My Lords, I add my welcome to the noble Baroness in her first substantive outing as a Minister. Of course, we have

had many exchanges across the Dispatch Boxes on other Bills, where she occupied a more junior position, but now she is free to fly her own route on...

My Lords, I add my welcome to the noble Baroness in her first substantive outing as a Minister. Of course, we have

had many exchanges across the Dispatch Boxes on other Bills, where she occupied a more junior position, but now she is free to fly her own route on...

My Lords, we support the amendment of my noble friend Lady Hayter. I thank all the other noble Lords—noble friends in particular—who have spoken on this topic. I declare an interest. I was, like many noble Lords in the Chamber today, involved at some point with the National Consumer Council....

My Lords, we support the amendment of my noble friend Lady Hayter. I thank all the other noble Lords—noble friends in particular—who have spoken on this topic. I declare an interest. I was, like many noble Lords in the Chamber today, involved at some point with the National Consumer Council....

My Lords, the purpose of this amendment is to ensure that the proceeds of any sale of Royal Mail are invested in the post office network and the delivery of the universal postal service. In our debate in this House at Second Reading, the Minister explained what would happen to...

My Lords, the purpose of this amendment is to ensure that the proceeds of any sale of Royal Mail are invested in the post office network and the delivery of the universal postal service. In our debate in this House at Second Reading, the Minister explained what would happen to...

I thank the Minister for her response, which is rather depressing in its rejection of our proposal. My reference to the pension deficit fund dealt with the assets. Tagged on to the end of that discussion was a comment that, in return for obtaining the assets, the Government were also...

I thank the Minister for her response, which is rather depressing in its rejection of our proposal. My reference to the pension deficit fund dealt with the assets. Tagged on to the end of that discussion was a comment that, in return for obtaining the assets, the Government were also...

12: Clause 2, page 2, line 3, at end insert— ““( ) that the receipts of the sale will be used exclusively for the purpose of investment in the Post Office network of branches and future investment in the delivery of the universal postal service by a Royal Mail company...

12: Clause 2, page 2, line 3, at end insert— ““( ) that the receipts of the sale will be used exclusively for the purpose of investment in the Post Office network of branches and future investment in the delivery of the universal postal service by a Royal Mail company...

My Lords, I support the amendment in the name of my noble friend Lord Whitty. A couple of noble Lords have suggested that these discussions, particularly in relation to the assets, are putting carts before horses but I am not sure about that. We are really talking about the transfer...

My Lords, I support the amendment in the name of my noble friend Lord Whitty. A couple of noble Lords have suggested that these discussions, particularly in relation to the assets, are putting carts before horses but I am not sure about that. We are really talking about the transfer...

I thank the Minister for that response. We seem to be placing a great deal of stress on hopes and aspirations about what will happen after the sale—other noble Lords picked up on this, I think—and very little on what many people in the country would regard as sensible and...

I thank the Minister for that response. We seem to be placing a great deal of stress on hopes and aspirations about what will happen after the sale—other noble Lords picked up on this, I think—and very little on what many people in the country would regard as sensible and...

15: Clause 2, page 2, line 12, leave out subsection (5) and insert— ““( ) In order to ensure that it remains a single company, for the purpose of this Part ““Royal Mail company”” means the company that provides the universal postal service.””

15: Clause 2, page 2, line 12, leave out subsection (5) and insert— ““( ) In order to ensure that it remains a single company, for the purpose of this Part ““Royal Mail company”” means the company that provides the universal postal service.””

My Lords, I thought that, following that interruption, we should have a few seconds of silence to gather our thoughts in case we are interrupted. This amendment restricts the issue or transfer of shares in Royal Mail to the whole company by defining a ““Royal Mail company”” as the company...

My Lords, I thought that, following that interruption, we should have a few seconds of silence to gather our thoughts in case we are interrupted. This amendment restricts the issue or transfer of shares in Royal Mail to the whole company by defining a ““Royal Mail company”” as the company...