Postal Services Act 2011

Postal Services Act 2011

2011 CHAPTER 5

Commentary on Sections

Part 3: Regulation of postal services

Persons providing services within scope of universal postal service

Section 42: General universal service conditions

207. Subsection (1) provides that OFCOM may impose a general universal service condition on every postal operator providing a service within the scope of the universal service or to specified descriptions of such operators.

208. Subsection (2) of this section describes a general universal service condition. It is either a condition OFCOM consider necessary for the purpose of securing that a universal service is provided in accordance with the standards set out in the universal postal service order, or it is a condition imposed for the purposes of sharing the financial burden of universal service obligations.

209. Subsection (3) sets out some of the things that general universal service conditions may require postal operators providing services within the scope of the universal service to do. Subsection (3) also provides that the conditions may require persons to make contributions towards the costs of complying with designated USP conditions, in accordance with section 46.

210. Subsection (4) provides that, where there is a designated universal service provider, OFCOM cannot impose a general universal service condition requiring a person to provide services required by section 31.