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Royal Mail

Is the Minister aware that, in the real world, over the past nine months, the idea of privatisation and the halcyon days of 10 to 15 years ago have now disappeared? This Government have had to take steps to bail out some of the privatised companies so that they can carry on. The energy companies that were privatised are now ripping off the consumer, and the banking fraternity has had to be bailed out by the Government. Is it not strange to be talking about privatisation these days, when it has patently failed in so many areas? May I suggest that my right hon. Friend has a word with the Secretary of State and with this Mr. Hooper, whoever he is, and points out to them that things have changed in the past nine months? We are on a different set of rails now, and the sooner Mr. Hooper is told that—and that we should not invite in people like the Dutch TNT—the better this Labour Government will be.