Post Office And Bridgegate Engineering

EDM number 1639 in 1993-94, proposed by Peter Hain on 24/10/1994.

That this House is concerned to note that there are high court writs against the Post Office from Bridgegate Engineering regarding infringement of intellectual property rights; is also concerned that the Post Office has awarded an untendered ú7.5 million contract to Aldo Manta to manufacture equipment potentially at higher cost than available elsewhere for which intellectual property rights are claimed by Bridgegate Engineering and the Post Office, and that a writ has been served against Piriac Ltd., trading under the name of Aldo Manta, for infringements of these rights; is further concerned that Aldo Manta has changed name and ownership numerous times recently and that its two majority shareholders are Lloyd's names who owe thousands of pounds on disaster syndicates; notes that Aldo Manta (Manufacturing) Ltd., based at the same address as Aldo Manta, has used a false VAT number and that Aldo Manta Manufacturing Ltd. did not trade in 1993; requests that the President of the Board of Trade urgently establishes an inquiry into how the Post Office has been accused of breaches of civil law and the awarding of an untendered contract to a company whose credentials appear to fall significantly short of the levels of probity required by the Post Office Code of Conduct; and calls on Post Office management and the Department of Trade and Industry to concentrate on proper, efficient and equitable management of the postal service rather than let their free market fervour for Post Office privatisation distract them from their duties. (Relevant Registered interest declared).

This motion has been signed by a total of 28 MPs.