Lords amendments to Postal Services Bill

MPs considered amendments made to the Postal Services Bill by the House of Lords. The amendments relate to the restructuring of the Royal Mail Group and the regulation of postal services.

Lords Amendments 1-28 were agreed to without a division. The Bill will now await Royal Assent.

Summary of the Postal Services Bill

The Bill’s provisions are divided into four main parts.

Part 1 provides for the restructuring of Royal Mail, including the introduction of private sector capital and expertise from the sale of up to 90 per cent of Royal Mail, an employee share scheme and provisions for Post Office Ltd to continue to be owned by the Crown or a mutual ownership structure.

Part 2 deals with the Royal Mail’s pension deficit by transferring the historic liabilities of the scheme to the Government.

Part 3 makes provisions for the regulatory arrangements for postal services through the transfer of powers from Postcomm to Ofcom.

Part 4 contains provisions for a “special administrative regime” should the universal postal service be at risk from the provider entering insolvency proceedings.