Post Office Act 1969

2 The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications

(1) It shall be lawful for Her Majesty to appoint (but so that the first appointment made shall not take effect before the appointed day) a Minister of Posts and Telecommunications who shall have—

(a) such of the functions of the Postmaster General as are transferred to him by, or by virtue of, the following provisions of this Act; and

(b) such functions as are conferred on him by those provisions.

(2) Schedule 1 to the [1964 c. 98.] Ministers of the Crown Act 1964 (provisions as to new Ministers and their departments) shall apply (except as provided in subsection (4) below) to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, and references in that Schedule to the Minister and the Ministry shall be construed accordingly.

(3) The offices of Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and of Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications shall be included—

(a) among the ministerial offices referred to in section 2 of the [1957 c. 20.] House of Commons Disqualification Act 1957 (maximum number of Ministers in the House of Commons); and

(b) among the offices in respect of which salaries are payable, at the annual rates of £8,500 and £3,750 respectively, under section 1 of the [1965 c. 58.] Ministerial Salaries Consolidation Act 1965.

(4) So much of Schedule 1 to the Ministers of the Crown Act 1964 as provides for the defraying of expenses out of moneys provided by Parliament shall not apply to expenses of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications consisting in the making by him, in exercise of powers conferred by this Act, of a loan.

(5) Schedule 2 to the [1967 c. 13.] Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (which specifies departments and authorities subject to investigation under that Act) shall have effect as if, after the reference to the Ministry of Overseas Development, there were inserted a reference to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

(6) In the following provisions of this Act, " the Minister " means the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, but anything done before the appointed day by the Postmaster General in exercise of any power or duty conferred or imposed on the Minister by, or by virtue of, the following provisions of this Act shall be as valid and effective for all purposes as if it had been done by the Minister, and anything done before that day to the Postmaster General by any other person in exercise of a power so conferred on him shall be as valid and effective as if it had been done to the Minister.

(7) In consequence of subsection (3) above—

(a) in Schedule 2 to the [1957 c. 20.] House of Commons Disqualification Act 1957, immediately before the words " Minister of Power " there shall be inserted the words " Minister of Posts and Telecommunications " and immediately before the words "Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power " there shall be inserted the words " Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications "; and

(b) in Schedule 1 to the [1965 c. 58.] Ministerial Salaries Consolidation Act 1965, immediately before the entry relating to the Minister of Power there shall be inserted the following entry—

“Minister of Posts and Telecommunications

£8,500”,

and immediately before the entry (under the heading " Parliamentary Secretaries ") relating to the Ministry of Power there shall be inserted the following entry—

“Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications

£3,750”.