The Postal Services Act 2000 (Modification of Section 7) Order 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 6 of the Postal Services Act 2000 (“the Act”) prevents any person from conveying a letter from one place to another unless that person holds a licence authorising that conveyance or the person is acting as an employee or agent of a person so authorised. Section 7 of the Act sets out exceptions to this, and section 8 of the Act gives the Secretary of State the power to modify section 7. The Secretary of State may only modify section 7 where the Postal Services Commission has recommended that this should happen.

Section 7(2)(d) of the Act provides that a licence is not required for the conveyance of an overseas letter out of the United Kingdom, but section 7 does not allow a person to make a collection of letters for that purpose.

The Postal Services Commission has recommended that this restriction should be removed. This Order achieves that effect by amending sections 7(2) and (3) of the Act. A licence will therefore no longer be required to do this.