Postal Services Act 2011

Postal Services Act 2011

2011 CHAPTER 5

Commentary on Sections

Part 3: Regulation of postal services

The universal postal service

Section 32: Section 31: definitions

164. This section gives the definitions of “insured items service”, “legislative petitions and addresses” and “registered items service” for the purposes of section 31.

165. Subsection (1) introduces the term “insured items service”, defined by Article 2(10) of the Directive, which makes specific provision for the payment of an amount up to the value declared by the sender in the event of theft, loss or damage of a postal packet.

166. The definition of “legislative petitions and addresses” broadly reproduces the description of Parliamentary petitions and addresses given in the Postal Services Act 2000 at section 100.

167. Subsections (2) and (3) clarify that legislative petitions and addresses are those petitions to Her Majesty sent to a member of a legislative body (which includes either House of Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales or the Northern Ireland Assembly); or those addressed to a legislative body and sent to a member of such a body or to the Clerk of the Scottish Parliament; or those forwarded to Her Majesty (or in Northern Ireland the Secretary of State).

168. Subsection (3) clarifies that petitions and addresses (other than those forwarded to Her Majesty or, in Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State) fall within the definition only if they do not exceed 1kg and are sent without covers or in covers open at the side.

169. Subsection (4) defines the meaning of “registered items service”, which is similar to that in section 125 of the Postal Services Act 2000.

170. Subsection (5) clarifies that references made in the section to conveying postal packets from one place to another include conveying them to places outside the United Kingdom.