Dairy Farming — New Clause 2 — Guarantee of inter-business agreement — 12 Jan 2011 at 16:45

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

When social historians come to study the Post Office/Royal Mail between 1980 and 2010, they will wonder how a great British institution, which was exported around the world and was copied by other nations, was allowed to go downhill so quickly. Successive Governments during those 30 years have to share equal blame. The number of post office closures was considerably greater under the previous Labour Government than in the years of the previous Conservative Government. In my constituency-I am sure that this was repeated around the country-the number of sub-post offices was almost halved under Labour Government policies that were both deliberate and had unintended consequences. For example, no joined-up government was involved when that Government's Department for Work and Pensions put the delivery of Government mail out to the private sector. What makes the situation even worse is that the final journey of every privatised letter and package delivered in this country makes the Post Office/Royal Mail a loss; every private package and private letter is subsidised by the public purse.

Question put, That the clause be read a Second time.

The House divided: Ayes 250, Noes 308.

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