bill


 

Note

 

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the

 

Committee [9 November].

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

16

 

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  16,  leave out subsection (2) and insert—

 

‘(2)    

A disposal of the Crown’s interest in a Royal Mail company will not be

 

authorised until—

 

(a)    

the Secretary of State has secured a written contract from the proposed

 

purchaser that at least one representative from those directly-employed

 

by Royal Mail or its successors will sit on the board of the new body;

 

(b)    

the Secretary of State has secured a written contract from the purchaser

 

that the headquarters of the new body will be located in the United

 

Kingdom;

 

(c)    

it has been agreed that any subsequent plans to relocate the headquarters

 

of the new body will require the approval of the Secretary of State;

 

(d)    

a consultation exercise has been held where all those engaged in the

 

provision of postal services in the UK have the opportunity to express

 

their views on the proposed transfer, and the Secretary of State has

 

responded formally to that consultation;

 

(e)    

a vote of all employees of the affected Royal Mail company has taken

 

place and a minimum of 50 per cent. + 1 of the workforce have voted in

 

favour of the proposed transfer; and

 

(f)    

the Secretary of State has presented to Parliament a bill which confers on

 

the Secretary of State the power to dispose of the business and the duty

 

to report to Parliament on—

 

(i)    

all aspects of the proposed transfer;


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 18 November 2010                  

34

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

(ii)    

how he proposes to enshrine the universal service provision as

 

laid out in section 28 of this Act in law in respect of the new

 

legislation; and

 

(iii)    

how much of the Royal Mail company’s modernisation budget

 

has been spent at the proposed time of transfer and the value of

 

the unspent budget, whilst detailing the percentage progress

 

made towards existing modernisation goals.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

17

 

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  16,  leave out from ‘after’ to end of Clause and add

 

‘identifying the preferred successful bidder, the Secretary of State must deliver an oral

 

statement to Parliament on the matter and lay an order on the proposed disposal which will

 

be subject to the super-affirmative procedure under section 18 of the Legislative and

 

Regulatory Reform Act 2006.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

18

 

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  16,  leave out from ‘after’ to end of Clause and insert

 

‘identifying the preferred successful bidder, the Secretary of State must deliver an oral

 

statement to Parliament on the matter and lay an order on the proposed disposal which will

 

be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

15

 

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  17,  leave out ‘a report’ and insert ‘a bill which empowers the

 

Secretary of State to dispose of the business and imposes on him the duty to report to

 

Parliament.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

19

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  12,  leave out ‘a’ and insert ‘the’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

20

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  13,  leave out ‘a’ and insert ‘the’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

21

 

Clause  2,  page  2,  line  13,  leave out from ‘service’ to end of Clause.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

22

 

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  22,  leave out subsections (2) to (4) and add—


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 18 November 2010                  

35

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

‘(2)    

Those arrangements must secure that, if at any time the proportion of the

 

company owned by the Crown is reduced from 100 per cent., the proportion of

 

the company owned by or on behalf of the employee share scheme shall be at least

 

20 per cent. of the proportion of the company that is not owned by the Crown.

 

(3)    

The arrangements must ensure that an equal dividend is paid from earnings to all

 

participants in the trust.

 

(4)    

The Secretary of State must report to Parliament when suitable arrangements

 

have been made for the establishment of the scheme, and the report must state—

 

(a)    

the precise terms of the scheme; and

 

(b)    

the expected timescale for its introduction.

 

(5)    

“Employee share scheme” means a scheme for holding shares or share rights in

 

trust on behalf of employees of the company.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

23

 

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  22,  leave out subsections (2) to (4) and add—

 

‘(2)    

Those arrangements must secure that, if at any time the proportion of the

 

company owned by the Crown is reduced from 100 per cent., the proportion of

 

the company owned by or on behalf of the employee share scheme shall be at least

 

10 per cent. of the proportion of the company that is not owned by the Crown.

 

(3)    

The arrangements must ensure that an equal dividend is paid from earnings to all

 

participants in the trust.

 

(4)    

The Secretary of State must report to Parliament when suitable arrangements

 

have been made for the establishment of the scheme, and the report must state—

 

(a)    

the precise terms of the scheme; and

 

(b)    

the expected timescale for its introduction.

 

(5)    

“Employee share scheme” means a scheme for holding shares or share rights in

 

trust on behalf of employees of the company.’.

 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

31

 

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  32,  leave out ‘or include’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

24

 

Clause  3,  page  2,  line  33,  at end add—

 

‘(5)    

Any employee share scheme will be entitled to have at least one representative

 

from the scheme on the board of any company operating the scheme.’.

 


 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

34

 

Clause  4,  page  3,  leave out line 7 and insert—

 

‘(b)    

the Secretary of State has laid a report before Parliament about the

 

disposal and each House of Parliament has come to a Resolution on a

 

Motion in the name of the Secretary of State approving the report.’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 18 November 2010                  

36

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

25

 

Clause  4,  page  3,  line  25,  at end add—

 

‘(8)    

A disposal of the Crown’s interest in a Post Office company will not be

 

authorised until—

 

(a)    

The Secretary of State has secured a written contract from the proposed

 

purchaser that at least one representative from those directly employed

 

by the Post Office or its successors will sit on the board of the new body;

 

(b)    

The Secretary of State has secured a written contract from the purchaser

 

that the headquarters of the new body will be located within the United

 

Kingdom;

 

(c)    

It has been agreed that any subsequent plans to relocate the headquarters

 

of the new body will require the approval of the Secretary of State;

 

(d)    

A consultation exercise has been held where all those enaged in the

 

provision of postal services in the UK have the opportunity to express

 

their views on the proposed transfer;

 

(e)    

The Secretary of State has responded formally to that consultation;

 

(f)    

A vote of all employees of and stakeholders in the affected Post Office

 

company has taken place and a minimum of 50 per cent. + 1 of the

 

workforce have voted in favour of the proposed transfer; and

 

(g)    

The Secretary of State has presented to Parliament a Bill which confers

 

on the Secretary of State the power to dispose of the business and the duty

 

to report to Parliament on—

 

(i)    

all aspects of the proposed transfer, and

 

(ii)    

how the £1.34 billion investment in the Post Office has been

 

spent at the proposed time of transfer and the value of the

 

unspent budget, whilst detailing the progress made towards the

 

expected goals.’.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

26

 

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  33,  leave out ‘report’ and insert ‘Bill’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

29

 

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  33,  leave out from ‘report’ to end of subsection (2) and insert

 

‘identifying the preferred purchasers, and must deliver an oral statement to Parliament on

 

the matter and lay an order on the proposed disposal which will be subject to the super-

 

affirmative procedure under section 18 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act

 

2006.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

30

 

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  33,  leave out from ‘report’ to end of subsection (2) and insert

 

‘identifying the preferred purchasers, and must deliver an oral statement to Parliament on

 

the matter and lay an order on the proposed disposal which will be subject to the

 

affirmative resolution procedure.’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 18 November 2010                  

37

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

27

 

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  34,  at end insert ‘which confers on the Secretary of State the

 

powers to make the disposal.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

28

 

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  35,  leave out ‘the report must’ and insert ‘when laying the

 

Bill the Secretary of State must report to Parliament and’.

 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

35

 

Clause  5,  page  3,  line  40,  at end add ‘and

 

(d)    

be subject to the approval of both Houses of Parliament, on the basis of

 

a Motion in the name of the Secretary of State.’.

 


 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

32

 

Clause  8,  page  5,  line  14,  leave out ‘reasonably’.

 


 

Mr Mike Weir

 

3

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  22,  leave out ‘the company’s’.

 

Mr Mike Weir

 

4

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  22,  at end add—

 

‘(aa)    

the nature and extent of any business run in parallel with the post office

 

business,’.

 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

33

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  26,  at end insert ‘and

 

( )    

the locations where post office services are at the time of the report not being

 

provided but which are identified in the Post Office plan as outlet locations.’.

 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

36

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  26,  at end insert ‘and

 

( )    

the number and locations where post office services have ceased to be

 

delivered since the last report and the reasons for this service reduction.’.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 18 November 2010                  

38

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

37

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  26,  at end insert ‘and

 

( )    

the number and locations where mobile post office services are being

 

used.’.

 

Gordon Banks

 

Nia Griffith

 

38

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  26,  at end insert ‘and

 

( )    

the steps taken to address any reduction in outlet numbers as identified in

 

the report.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

48

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  26,  at end insert—

 

‘(d)    

the utilisation of the network by the universal service provider, and any

 

changes in the proceeding year.’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

49

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  31,  after ‘small’, insert ‘and medium’.

 

Caroline Lucas

 

2

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  35,  at end insert—

 

‘(3A)    

The report must state the extent to which the Post Office network assists

 

individuals in completing Government forms.’.

 

Mr Mike Weir

 

5

 

Clause  11,  page  6,  line  38,  at end add ‘and the Government must set a date for a

 

debate on the report on the floor of the House within five days of the report being laid.’.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

44

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  16,  page  9,  line  25,  at end insert ‘(but may not convert benefits that are not

 

money purchase benefits to money purchase benefits),’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

39

 

Parliamentary Star - white    

Clause  16,  page  9,  line  43,  at end add—

 

‘(9)    

On making an order under subsection (2) and prior to the transfer of qualifying

 

accrued rights the Secretary of State must—


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 18 November 2010                  

39

 

Postal Services Bill, continued

 
 

(a)    

inform all members affected that they are to be transferred to a new

 

statutory scheme;

 

(b)    

inform all active and deferred members of their accrued rights in the new

 

statutory scheme;

 

(c)    

inform all pensioner members of the details of payments from the new

 

scheme and when they will commence; and

 

(d)    

inform all members of the details of the new scheme.’.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

43

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  17,  page  10,  line  6,  at end insert—

 

‘(1A)    

Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State must obtain the

 

consent of the trustees of the RMPP.’.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

42

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  18,  page  10,  line  16,  at end insert—

 

‘(2A)    

An order under this section must not include any provision that permits the

 

winding-up of the RMPP.’.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

71

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  27,  page  14,  line  30,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘will’.

 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

72

 

Parliamentary Star    

Clause  27,  page  14,  line  31,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘will’.

 


 

Nia Griffith

 

Gordon Banks

 

40

 

Parliamentary Star - white    

Clause  28,  page  15,  line  4,  at end insert ‘and to facilitate this, the current funding

 

agreement of Postcomm in respect of regulating postal services will be transferred in its

 

entirety to Ofcom.’.


 
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