§ Mr. Allan Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future of National Girobank; and if there are any plans for privatisation in the future.
§ Mr. PattieI am confident that, to the benefit of its customers and staff, Girobank can build upon its encouraging record in recent years of prudent and profitable growth. As we have made clear, the Post Office, including its wholly-owned subsidiary Girobank plc, is not excluded from our policy of transferring activities from the public to the private sector wherever it is practicable and commercially sensible to do so. There are, however, no plans to privatise the Post Office or any of its constituent businesses in the present parliament.