53

House of Commons

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Postal Services Bill

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Note

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

Committee [9 November].

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

22

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

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.

Public Bill Committee: 23 November 2010

54

Postal Services Bill, continued

(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.’.

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;

Public Bill Committee: 23 November 2010

55

Postal Services Bill, continued

(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.’.

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

Public Bill Committee: 23 November 2010

56

Postal Services Bill, continued

(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.’.

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.’.

Public Bill Committee: 23 November 2010

57

Postal Services Bill, continued

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

48

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 preceding year.’.

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

49

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

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

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—

(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.’.

Public Bill Committee: 23 November 2010

58

Postal Services Bill, continued

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

43

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

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

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

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

72

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

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

40

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.’.

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

73

Clause  28,  page  15,  leave out subsection (3).

Mr Mike Weir

6

Clause  28,  page  15,  line  10,  at end add—

‘(c)	the needs of small business users in rural and remote areas.’.

Public Bill Committee: 23 November 2010

59

Postal Services Bill, continued

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

74

Clause  28,  page  15,  line  14,  at end insert ‘, and OFCOM shall include Post Office

branches as access points.’.

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

75

Clause  28,  page  15,  line  15,  after ‘receptacle’, insert ‘, Post Office Branch’.

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

76

Clause  29,  page  15,  line  28,  at end insert ‘ and OFCOM will ensure that any such

order or modification does not immediately disadvantage—

(a)	individuals living in rural areas,

(b)	individuals living in urban areas,

(c)	small and medium enterprises,

(d)	disadvantaged individuals,

(e)	individuals with low income,

(f)	individuals with disabilities, and

(g)	elderly individuals.’.

Mr Mike Weir

41

Clause  29,  page  15,  line  29,  leave out subsection (4) and insert—

‘(4)	The Secretary of State must specify the terms of a universal service order prior to

OFCOM assuming powers to regulate postal services, which must be laid before

Parliament at least one month prior to the day on which the provisions of this Part

come generally into force; and thereafter OFCOM must carry out an assessment

of the matters detailed in subsection (3) before the end of the period of 18 months

beginning with the day on which the provisions of this Part come generally into

force.’.

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

77

Clause  29,  page  15,  line  31,  leave out ‘before the end of the period of 18 months

beginning with’ and insert ‘not before 5 years after’.

Nia Griffith

Gordon Banks

56

Clause  30,  page  16,  line  3,  after ‘letters’, insert ‘and other postal packets’.

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Revised 23 November 2010