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Postal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, my noble friend has made a good fist of trying to justify something that is pretty hard to justify in the eyes of those in the pension plans. I noted again this argument about the Government’s view that Royal Mail can modernise its operations. What on earth has that got to do with fairness within a pension scheme? We still have not had any real details of the modernisation but that is another subject. When discussions between not just the union of the pension scheme members but the trustees take place on the structure of their pension scheme, it is difficult to argue that they can have two schemes: one that appears to favour senior management and one that is good enough for the rank and file workers. I understand what my noble friend has said. Obviously, I will take that away. I do not know whether there will be an opportunity in the future but, on the basis of fairness, the Government should be looking at a scheme that treats all of the employees, from the chairman of the board down to the newest member of the pension scheme, the same. On that basis, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 33 withdrawn.