British Telecommunications Act 1981

7 Activities requiring consultation with the Secretary of State

(1) The Corporation shall consult with the Secretary of State before it and all of its wholly owned subsidiaries taken together (in this section referred to as " the group ") during any accounting year construct, manufacture or produce, for the relevant purpose, things of any kind to an extent substantially greater than that to which the group constructed, manufactured, or produced, for that purpose, things of that kind during the relevant period.

(2) The Corporation shall also consult with the Secretary of State before the group during any accounting year constructs, manufactures or produces to a substantial extent, for the relevant purpose, things of a kind that the group did not construct manufacture or produce for that purpose during the three accounting years immediately preceding that year.

(3) In this section—

• " the relevant period " means, in relation to things of any kind and any accounting year, whichever of the three accounting years immediately preceding that year was the one in which the group constructed, manufactured or produced, for the relevant purpose, things of that kind to the greatest extent; " the relevant purpose " means the purpose of—

  (a)

  use by the Corporation or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries;

  (b)

  supply by the Corporation or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries to the Post Office or a subsidiary of the Post Office; or

  (c)

  supply by the Corporation or any of its wholly owned subsidiaries to outside persons for use by such persons— (i) in connection with, or in the construction, manufacture or production of articles for use in connection with, telecommunication services by whomsoever provided ;

  (i)

  for, or in the construction, manufacture or production of articles for use for, the provision of telecommunication services; or

  (ii)

  in connection with other services provided by the Corporation or any such subsidiary;

and for the purposes of this section the assembly of an article in the course of its installation at the place where it is to be used shall not be taken to constitute its manufacture, construction or production.