Post Office Card Account
Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I assure my noble friend that we on these Benches at least are more than happy for him to make the Statement. We are aware that the Statement in the other place was made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and it seems very fitting that my noble friend should be here, particularly since his noble friend and mine answered my Oral Question little more than one hour ago. Perhaps the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, did not hear that exchange, but he could have spoken to his noble friend Lord Hunt who asked my noble friend Lord Mandelson a number of the questions which he raised a few moments ago.
Without going over the ground that we covered earlier, first, now that the Government have saved the Post Office card account, will they give urgent attention to looking at other ways in which the Post Office can play a greater part in the lives of the people of this country with the people’s bank and offer other services at branches? Secondly, is it not also sensible for them to look at the future of the Royal Mail and ensure that its activities are not cherry-picked by competitors, and that as part of the new approach towards the Post Office a lot of the Royal Mail services are protected as well?
© Lords Hansard 13 November 2008
Without going over the ground that we covered earlier, first, now that the Government have saved the Post Office card account, will they give urgent attention to looking at other ways in which the Post Office can play a greater part in the lives of the people of this country with the people’s bank and offer other services at branches? Secondly, is it not also sensible for them to look at the future of the Royal Mail and ensure that its activities are not cherry-picked by competitors, and that as part of the new approach towards the Post Office a lot of the Royal Mail services are protected as well?