Byers says no plan to privatise Post Office

The British Trade and Industry Secretary Steve Byers has said the British government had no plans to privatise the Post Office, now called Consignia.

According to the

Sunday Times

plans for the privatisation process have already been drawn up by the Department of Trade and Industry and would be announced later this year after formal agreement between the department and the Treasury.

Byers, speaking 11 days before the general election said a postal services bill had passed into law earlier this year that made it clear that full privatisation would require a further act of parliament.

"There are no plans to produce such a measure," he said."There are no proposals for wholesale privatisation of the Post Office."