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Postal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, in raising this and the subsequent amendment standing in my name, I wish to ensure that we achieve a postal service in the United Kingdom that has been tailored to fit the wishes and needs of users who require a first-class postal service. To date, much of the debate around this issue has been shaped by the fear that Royal Mail is to be partly privatised, and it has been hard to escape the unhelpful media coverage that has emerged. However, perhaps I may say that I was content with the comments of the Secretary of State, the noble Lord, Lord Mandelson, at Second Reading some two months ago, when he said that he could not agree more with the Communications Workers Union’s campaign to "Keep the Post Public". The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that, while they have so far remained unheard, the voices and interests of stakeholders and, more importantly, service users will not only be raised but become a formal part of the consultation process that Ofcom should go through when carrying out its assessment. That will put in place much-needed protection for consumers right across the United Kingdom. The Bill’s proposal to transfer the regulatory role for the postal sector from Postcomm to Ofcom will place postal regulation within the wider communications market. Before any changes can be made to the universal postal service, the new regulator will have to carry out an assessment of whether the postal service is meeting the needs of consumers. We are all aware that people rely on our postal service to deliver, for example, the deeds of their houses, legal documents, passports and treasured notes from loved ones. Individuals the length and breadth of the country use the postal service, rely on it and, more importantly, have a view on how best it should evolve. The amendment allows for broad consultation, but also explicitly requires consultation with Consumer Focus, the consumer watchdog with a legislative mandate to monitor postal issues. This is a common-sense check intended to protect consumers by ensuring that any changes to the service cannot be rushed through under the radar. The purpose of Amendment 60 is to ensure that the Royal Mail’s performance—or that of any future provider of the universal service—can be scrutinised effectively by the statutory watchdog for the postal sector, Consumer Focus. Consumer Focus came into being late last year. It is important that we give it a firm footing in statute, to strengthen its role in the regulation of our postal service. We always hope that watchdogs and regulators are freely given the information and access that they need to carry out their role effectively; but sadly, this is often not the case. The amendment would require Royal Mail to provide the postal watchdog with a range of information showing how well it is delivering the universal postal service; for example, details of whether it is meeting targets for collecting and delivering mail. It is drafted to ensure that regional and local information is included, so that performance problems affecting particular areas or regions are detected and addressed. Consumer Focus has statutory powers under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 to demand information; but it was envisaged that these powers would relate only to specific serious issues and be a tool of last resort. In the hope of facilitating cordial, meaningful exchanges, the amendment should provide a firm basis for Consumer Focus to carry out its function responsibly. I beg to move.