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Royal Mail

I will in just a second. First, let me explain the slight puzzlement that I am currently experiencing. If one tables a motion that appears to be supportive of what a Government spokesman said on a subject only two months ago, one rather expects the Government to join Opposition Members in any Division that is called; we might expect to see whether there are Members who have failed to be persuaded by Lord Mandelson and who wish to hold out against this wide consensus, and perhaps expect an informative debate, particularly for those interested in the serious subject of the Royal Mail, to then take place—but no. On the Order Paper has appeared a long, convoluted and almost impenetrable amendment, which someone has decided to table to correct our simple support for Lord Mandelson, and it actually arouses more mysteries than it solves. So there will be other questions. Will the Government explain whether they are sticking to their policy? What do they mean in seeking to qualify an endorsement of what the Cabinet Minister with responsibility for the Royal Mail was committing the Government to two months ago, as was the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs, who repeated the same statement and agreed to the policy?