<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><edm>
<id>28475</id>
<session>2005-06</session>
<number>272</number>
<title>Royal Mail Group Plc And The Universal Service Obligation</title>
<proposer id="11312">Mike Weir</proposer>
<date>2005-06-07</date>
<text>That this House is concerned that in its response to Postcomm's proposals for a price control regime Royal Mail Group plc has raised the possibility of being unable to retain the universal service obligation; notes that the obligation is essential to rural areas and that it should not be used as a weapon in an argument between the regulator and operator; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Trade and Indusry to state unambiguously that there are no circumstances in which the operator will be allowed to evade the obligation.</text>
<topics>
</topics>
<signatures>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11312">Michael Weir</mp>
		<date>2005-06-07</date>
		<type>Proposed</type>
		<constituency>Angus</constituency>
		<party>Scottish National Party</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10133">Jeremy Corbyn</mp>
		<date>2005-06-08</date>
		<type>Seconded</type>
		<constituency>Islington North</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10177">David Drew</mp>
		<date>2005-06-08</date>
		<type>Seconded</type>
		<constituency>Stroud</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10258">Mike Hancock</mp>
		<date>2005-06-08</date>
		<type>Seconded</type>
		<constituency>Portsmouth South</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10096">Martin Caton</mp>
		<date>2005-06-08</date>
		<type>Seconded</type>
		<constituency>Gower</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10323">Lynne Jones</mp>
		<date>2005-06-08</date>
		<type>Seconded</type>
		<constituency>Birmingham, Selly Oak</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10084">Vincent Cable</mp>
		<date>2005-06-08</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Twickenham</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11707">John Leech</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Manchester, Withington</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11345">Richard Younger-Ross</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Teignbridge</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11323">Hywel Williams</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Caernarfon</constituency>
		<party>Plaid Cymru</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10586">David Taylor</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>North West Leicestershire</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10170">Jim Dobbin</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Heywood &amp; Middleton</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10269">David Heath</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Somerton &amp; Frome</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10541">Alan Simpson</mp>
		<date>2005-06-09</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Nottingham South</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11170">Adam Price</mp>
		<date>2005-06-13</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Carmarthen East &amp; Dinefwr</constituency>
		<party>Plaid Cymru</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10288">Kelvin Hopkins</mp>
		<date>2005-06-13</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Luton North</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10780">Gregory Campbell</mp>
		<date>2005-06-13</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>East Londonderry</constituency>
		<party>DUP</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10142">Ann Cryer</mp>
		<date>2005-06-13</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Keighley</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10623">Robert Wareing</mp>
		<date>2005-06-13</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Liverpool, West Derby</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10640">Betty Williams</mp>
		<date>2005-06-13</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Conwy</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11148">Albert Owen</mp>
		<date>2005-06-14</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Ynys M</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10274">Stephen Hepburn</mp>
		<date>2005-06-15</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Jarrow</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11489">Mark Williams</mp>
		<date>2005-06-15</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Ceredigion</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10224">Neil Gerrard</mp>
		<date>2005-06-16</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Walthamstow</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11095">Rob Marris</mp>
		<date>2005-06-20</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Wolverhampton South West</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11324">Roger Williams</mp>
		<date>2005-06-20</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Brecon &amp; Radnorshire</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11973">Stewart Hosie</mp>
		<date>2005-06-21</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Dundee East</constituency>
		<party>Scottish National Party</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10958">Lady Hermon</mp>
		<date>2005-06-22</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>North Down</constituency>
		<party>UUP</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11174">John Pugh</mp>
		<date>2005-06-27</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Southport</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11420">John Hemming</mp>
		<date>2005-06-30</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Birmingham, Yardley</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10383">John McDonnell</mp>
		<date>2005-07-04</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Hayes &amp; Harlington</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10716">John Barrett</mp>
		<date>2005-07-05</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Edinburgh West</constituency>
		<party>Liberal Democrat</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11189">Angus Robertson</mp>
		<date>2005-10-10</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Moray</constituency>
		<party>Scottish National Party</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11199">Andrew Rosindell</mp>
		<date>2005-10-10</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Romford</constituency>
		<party>Conservative</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10525">Alex Salmond</mp>
		<date>2005-10-10</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Banff &amp; Buchan</constituency>
		<party>Scottish National Party</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11333">Pete Wishart</mp>
		<date>2005-10-10</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Perth &amp; Perthshire North</constituency>
		<party>Scottish National Party</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="12004">Angus MacNeil</mp>
		<date>2005-10-10</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Na h-Eileanan an Iar</constituency>
		<party>Scottish National Party</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="10185">Clive Efford</mp>
		<date>2005-10-12</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>Eltham</constituency>
		<party>Labour</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11374">Sammy Wilson</mp>
		<date>2005-10-14</date>
		<type>Signed</type>
		<constituency>East Antrim</constituency>
		<party>DUP</party>
	</signature>
	<signature>
		<mp id="11426">Peter Law</mp>
		<date></date>
		<type>Withdrawn</type>
		<constituency></constituency>
		<party></party>
	</signature>
</signatures>
</edm>
