Post Office Act 1969

23 Exclusive privilege of the Post Office with respect to the conveyance, of letters

(1) Subject to the restriction imposed by the following subsection, as from the appointed day, the privilege with respect to the conveyance of letters and the performance of services of receiving, collecting, despatching and delivering letters which, by virtue of section 3 of the [1953 c. 36.] Post Office Act 1953 is (subject to the exceptions provided for by that section) enjoyed by the Postmaster General at the passing of this Act, shall (subject to the like exceptions) become that of the Post Office; and, accordingly, as from that day.—

(a) that section shall have effect as if, for references to the Postmaster General, there were substituted references to the Post Office ; and

(b) section 4 of that Act (which penalizes infringements of the privilege conferred by the said section 3) and sections 26 to 28 thereof (which make provision for securing the due transmission of postal packets carried in ships or aircraft inward bound) shall have similar effect.

(2) The said restriction is that the power to authorise letters to be sent, conveyed and delivered otherwise than by post and the collection of letters otherwise than by an officer of the Post Office which is conferred by the proviso to subsection (1) of the said section 3 and with which the Post Office becomes invested by virtue of the foregoing subsection shall not be exercisable except with the consent of, or in accordance with the terms of a general authority given by, the Minister.