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Postal Services Bill [HL]

My old employers used to say that that sort of argument was the salami treatment, cutting one slice off at a time, but we have gone a bit further than that. My point is that we have not yet had a public explanation of why the chairman of the trustees has, in effect, withdrawn her comments regarding the Hooper review in relation to pensions. Some of those things had nothing to do with pensions; they were to do with quality of service and administrative matters relating to Royal Mail. That is the answer that I will continue to try to get. Why was it necessary for someone of as high standing as the chairman of the pension scheme to write to all the members assuaging their fears? I am sure that we will come back to that when my noble friend has had a chance to have the drains up and has had a good look round and seen the sequence of events relating to the letter written on 18 February and published on the 23rd, and later when, following lurid headlines, some of the comments in that letter were withdrawn. Taking the advice of the noble Lord, Lord De Mauley, I shall not test the opinion of the Committee on this occasion but I shall continue to come back to the question of consultation and the relationship between the trustees and the Government. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 78A withdrawn. Amendment 79 not moved. Clause 24 agreed. Clauses 25 to 27 agreed.