Draft Social and Environmental Guidance to the Postal Services Commission

POSTAL SERVICES ACT 2000

Draft Social and Environmental Guidance to the Postal Services Commission
issued under section 43(2) of the Postal Services Act 2000
Draft guidance laid before Parliament in accordance with section 43(4) of the Postal Services Act 2000 on 8 February 2001

Introduction

1. The Secretary of State intends to issue guidance under section 43 of the Postal Services Act 2000 about the making by the Postal Services Commission (“the Commission”) of a contribution towards the Government’s social and environmental policies. A consultation exercise on the guidance the Secretary of State intends to give has been carried out in accordance with section 43(3) of the Act . This document contains the guidance the Secretary of State proposes to give. The Secretary of State must lay the guidance he intends to give before Parliament, before issuing it to the Commission, in accordance with section 43(4) of the Act.

2. The Postal Services Act 2000 (“the Act”) gives effect to the Government’s proposals in its White Paper of July 1999 for Post Office Reform including the introduction of a new independent postal regulator, the Postal Services Commission (“the Commission”). The Act gives the Commission social duties, the foremost of which is to exercise its functions in the manner which it considers is best calculated to ensure the provision of a universal postal service. This guidance is in addition to these statutory social duties. Section 43(1) of the Act requires the Commission, in exercising any of its functions, to have regard to any guidance given by the Secretary of State under that section. Section 43 (2) of the Act requires the Secretary of State to issue such guidance to the Commission from time to time.

3. The Government intends that the guidance will draw together relevant aspects of its social and environmental policies so that the Commission can carry out its functions in a way that is alert to the wider policy picture and, where possible, supportive of it. The Act requires the Secretary of State to give social and environmental guidance, and not directions, to the Commission. It is not the purpose of the guidance to act as a means of instructing the Commission. For its part the Commission is required to have regard to the guidance. The Government intends the guidance, once issued, to remain in place for some time – years rather than months. This is partly because this will reduce the regulatory uncertainty that frequent changes could produce, and also because of the broad nature of the guidance which should reduce the need for change.

Draft Social and Environmental Guidance to the Postal Services Commission issued under section 43(2) of the Postal Services Act 2000