Government complacency threatens royal mail contracts in Scotland (Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats)

Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats <info@aberdeensouthlibdems.org.uk>

Government complacency threatens royal mail contracts in Scotland

October 21, 2009 10:52 AM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Shadow Scotland Secretary, Alistair Carmichael MP has questioned postal services Minister, Pat McFadden MP on reports that the major mail contract to several public Scottish bodies including most councils, colleges and NHS Scotland is to be given to a private sector operator.

Speaking in the House of Commons Chamber, Mr Carmichael asked -

"Even without the impact of strike action we have the very alarming news in Scotland, that one of the major public sector contracts, the Procurement Scotland / public sector contract which deals with the mail to NHS Scotland, colleges and most councils in Scotland is going to be given to a private sector operator. What can he do to ensure that the haemorrhaging of business that we've seen from private business to which he has referred does not now spread to the public sector?"

Commenting after his exchange, Mr Carmichael said:

"The Minister demonstrated a breathtaking level of complacency. We all know that competition exists because when his predecessor introduced it he was warned that his loss of business piece by piece to the private sector would be inevitable. The government at that time chose to ignore the warnings and now we all suffer the consequences.

"The danger of this planned strike is that it will be the death of Royal Mail. The death of Royal Mail will mean the end of the daily delivery to every door in the country. That will have dire consequences for many parts of Scotland especially in the Northern Isles."