The Postal Services Act 2011 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2011

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force all provisions of the Postal Services Act 2011 (c. 5) (“the Act”) which did not come into force on Royal Assent, with the exception of section 1 (removal of restrictions on ownership of Royal Mail Holdings plc etc) and paragraphs 38 to 41 and 147 of Schedule 12 (minor and consequential amendments).

Article 2 brings sections 64(2) to (6) into force on 15th September 2011, enabling Postcomm to make a transfer scheme under section 30 of the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21) in anticipation of the transfer of regulator from Postcomm to Ofcom on 1st October 2011.

Article 3 brings the remainder of the Act into force on 1st October 2011, other than those provisions already in force on that date and those specified in Article 3(2).

Articles 4 and 5 make transitional provisions in relation to postal and money orders and the payment of merchant seamen’s wages by such orders, preserving existing arrangements until the schemes under which they are operated are amended to provide for the separation of Post Office Limited from Royal Mail Holdings.