Postal Services Bill committee stage: day three
17 March 2011
Detailed examination of the Postal Services Bill continued in the House of Lords on the third day in committee on Wednesday 16 March. Members of the Lords discussed amendments to clauses concerning the ownership of the Royal Mail, ownership of the Post Office and the Royal Mail Pension Plan
- Watch the debate live: Postal Services Bill committee stage, day three
- Read a transcript of the debate
- Supplementary to the Second Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 15 March 2011
- Third Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 14 March 2011
Amendments in clauses 3 to 5 and 7 and 8 were debated, they cover the employee share scheme.
Committee stage: day two
Members of the Lords discussed amendments concerning Clause 2: Report on the decision to dispose of shares in a Royal Mail company on Monday 14 March.
- Watch the debate: Postal Services Bill committee stage, day two
- Watch the debate: committee stage continued
- Lords Hansard: read a transcript of the debate
- Lords Hansard: debate continued
- Supplementary to the Second Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 11 March 2011
- Second Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 10 March 2011
Committee stage: day one
Amendments to Clause 1: Removal of restrictions on ownership of Royal Mail Holdings plc and Clause 2: Report on decision to dispose of shares in a Royal Mail company were debated on Tuesday 8 March.
- Watch the debate: Postal Services Bill committee stage
- Lords Hansard: Read a transcript of the debate
- Revised Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved in Committee as at 7 March 2011
Clause 1 was agreed without amendment.
Further information
The Postal Services Bill provides for the sale of shares in Royal Mail, including an employee share scheme, and for Post Office Ltd to remain in full public ownership except for a possible move to a mutual ownership structure in future. It also makes provision for the transfer of Royal Mail’s historic pension deficit to Government; a new regulatory regime for the postal services sector, including transferring regulatory responsibility from Postcomm to OFCOM, with the primary duty of OFCOM in relation to postal services being to maintain the universal service; and for a special administration regime to protect the continuation of the universal postal service should the universal service provider be at risk of entering insolvency proceedings.
The Bill, which started in the House of Commons, completed its second reading in the Lords on 21 February.
- Bills before Parliament: Postal Services Bill
- Lords news: Postal Services Bill second reading
- House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee: Ninth Report – Postal Services Bill
Committee stage – line by line examination of the separate parts (clauses and schedules) of the Bill – can last for one or two days to eight or more. Any Member of the Lords can take part.