HC Deb 27 June 1989 vol 155 cc409-11W
Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he has received a copy of the Post Office's reply to the couriers' complaint to the European Commission about anti-competitive postal practices; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he will discuss with the European Commission the complaint by the courier services about remail;

(3) what discussions his Department has had with the European Commission about the formal complaint made by private courier services about anti-competitive practices by postal administrations; and if he will raise the matter in future discussions.

Mr. Forth

The question of the couriers' complaint is a matter between the European Commission and the postal administrations concerned, in our case the Post Office. I have not received a copy.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has received the CEPT working party's proposal for a European postal monopoly; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

No. As far as I am aware, no such proposal exists although many postal administrations have argued that they need some form of monopoly to support the cost of their social obligations.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list in theOfficial Report (a) all overseas visits made in 1988 and 1989 by officials in his Department in connection with the ITU, CEPT and UPU, (b) the cost of each visit, (c) the length of each visit, (d) the purpose of each visit and (e) the number and duration of visits which are planned in the current financial year.

Mr. Forth

This information is not readily available and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will refer the Post Office letter post service to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

Mr. Forth

No.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what discussions he has had with officials in New Zealand regarding their intention to liberalise the postal monopoly.

(2) what discussions he has had with postal officials in Gibraltar regarding their intention to integrate the private sector into public postal services.

(3) what discussions he has had with the European Commission about European postal services from 1993.

Mr. Forth

None.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has received from Post Office Counters Ltd. for future private investment.

Mr. Forth

Details of such plans would be commercially confidential.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has received from Post Office Parcels Ltd. for private investment in the parcels network.

Mr. Forth

Details of such plans would be commercially confidential.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he will take to ensure freepost election communications are not delayed by industrial action.

Mr. Forth

Post Office industrial relations are the responsibility of the board. However, I understand that the Post Office discusses arrangements for the delivery of election communications both nationally and locally in advance, to minimise the possibility of disputes when such deliveries are pending.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the cost to the British Overseas Trade Board of the recent report it commissioned from the Institute of Logistics and Distribution Management; and what were its terms of reference.

Mr. Alan Clark

The Department agreed to pay for the cost of preparation of this report up to £54,000.

The terms of reference were for a study of the United Kingdom express goods services markets for destinations in mainland Europe, North America and the far east.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will discuss the options for change in the letter monopoly with the Association of International Courier and Express Services.

Mr. Forth

I have no plans for such a meeting.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when his Department will meet interested parties to discuss the report prepared for the British Overseas Trade Board on the market for express goods services between the United Kingdom and Europe, North America and the far east.

Mr. Alan Clark

My Department has discussed the report with the Association of International Courier and Express Services, and is ready to meet other interested parties who may wish to present views.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when his Department will next meet the Institute of Logistics and Distribution Management, and what issues he expects to discuss.

Mr. Alan Clark

My Department is keeping in contact with the institute on how it is seeking to encourage United Kingdom industry to respond further to the growing opportunities in the express freight market demonstrated in the recent report on the subject prepared by the institute.

Mr. Bowis

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether all non-monopoly services are wholly independent of the Post Office's letter service.

Mr. Forth

While the Post Office businesses are financially independent, they are not operationally independent but charge at commercial rates for services to each other. Letters costing over £1, and so outside the monopoly limit, are not carried separately from letters below £1.