Martin Horwood
Main Page: Martin Horwood (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)(11 years, 2 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Michael Fallon
This Government have put the protection in place that the universal service has to continue and be provided irrespective of the ownership of Royal Mail.
Martin Horwood (Cheltenham) (LD)
The employee share percentage is not as high as originally advocated by the Liberal Democrats, but it is nevertheless the most significant in many decades. Has the Minister heard from the Communication Workers Union that it welcomes that significant advance in worker ownership?
Michael Fallon
I have had discussions with the union about the details of the employee share scheme. At the moment, the union is opposing privatisation, but my hon. Friend will recall that the unions have opposed previous privatisations, yet their own members have taken the schemes up. I will be interested to see how many members of the Communication Workers Union opt out of the free shares that are being made available.