Postal Services Act 2000
Part I Introductory
1 The Postal Services Commission.
2 The Consumer Council for Postal Services.
3 Duty of the Commission to ensure provision of a universal postal service.
4 Provision of a universal postal service: meaning.
5 Other duties of the Commission in the consumer interest.
Part II Licences for Postal Services
Restriction on provision of postal services
6 Restriction on provision of postal services.
7 Exceptions from section 6.
7AScope of the universal postal service: meaning
8 Power to modify section 7 by order.
9 General power to suspend the restriction.
10 Emergency power to suspend the restriction.
Licences
11 Licences: general.
12 Licences: grant.
12ALicences: refusal
12BLicences: determination of applications
13 Licences: conditions and other provisions.
Modification of licences
14 Modification of licences by agreement.
15 References to the Competition Commission.
15A References under section 15: time limits
15B References under section 15: application of Enterprise Act 2002
16 Reports on references.
16A Reports on references under section 15: further provision
17 Modification following report.
18 Power of intervention of the Competition Commission.
19 Procedural requirements in relation to modifications.
19A Sections 18 and 19: further provision
20 Application of competition legislation to references etc.
21 Modification by order under other enactments.
Enforcement orders
22 Final orders.
23 Provisional orders.
24 Confirmation of provisional orders.
25 Exceptions from duty to make or confirm enforcement orders.
26 Enforcement orders: main procedural requirements.
27 Enforcement orders: further procedural requirements.
28 Validity of enforcement orders.
29 Effect of enforcement orders.
Financial penalties
30 Financial penalties.
31 Statement of policy in relation to penalties.
32 Imposition of penalties: main procedural requirements.
33 Penalties: further procedural requirements.
34 Time-limits on the imposition of penalties.
35 Interest and payments by instalment.
36 Appeals.
37 Recovery of penalties.
Miscellaneous
38 Register.
39 Recovery of costs of the Council etc.
40 Directors’ remuneration.
41 Free services for the blind and partially sighted.
Part III Other functions of the Commission and the Council
The Commission
42 Duties in relation to public post offices.
43 Duties in relation to social and environmental matters.
44 Review and information.
45 Annual and other reports: the Commission.
46 Publication of information and advice: the Commission.
47 Power of the Commission to require information.
48 Information powers: enforcement.
49 Powers of entry and seizure.
50 Codes of practice.
The Council
51 Relevant postal issues.
52 Provision of advice and information to public authorities and licence holders.
53 Publication of information to users.
54 Exercise of functions: general.
55 Annual and other reports: the Council.
56 Complaints referred to the Council.
57 Power of the Council to investigate other matters.
58 Power of the Council to require information.
The Commission and the Council
59 Provision of information by the Council to the Commission.
60 Memorandum of understanding.
61 Forward work programmes.
Part IV Reorganisation of the Post Office
Transfer of property etc.
62 Transfer of property etc. to nominated company.
The Post Office company etc: government holdings
63 Government holding in the Post Office company and certain subsidiaries.
64 Government investment in securities of the Post Office company and its subsidiaries.
The Post Office company etc: restrictions on dealings
65 Restriction on issue of shares to third parties.
66 Restriction on disposals of shares to third parties.
67 Approved disposals.
Financial provisions
68 Loans by the Secretary of State to the Post Office company and its subsidiaries.
69 Guarantees by the Secretary of State for the Post Office company and its subsidiaries.
70 Extinguishment of certain liabilities.
71 Limit on loans and other arrangements with government.
72 Reserves of the Post Office company and its subsidiaries.
73 Statutory accounts of the Post Office company.
74 Further provisions relating to the capital structure of the Post Office company.
Dissolution of the Post Office
75 Dissolution of the Post Office.
Supplementary provisions
76 Accounts of the Secretary of State in relation to loans.
77 Publicity requirements for certain accounts and reports of the Post Office company.
78 Information requirements on the Post Office company.
79 Exercise of functions through nominees.
80 Shadow directors.
81 Tax.
82 Interpretation: Part IV.
Part V Offences in relation to Postal Services
Offences of interfering with the mail
83 Interfering with the mail: postal operators.
84 Interfering with the mail: general.
Prohibition on sending certain articles by post
85 Prohibition on sending certain articles by post.
Additional protection for universal postal service
86 Prohibition on affixing advertisements on certain letter boxes etc.
87 Prohibition on misleading descriptions.
88 Obstruction of business of universal service providers.
Part VI Universal Postal Service: supplementary
Schemes and limitation of liability
89 Schemes as to terms and conditions for provision of a universal postal service.
90 Exclusion of liability.
91 Limited liability for registered inland packets.
92 Section 91: supplementary.
93 Power to modify sections 89 to 92.
Supplementary powers for universal postal service
94 Power to require carriage of mail-bags by ship or aircraft.
95 Power to acquire land etc.
Articles in transit
96 Immunity from prosecution.
97 Harbour charges on mail-bags.
98 Mail-bags not to be subject to control by harbour authorities.
Common carriers
99 Common carriers.
Certain exemptions from postage etc.
100 Certain exemptions from postage etc.
Part VII Miscellaneous and supplementary
Supplementary powers of the Secretary of State
101 Directions in interests of national security etc.
102 Power to ensure compliance with the Postal Services Directive.
103 Subsidy for public post offices.
Inviolability of mails etc.
104 Inviolability of mails.
105 Application of customs and excise enactments to certain postal packets.
106 Power to detain postal packets containing contraband.
107 Conditions of transit of postal packets.
Evidential provisions
108 Evidence of amount of postage etc.
109 Evidence of thing being a postal packet.
110 Certificates in relation to universal postal service letter boxes.
Postal and money orders
111 Exclusion of liability in relation to postal and money orders.
112 Schemes in relation to postal and money orders.
113 Recoupment of losses on wrongly paid money orders.
114 Special arrangements with other countries or territories.
Other
115 Extension of existing powers relating to the Post Office.
116 The Postcode Address File.
117 Records of the former Postmaster General’s department.
118 Supplementary provisions relating to the Council.
119 General restrictions on disclosure of information.
General
120 Offences by bodies corporate.
121 Service of documents.
122 Orders and regulations.
123 Directions.
124 General financial provision.
125 Interpretation.
126 Index of defined expressions.
127 General amendments and repeals.
128 Modifications of local enactments etc.
129 Transitional provisions etc.
Final
130 Commencement.
131 Short title and extent.
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE 1 The Postal Services Commission
Membership
1(1) The Commission shall consist of the following members—
Terms of appointment of members
2(1) Subject to this Schedule, the appointed members of the...
3(1) An appointment of a person to hold office as...
Pay and remuneration of members
4(1) The Commission shall, if required to do so by...
Staff
5(1) The Commission shall, after consulting the Secretary of State,...
Committees
6(1) The Commission may establish committees and any committee of...
Proceedings etc.
7(1) The Commission may regulate its own procedure (including quorum)....
8(1) The application of the common seal of the Commission...
9A document purporting to be duly executed under the seal...
Delegation
10(1) Anything authorised or required to be done by the...
Supplementary powers
11(1) The Commission has power to do anything (except borrow...
SCHEDULE 2 The Consumer Council for Postal Services
Membership
1(1) The Council shall consist of the following members—
Committees
2(1) A regional committee established under section 54(4)(a) and any...
3(1) The Council shall not— (a) establish any committee under...
4(1) The Council may establish other committees.
Terms of appointment of members
5Subject to this Schedule, the chairman of the Council, chairmen...
6(1) A person holding office as chairman of the Council,...
Pay and remuneration of members
7(1) The Council shall pay the chairman and other members...
Staff
8(1) The Council shall, after consulting the Secretary of State,...
9(1) The persons to whom section 1 of the Superannuation...
Proceedings etc.
10(1) The Council may regulate its own procedure (including quorum)....
11(1) The application of the common seal of the Council...
12A document purporting to be duly executed under the seal...
Delegation
13Anything authorised or required to be done by the Council...
Supplementary powers
14The Council has power to do anything (except borrow money)...
Accounts and expenses
15The Council shall comply with any notice given to it...
16(1) The Council shall prepare, in respect of each financial...
17The Secretary of State may pay such amounts in respect...
SCHEDULE 3 Transfer to the Post Office company: supplementary provisions
General provisions as to vesting of property etc.
1(1) Anything (including any legal proceedings) which, immediately before the...
Pensions
2(1) The Post Office company shall, on and after the...
3Section 6(2) of the Commonwealth Telegraphs Act 1949 (which provides...
4(1) Trustees appointed by the Post Office company shall hold...
Welfare funds
5(1) This paragraph applies to— (a) a fund (whether described...
Third party rights relating to land
6(1) No relevant land right shall operate or become exercisable...
Other third party property rights
7(1) This paragraph applies where— (a) any rights or liabilities...
Requisitions on title as to Treasury consent
8A person dealing with the Post Office company in respect...
Vesting of foreign property etc.
9(1) The Post Office and the Post Office company shall...
Interpretation
10The period of the continued existence of the Post Office...
SCHEDULE 4 Transfer to the Post Office company: tax
Corporation tax: general
1The Post Office company shall, on and after the appointed...
Shares and other securities
2Any share issued by the Post Office company or any...
3Any security (other than a share) issued by the Post...
Debt
4Any debt assumed by the Post Office company under section...
Transfer arrangements
5The existence or exercise of the powers of the Secretary...
Tax-free benefits
6Nothing in this Part and nothing done under it shall...
Assets acquired by the Post Office in 1969
7The Act of 1992 shall apply in relation to a...
Value added tax
8The Post Office company shall, on and after the appointed...
Stamp duty
9No transfer effected by virtue of section 62 shall give...
SCHEDULE 5 Acquisition of land
Part I Powers of acquisition etc
England and Wales
1(1) The Secretary of State may authorise a universal service...
Scotland
2(1) The Secretary of State may authorise a universal service...
Northern Ireland
3(1) Where a universal service provider proposes to acquire, otherwise...
Part II Procedure, compensation etc (England and Wales)
Application of Acquisition of Land Act 1981
4(1) The Acquisition of Land Act 1981 shall apply to...
New rights: Compulsory Purchase Act 1965
5The Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 shall have effect with the...
New rights: specific adaptations of 1965 Act
6Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph 5, Part I...
7For section 7 of that Act (measure of compensation) there...
8In section 8 of that Act (protection for vendor against...
9(1) The provisions of that Act referred to in sub-paragraph...
10Section 11 of that Act (powers of entry) shall be...
11Section 20 of that Act (protection for interests of tenants...
12Section 22 of that Act (protection of acquiring authority’s possession...
New rights: compensation
13The enactments in force in England and Wales with respect...
Part III Procedure, compensation etc (Scotland)
Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947
14The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 shall...
New rights: application of 1947 Act and incorporated enactments
15The Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947, and...
New rights: specific adaptations of 1947 Act
16Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph 15 above, Part...
17In paragraph 9 of that Schedule (compulsory purchase affecting land...
18In paragraph 10 of that Schedule (land of statutory undertakers)—...
19In paragraph 11 of that Schedule (common or open space),...
20Paragraph 3(1) of the Second Schedule to the Acquisition of...
21For paragraph 4 of that Schedule (protection for owner against...
New rights: specific adaptations of Lands Clauses Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1845
22Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph 15 above, the...
23For section 61 of that Act (estimation of compensation) there...
24The following provisions of that Act (being provisions stating the...
25Sections 114 (compensation to be made to tenants for a...
26Sections 117 (protection of promoter of undertaking where by inadvertence...
New rights: compensation
27The enactments in force in Scotland with respect to compensation...
Part IV Procedure, compensation etc (Northern Ireland)
28For the purposes of the acquisition of land by means...
29The modifications mentioned in paragraph 28 are—
30The enactments for the time being in force relating to...
SCHEDULE 6 Further provisions relating to land
Power to place post-boxes etc in streets
1(1) A universal service provider may, for any purpose in...
Entry on land for exploratory purposes
2(1) A person authorised in writing by a universal service...
3(1) A person authorised to enter upon any land under...
4(1) Any person who intentionally obstructs a person acting in...
5(1) If in the exercise of any power conferred by...
Acquisition of land by agreement
6For the purpose of the acquisition by agreement by a...
7For the purpose of the acquisition by agreement by a...
8For the purpose of the acquisition by agreement by a...
Power to sell Duchy of Lancaster land
9If a universal service provider proposes to acquire by agreement...
Supplementary
10Any land acquired by agreement by a universal service provider...
SCHEDULE 7 Disclosure of information
Prohibition on disclosure
1(1) This Schedule applies to information if—
Disclosure with consent
2Paragraph 1(2) does not apply to a disclosure made with...
Other permitted disclosures
3(1) Paragraph 1(2) does not apply to a disclosure made—...
4The Secretary of State may by order modify paragraph 3....
Other exceptions
5(1) Paragraph 1(2) does not limit the information which may...
Offence
6(1) A person commits an offence if he discloses information...
SCHEDULE 8 Amendments of enactments
Part I General amendments
1(1) Any enactment which requires or authorises a document or...
2(1) Any enactment which requires or authorises a document or...
3(1) Any enactment which requires or authorises a document or...
4(1) Any enactment which requires or authorises a document or...
5(1) Any reference (however worded and including references which are...
6(1) The Secretary of State may by order provide for...
7(1) In this Part of this Schedule, “future enactment” means...
Part II Other amendments
Public Records Act 1958 (c.51)
8In Schedule 1 to the Public Records Act 1958 (definition...
Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (c.13)
9In Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (departments...
10In that Schedule to that Act the reference to the...
Post Office Act 1969 (c.48)
11In section 135(1) of the Post Office Act 1969 (remuneration...
Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 (c.56)
12In paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the Pensions (Increase)...
Superannuation Act 1972 (c.11)
13In Schedule 1 to the Superannuation Act 1972 (kinds of...
House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c.24)
14(1) Schedule 1 to the House of Commons Disqualification Act...
15In Part II of Schedule 1 to the Act of...
Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 1977 (S.I.1977/2157 (N.I.28))
16In paragraph 3(4) of Schedule 9A to the Rates (Northern...
Representation of the People Act 1983 (c.2)
17(1) Section 91 of the Representation of the People Act...
18After section 200 of that Act there shall be inserted—...
Mental Health Act 1983 (c.20)
19(1) Section 134 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (correspondence...
Insolvency Act 1986 (c.45)
20In section 371(1) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (re-direction of...
Local Government Finance Act 1988 (c.41)
21In section 43(6D)(a) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988...
Value Added Tax Act 1994 (c.23)
22(1) The Value Added Tax Act 1994 shall be amended...
Value Added Tax Regulations 1995 (S.I.1995/2518)
23In regulation 2 of the Value Added Tax Regulations 1995...
Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (c.46)
24In section 11 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995...
Local Government and Rating Act 1997 (c.29)
25In Schedule 2 to the Local Government and Rating Act...
Northern Ireland Act 1998 (c.47)
26For paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the Northern Ireland...
Postal Services Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2107)
27In Regulation 2(1) of the Postal Services Regulations 1999 (designation...
SCHEDULE 9 Repeals and revocations

Royal arms

Postal Services Act 2000

2000 CHAPTER 26

An Act to establish the Postal Services Commission and the Consumer Council for Postal Services; to provide for the licensing of certain postal services and for a universal postal service; to provide for the vesting of the property, rights and liabilities of the Post Office in a company nominated by the Secretary of State and for the subsequent dissolution of the Post Office; to make further provision in relation to postal services; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—