Plenary, 05 Feb 2003

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 5, 2003

Official Report 378KB pdf

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Points of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I and many members were surprised to read in the newspapers about the Parliament's mail service being put out to tender. I speak on behalf of several members from all sides of the chamber when I say that we are concerned about that happening.

Can you give us a guarantee that before any decision is taken to relieve the Royal Mail of the contract, it will be put to a vote of the Parliament, and that the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will not take such a decision on its own and in secret?

First, that is not a point of order, but I wish to be helpful to the chamber. I assure you that what you read in the newspaper is—surprise, surprise—not correct. No decisions have been made about the future of the Post Office tender.

I wish to say two things: first, competitive tender achieved the current arrangements; and secondly, the corporate body is bound to put the contract out to competitive tender. I can assure you that we have discussed the issue and that no decision will be taken by officials—the decision will be taken by the corporate body itself. Whether it wishes to refer the issue to the whole Parliament is another matter, but no decisions have been taken, and the corporate body is fully seized of the concern of members, several of whom have written to me already. The point was not a point of order, but I hope that what I have said is helpful. I give that guarantee.

Further to that point of order—

On the same issue—

Let the original member have a second go.

Will you advise under what rules of the Parliament the contract has to go out to competitive tender?

I cannot do so off the cuff, but as I have discovered in this life and on the corporate body, almost everything has to go out to competitive tender, and the postal service is one such thing. I make the point that the contract was won under competitive tender, so there is nothing new. I assure you that no decision has been taken, and certainly not the decision that has been reported in the newspaper.

Can I be assured that before anything happens at all with the contract, trade unions and service users will be fully consulted?

The corporate body always takes that view. I am sure that they will be consulted.

Further to the same point of order, Presiding Officer—

Actually, it is not a point of order at all, but I am being very generous.

I realise that. Further to the letter on the topic that I have written, will you give us an assurance that although you are not bound to do so by the corporate body, you will ascertain the views of MSPs on this very sensitive issue of public service and its role in the corporate life of the Parliament before a decision is taken to award the contract outwith the public services, although I am sure that the Parliament would not wish to do that?

From the discussion that we had at the last corporate body meeting, I think that I can assure you that the four members of the corporate body are anxious to consult their party groups. I am sure that that is being done.

I asked about MSPs, not party groups.

I take your point.

I realise that you have already been generous with these questions, but could you also make it clear that all the parliamentary representatives on the corporate body confirmed their position on the quality of the service that we receive from the Royal Mail and have asked for reports to be brought to them? We are all interested in the security and employment issues that arise from the dispute. Any inference that we would take a contrary view of the situation, or take a view in secret and not take account of the views of our colleagues, is utter nonsense.

There speaks a member of the corporate body, and of course I agree with him. Nevertheless, this is all out of order.