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Postal Services Act 2000

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Postal Services Act 2000. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Summary

  3. Background

  4. Commentary on Sections

    1. Part I Introductory

      1. Section 1: The Postal Services Commission

      2. Section 2: The Consumer Council for Postal Services

      3. Section 3: Duty of the Commission to ensure provision of a universal postal service

      4. Section 4: Provision of a universal postal service: meaning

      5. Section 5: Other duties of the Commission in the consumer interest

    2. Part II Licences for Postal Services

      1. Section 6: Restriction on provision of postal services

      2. Section 7: Exceptions from section 6

      3. Section 8: Power to modify section 7 by order

      4. Section 9: General power to suspend the restriction

      5. Section 10: Emergency power to suspend the restriction

      6. Section 11: Licences: general

      7. Section 12: Licences: grant

      8. Section 13: Licences: conditions and other provisions

      9. Section 14: Modification of licences by agreement

      10. Section 15: References to the Competition Commission

      11. Section 16: Reports on references

      12. Section 17: Modification following report

      13. Section 18: Power of intervention of the Competition Commission

      14. Section 19: Procedural requirements in relation to modifications

      15. Section 20: Application of competition legislation to references

      16. Section 21: Modification by order under other enactments

      17. Section 22: Final orders

      18. Sections 23 and 24: Provisional orders

      19. Section 25: Exceptions from the duty to make or confirm enforcement orders

      20. Sections 26 and 27: Procedural requirements

      21. Section 28: Validity of enforcement orders

      22. Section 29: Effect of enforcement orders

      23. Section 30: Financial penalties

      24. Section 31: Statement of policy in relation to penalties

      25. Sections 32 and 33: Penalties

      26. Section 34: Time-limits on the imposition of penalties

      27. Sections 35 and 37: Interest and payments by instalments; recovery of penalties

      28. Section 36: Appeals

      29. Section 38: Register

      30. Section 39: Recovery of costs of the Council

      31. Section 40: Directors’ remuneration

      32. Section 41: Free services for the blind and partially sighted

    3. Part III Other Functions of the Commission and the Council

      1. Section 42: Duties in relation to public post offices

      2. Section 43: Duties in relation to social and environmental matters

      3. Section 44: Review and information

      4. Section 45: Annual and other reports: the Commission

      5. Section 46: Publication of information and advice: the Commission

      6. Section 47: Power of the Commission to require information

      7. Section 48: Information powers: enforcement

      8. Section 49: Powers of entry and seizure

      9. Section 50: Codes of practice

      10. Section 51: Relevant postal issues

      11. Section 52: Provision of advice and information to public authorities and licence holders

      12. Section 53: Publication of information to users

      13. Section 54: Exercise of functions: general

      14. Section 55: Annual and other reports: the Council

      15. Section 56: Complaints referred to the Council

      16. Section 57: Power of the Council to investigate other matters

      17. Section 58: Power of the Council to require information

      18. Section 59: Provision of information by the Council to the Commission

      19. Section 60: Memorandum of understanding

      20. Section 61: Forward work programmes

    4. Part IV Reorganisation of the Post Office

      1. Section 62: Transfer of property to nominated company

      2. Section 63: Government holding in the Post Office company and certain subsidiaries

      3. Section 64: Government investment in securities of the Post Office company and its subsidiaries

      4. Section 65: Restriction on issue of shares to third parties

      5. Section 66: Restriction on disposals of shares to third parties

      6. Section 67: Approved disposals

      7. Section 68: Loans by the Secretary of State to the Post Office company and its subsidiaries

      8. Section 69: Guarantees by the Secretary of State for the Post Office company and its subsidiaries

      9. Sections 70, 72 and 74: Provisions about financial restructuring

      10. Section 71: Limit on loans and other arrangements with government

      11. Section 73: Statutory accounts of the Post Office company

      12. Section 75: Dissolution of the Post Office

      13. Section 76: Accounts of the Secretary of State in relation to loans

      14. Section 77: Publicity requirements for certain accounts and reports of the Post Office company

      15. Section 78: Information requirements on the Post Office company

      16. Section 79: Exercise of functions through nominees

      17. Section 80: Shadow directors

      18. Section 81: Tax

      19. Section 82: Interpretation

    5. Part V Offences in Relation to Postal Services

      1. Section 83: Interfering with the mail: postal operators

      2. Section 84: Interfering with the mail: general

      3. Section 85: Prohibition on sending certain articles by post

      4. Section 86: Prohibition on affixing advertisements on certain letter boxes

      5. Section 87: Prohibition on misleading descriptions

      6. Section 88: Obstruction of business of universal service providers

    6. Part VI Universal Postal Service: Supplementary

      1. Sections 89, 90, 91 and 92: Schemes and limitation of liability

      2. Section 93: Power to modify sections 89 to 92

      3. Section 94: Power to require carriage of mail-bags by ship or aircraft

      4. Section 95: Provision relating to land

      5. Section 96: Immunity from prosecution

      6. Section 97: Harbour charges on mail-bags

      7. Section 98: Mail-bags not to be subject to control by harbour authorities

      8. Section 99: Common carriers

      9. Section 100: Certain exemptions from postage

    7. Part VII Miscellaneous and Supplementary

      1. Section 101: Directions in interests of national security

      2. Section 102: Power to ensure compliance with the Postal Services Directive

      3. Section 103: Subsidy for public post offices

      4. Section 104: Inviolability of mails

      5. Section 105: Application of Customs and Excise enactments to certain postal packets

      6. Section 106: Power to detain postal packets containing contraband

      7. Section 107: Conditions of transit of postal packets

      8. Sections 108/109/110: Evidential provisions

      9. Section 111/112/113/114: Provisions relating to postal and money orders

      10. Section 115: Extension of existing powers relating to the Post Office

      11. Section 116: The Postcode Address File

      12. Section 117: Records of the former Postmaster General’s department

      13. Section 118: Supplementary provisions relating to the Council

      14. Section 119: General restrictions on disclosure of information

      15. Section 120: Offences by body corporate

      16. Section 121: Service of documents

      17. Section 122: Orders and regulations

      18. Section 123: Directions

      19. Sections 124 to 131 General and financial provisions

    8. Schedule 1

      1. The Postal Services Commission

    9. Schedule 2

      1. The Consumer Council for Postal Services

    10. Schedule 3

      1. Transfer to the Post Office company: supplementary provisions

    11. Schedule 4

      1. Transfer to the Post Office company: Tax

    12. Schedule 5

      1. Acquisition of Land

    13. Schedule 6

      1. Further provisions relating to land

    14. Schedule 7

      1. Disclosure of information

    15. Schedule 8

      1. Amendments of enactments

    16. Schedule 9

      1. Repeals and revocations

  5. Commencement

  6. Hansard References

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

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