Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Murray Excerpts
Thursday 7th February 2013

(11 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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No decision has yet been taken on the timing and size of any share sale. The key is to ensure that a big, successful company is no longer denied access to the capital markets.

Ian Murray Portrait Ian Murray (Edinburgh South) (Lab)
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This week Royal Mail reported that it had selected a number of agencies to assist in the

“largest privatisation since British Rail”.

The Ofcom consultation, “End-to-end competition in the postal sector”, has stated that that is not relevant to its primary duty of protecting the universal service obligation as regards rival operators cherry-picking profitable Royal Mail work without having to meet its high standards of same-price, every-place, six-days-a-week delivery. What guarantees can the Minister give that Royal Mail’s service standards will not be put at risk? Does he share my deep concerns about Ofcom’s stance on end-to-end competition?