British Telecommunications Act 1981

58 Powers of the Post Office

(1) For paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (1) of section 7 of the 1969 Act (powers of the Post Office) there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—

“(a) to provide postal services (including cash on delivery services) and telepost services;

(b) to provide banking services and such other services by means of which money may be remitted (whether by means of money orders, postal orders or otherwise) as it thinks fit;

(c) to perform services for British Telecommunications or any subsidiary of British Telecommunications;

(d) to perform services for Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Government in Northern Ireland or the government of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom ;

(e) to perform services for local authorities or national health service authorities”.

(2) At the end of that subsection there shall be inserted the words “and

(f) with the consent of, or in accordance with the terms of a general authorisation given by, the Secretary of State, to perform, in such parts of post offices as are open to the public for the transaction of postal business, such services for such bodies falling within subsection (1A) below as it thinks fit.”

(3) After that subsection there shall be inserted the following subsection—

“(1A) The bodies referred to in subsection (1)(f) above are—

(a) any body corporate—

(i) which supplies goods or services by way of business;

(ii) the affairs of which are managed by its members; and

(iii) the members of which hold office as such by virtue of their appointment to that or another office by a Minister of the Crown under any enactment;

(b) the London Transport Executive and any passenger transport executive established under section 9(1)(b) of the [1968 c. 73.] Transport Act 1968 ;

(c) any statutory water undertaker within the meaning of the [1973 c. 37.] Water Act 1973 ;

(d) the British Broadcasting Corporation ;

(e) any body corporate with a statutory duty to pro mote and assist the maintenance and development of the efficient supply of any goods or services by a body falling within paragraphs (a) to (d) above; or

(f) any wholly owned subsidiary of a body falling within paragraphs (a) to (e) above ;

but the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument exclude from this subsection such bodies or bodies of such descriptions as may be specified in the order.”

(4) At the end of section 86(1) of that Act (interpretation of Part III) there shall be inserted the following definitions—

• “' telecommunication system' shall be construed in accordance with section 12(1) of the British Telecommunications Act 1981 ;

• ' telepost service' means a service whereby the Post Office does all or any of the following things, namely—

  (a)

  receives or collects in material form communications which are to be transmitted by means of a telecommunication system ;

  (b)

  transmits by means of such a system communications which have been received or collected, or are to be delivered, in material form ; and

  (c)

  delivers in material form communications which have been transmitted by means of such a system.”

(5) Subsections (1) and (4) shall come into operation on the appointed day.