Part VII Miscellaneous and supplementary

Other

115 Extension of existing powers relating to the Post Office.

(1)

In section 7(2) of the M1Post Office Act 1969 (powers of the Post Office) after paragraph (r) there shall be inserted—

“(s)

to enter into any form of financial transaction which it considers to be expedient and which does not fall within any of the preceding paragraphs;”.

(2)

After section 37(1) of that Act (loans by the Secretary of State to the Post Office) there shall be inserted—

“(1A)

The Secretary of State may, with the approval of the Treasury, make loans to any subsidiary of the Post Office.”

(3)

After section 37(2) of that Act there shall be inserted—

“(2A)

The power of the Secretary of State to make loans under this section includes power to make loans in currencies other than sterling.”

(4)

After section 37(3) of that Act (power to issue sums out of the National Loans Fund) there shall be inserted—

“(3A)

Such sums may be issued in sterling or, where the loan is to be in a currency other than sterling, in that currency or in sterling.”

(5)

In section 73 of the M2British Telecommunications Act 1981 (borrowing powers of the Post Office etc), in subsection (1)(a) and (2)(a), after “sterling” there shall, in each case, be inserted “ or a currency other than sterling ”.

(6)

In section 74(2) of that Act (limit of indebtedness of the Post Office and its subsidiaries)—

(a)

after sub-paragraph (i) there shall be inserted—

“(ia)

money borrowed by any other subsidiary of the Post Office under section 37(1A) of the 1969 Act;”,

(b)

for “£1,200 million” there shall be substituted “ £5,000 million ”, and

(c)

the words “, not exceeding £1,700 million,” shall be repealed.

(7)

After section 74(4) of that Act there shall be inserted—

“(4A)

For the purposes of this section equivalents in sterling shall be calculated as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.”

116 The Postcode Address File.

(1)

The owner for the time being of the Postcode Address File shall—

(a)

maintain the File, and

(b)

make the File available to any person who wishes to use it on such terms as are reasonable.

(2)

Compliance with subsection (1) shall be enforceable by civil proceedings brought by F1OFCOM for an injunction or for interdict or for any other appropriate relief or remedy.

F2(2A)

OFCOM may give a direction to the owner for the time being of the Postcode Address File requiring the owner—

(a)

to issue, and comply with, a code of practice dealing with the making of revisions to the File, or

(b)

to make such modifications of the code as are specified in the direction.

(2B)

A direction under subsection (2A) is enforceable under Schedule 7 to the Postal Services Act 2011; but, where it is given to a person who is not providing a postal service, that Schedule has effect with the omission of paragraphs 7(2) and (3), 8(4) and 11.

(3)

In this section—

the Postcode Address File” means—

(a)

the collection of relevant information which, immediately before the coming into force of this section, was owned by the Post Office, or

(b)

that collection as it is from time to time revised, and

relevant information” means postcodes in the United Kingdom which may be used to facilitate the identification of delivery points for the purpose of providing postal services.

(4)

The terms which may be imposed under subsection (1)(b) include terms as to the payment of such fee (if any) as the owner considers appropriate.

F3(5)

OFCOM may give a direction to the owner of the Postcode Address File as to the terms that may be imposed under subsection (1)(b).

(6)

If it does so, no term that contravenes the direction may be imposed under that provision.

F4117 Records of the former Postmaster General’s department.

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F5118 Supplementary provisions relating to the Council.

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F6119 General restrictions on disclosure of information.

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