Post Office Act 1969

3 Transfer to the Minister of the Postmaster General's functions with respect to wireless telegraphy, and provisions consequential thereon

(1) The functions which, immediately before the appointed day, are vested in the Postmaster General by virtue of the following provisions, namely.—

(a) those of the [1949 c. 54.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 which remain in force on and after that day and those of the [1967 c. 72.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 ; and

(b) those of the [1964 c. 21.] Television Act 1964;

shall, on that day, vest in the Minister; and, accordingly, as from that day.—

(i) references in those provisions to the Postmaster General (except those in section 5 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967), and the first reference to him in section 24(4) of the [1932 c. 9.] Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Act 1932 (report of dangers to navigation) shall be construed as referring to the Minister, and references to the Postmaster General in the said section 5, the second and third references to him in the said section 24(4) and the references to him in section 9(3) of the [1952 c. 66.] Defamation Act 1952 (extension to broadcasting of certain defences) and of the [1955 c. 11 (N.I.).] Defamation Act (Northern Ireland) 1955 shall be construed as including references to the Minister ; and

(ii) any reference to the Postmaster General in a provision of regulations, rules or a licence under the [1949 c. 54.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 or the [1967 c. 72.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 which is in force at the beginning of that day shall (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed as referring to the Minister and any reference to an officer of the Post Office in any such provision shall (unless the context otherwise requires) be construed as referring to a person acting under the authority of the Minister

(2) As from the appointed day.—

(a) section 2(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (fees and charges for wireless telegraphy licences) shall, subject to the foregoing subsection, have effect as originally enacted, and not as amended by section 16(4) of the [1961 c. 15.] Post Office Act 1961 (which dispenses, in certain cases, with the requirement of the consent of the Treasury to the making of regulations under the first-mentioned section);

(b) Schedule 1 to the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (procedure in relation to suspension and revocation of authorities to wireless personnel) shall have effect with the substitution, for paragraph 3 thereof, of the following paragraph:—

“3 (1) There shall be paid by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications—

(a) the expenses, to such extent as he may determine, incurred by an advisory committee under this Schedule; and

(b) such sums as he may determine in respect of the expenses of the members of the committee.

(2) The approval of the Treasury shall be requisite to a determination under head (a) of the foregoing sub-paragraph and that of the Minister for the Civil Service to a determination under head (b) of that sub-paragraph”.

(3) The Minister shall, as from the appointed day, have power to make, in such cases or classes of cases as the Treasury may determine, refunds of sums paid under section 2(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (fees and charges for wireless telegraphy licences).

(4) A payment made in exercise of the power conferred by the last foregoing subsection shall be defrayed out of sums received under the [1949 c. 54.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 by the Minister.

(5) The surplus of sums received under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 by the Minister over sums paid in exercise of the power conferred by subsection (3) above shall from time to time be paid into the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom (hereafter in this Act referred to as the " Consolidated Fund "), and any sums received under section 11(4) of the [1967 c. 72.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 by the Minister shall be so paid.

(6) Section 20(3) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (power of Her Majesty in Council to extend that Act to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) shall have effect as if the reference to that Act included a reference to the foregoing provisions of this section, and section 36 of the [1932 c. 9.] Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Act 1932 (application of Part I of that Act to British possessions) shall have effect as if any reference to that Part included a reference to the said provisions.