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Postal Services Bill [HL]

My Lords, at this very late stage in the Bill I rise to say how much I welcome the amendment dealing with Ofcom and the new regulation regime that is proposed. I welcome it because I believe that it will be a great boost for Royal Mail if it gets a fair regulator that allows it to do its job properly. I cannot let the opportunity pass without saying how sad I am to be at the requiem of a fully publicly owned organisation and to see happen the privatisation that is proposed in the Bill. However, it would be wrong to expand on that on this amendment; I just wanted it said. I hope that our friends of all parties down at the other end will find the courage to put Part 1 into a shape that will allow Royal Mail to remain fully publicly owned. I welcome other parts of the Bill and the tremendous progress that we have made on the public pensions and, as I just said, on the regulator. I take this opportunity to thank the noble Lords, Lord Tunnicliffe and Lord McKenzie of Luton, for their unfailing courtesy during the Bill’s long passage through Committee and Report. I should also thank members of the Bill team, who have been equally helpful when I have put questions to them. I welcome this group of amendments because of the proposed regulation, which I wish well. I place on the record my gratitude to all those who have shown their patience with me over the past few weeks. Amendment 3 agreed.