Post Office Act 1969

11 General ministerial control and supervision of the Post Office

(1) The Minister may, after consultation with the Post Office, give to it such directions of a general character as to the exercise by it of its powers as appear to the Minister to be requisite in the national interest.

(2) If it appears to the Minister that there is a defect in the general plans or arrangements of the Post Office for exercising any of its powers, he may, after consultation with it, give it directions of a general character for remedying the defect.

(3) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, if it appears to the Minister to be requisite or expedient so to do—

(a) in the interests of national security or relations with the government of a country or territory outside the British Islands; or

(b) in order—

(i) to discharge, or facilitate the discharge of, an obligation binding on Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom by virtue of its being a member of an international organisation or a party to an international agreement;

(ii) to attain, or facilitate the attainment of, any other object the attainment of which is, in the Minister's opinion, requisite or expedient in view of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom being a member of such an organisation or a party to such an agreement; or

(iii) to enable Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to become a member of such an organisation or a party to such an agreement;

he may, after consultation with the Post Office, give to it directions requiring it (according to the circumstances of the case) to secure that a particular thing that it or a subsidiary of its is doing is no longer done or that a particular thing that it has power to do, but is not being done either by it or by a subsidiary of its, is so done.

(4) If it appears to the Minister that the Post Office is showing undue preference to, or is exercising undue discrimination against, any person or persons of any class or description in the charges or other terms and conditions applicable to services provided by it, being services which, by virtue of the following provisions of this Part of this Act, it has the exclusive privilege of providing, he may, after consultation with the Post Office, give it such directions as appear to him requisite to secure that it ceases so to do.

(5) The Post Office shall comply with directions given to it under any of the foregoing provisions of this section.

(6) The Post Office shall not disclose any directions given to it under any of the foregoing provisions of this section if the Minister notifies it that he is of opinion that it is against the interests of national security to do so.

(7) In the case of a wholly owned subsidiary of the Post Office, it shall so exercise the rights conferred on it by the holding of its interest therein as to secure that no person is appointed to be a director of the subsidiary except after previous consultation with the Minister as to his suitability for appointment.

(8) The Post Office, in carrying out any such work of development as involves substantial outlay on capital account and, if it has subsidiaries, in securing the carrying out by them of any such work, shall act in accordance with a general programme settled from time to time with the approval of the Minister.

(9) The Post Office shall furnish the Minister with such returns, accounts and other information with respect to its property and activities, and, if it has subsidiaries, with respect to their property and activities, as he may from time to time require.

(10) Without prejudice to the provisions of the last foregoing subsection, the Post Office shall, as soon as possible after the end of each accounting year, make to the Minister a report on the exercise and performance by it of its functions during that year (which shall include such particulars as the Minister may, after consultation with the Post Office and with the approval of the Treasury, direct with respect to its activities and those of its subsidiaries so far as consisting in the construction, manufacture or production of articles in that year), and the Minister shall lay a copy of every such report before each House of Parliament.

(11) The report made under the last foregoing subsection for any year shall set out any directions given under this section by the Minister to the Post Office during that year, except such (if any) as were the subject of notifications under subsection (6) above.