HC Deb 11 November 1968 vol 773 cc155-6

Queen's Recommendation having been signified—

Resolved, That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to abolish the office of master of the Post Office, distribute the business conducted by the holder thereof amongst authorities constituted for the purpose and make provision consequential on the abolition of that office and the distribution of the business so conducted (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'), it is expedient to authorise— (1) the payment, out moneys provided by Parliament, of—

  1. (a)such sums as are requisite to enable the Minister of the Crown who is to be appointed, by virtue of the Act, by the style of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications (hereinafter referred to as ' the Minister') to make payments under any provision of the Act requiring the making by him of payments to trustees appointed by the corporation that is to be established, by virtue of the Act, by the style of the Post Office, being payments in consideration of the Exchequer's being relieved of pension liabilities;
  2. (b)sums whose payment is rendered necessary in consequence of the substitution of the Minister for the Postmaster General in section 6 of the Commonwealth Telegraphs Act 1949 or the conferring on the Minister of power to make regulations to secure that certain persons serving in the department of the Postmaster General are not adversely affected in the matter of pension rights by reason only that, in consequence of the Act, they cease to serve in that department;
  3. (c)expenses incurred by an advisory committee under Schedule 1 to the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (including sums in respect of the expenses of the members thereof);
  4. (d)remuneration and allowances to the members, officers and staff of any users' council established by virtue of the Act and expenses of any such council, and allowances to members of any body assisting any such council to ascertain the opinion of users of services provided by the Post Office and expenses of any body so assisting;
  5. (e)the administrative expenses of the Minister;
  6. (f) the expenses of the person who is to be appointed, by virtue of the Act, by the style of the Director of Savings, save in so far as, by some provision of the Act, they are required to be defrayed otherwise than out of moneys so provided;
  7. (g) such sums as are necessary to remunerate the Post Office for rendering postal or telegraphic services in pursuance of the Representation of the People Act 1949; and
  8. (h) any increase attributable to the provisions of the Act in sums which, under any 156 other enactment (other than the Ministers of the Crown Act 1964) are defrayed out of moneys so provided;
(2) the charge on, and the issue out of, the Consolidated Fund of—
  1. (a)any sums required by the Treasury for fulfilling any guarantee given by them for the repayment of the principal of, or the payment of interest on, any sums borrowed by the Post Office from a person other than the Minister;
  2. (b)the excess, in any year, of the aggregate of—
    • (i) the aggregate of the sums paid or credited during the year by way of interest on ordinary deposits with the establishment which, by virtue of the Act, is to be styled the National Savings Bank; and
    • (ii) the amount of the expenses incurred during the year in the execution of the Post Office Savings Bank Act 1954; over the aggregate of the sums that accrued by way of interest on investments made, under section 16 of that Act, by the National Debt Commissioners (after deduction of any sum required by the Treasury to be set aside to provide for depreciation in the value of investments so made);
  3. (c)any sums necessary to meet claims in respect of ordinary or investment deposits with that establishment which cannot otherwise be met; and
  4. (d)any increase attributable to the Act in sums which, under any other enactment, are defrayed out of that fund; and
 (3) the issue out of the National Loans Fund of—
  1. (a)any sums required by the Minister to enable him to lend money to the Post Office, subject to the limitation that the aggregate outstanding in respect of the principal of sums borrowed by it and its commencing capital debt shall not at any time exceed £2,300 million or such greater sum not exceeding £2,800 million, as the Minister may by order specify; and
  2. (b)any increase attributable to the provisions of the Act in sums which, under any other enactment, are defrayed out of that fund.—[Mr. Harper.]