Has Royal Mail bill been lost in the post?

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Gordon Brown yesterday signalled that "high-quality public services" would be at the heart of his bid to stay as Prime Minister and the centrepiece of the UK Government's draft legislative programme to be unveiled next week.

He told a meeting of would-be Labour MPs in London: "Our intention is high-quality public services, personal to people's needs. That is the vision of public services people want to see that meets the high aspirations about quality, encourages and incentivises the professionals in the public services and gives people in their communities real control."

However, more signals emerged yesterday that his initial plan to part-privatise the Royal Mail would not be part of his manifesto for power.
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With a massive rebellion on Labour benches still bubbling away, Harriet Harman, the Commons Leader, once again failed to say when MPs would have the opportunity to debate the controversial issue.

Alan Duncan, the shadow leader, teased her, asking about the "mysterious whereabouts" of the Postal Services Bill, suggesting it might have "got lost in the post".

Ms Harman pointed out that three days next week were being given over to the fast-tracking of the Parliamentary Standards Bill but confirmed the measure for reform of the Royal Mail was "not announced for next week's business or the week after".

This will take matters to the week beginning July 13 just a few days before the House rises for the summer recess. The Commons Leader also gave an intriguing response when asked if the government was preparing to enact another U-turn and scrap the ID cards scheme.

Mr Duncan noted how four parliamentary mechanisms were due to be debated last week to progress it but had been shelved for a month.

He asked whether ministers realised "they are on to a loser and are getting ready to perform yet another major policy U-turn?"

Ms Harman replied that the policy on ID cards had not changed but added: "If there is any change in policy, the House will be kept updated."

It is known that Alan Johnson, the new Home Secretary, has asked for an urgent review of the £6bn scheme.

He is said to be "sympathetic" to critics who argue that identity cards will undermine civil liberties. Were the government to row back on Royal Mail part-privatisation and the ID card scheme, the policies would join a growing list of U-turns.

The most recent have been on the issue of the Ghurkas, the Iraq inquiry and MPs' pensions.