UK Government: Free post for the blind and partially sighted to continue

Industry Minister Alan Johnson
today issued a direction enabling blind and partially sighted people to
continue to receive their postal services free of charge when the new
licensing regime for postal services comes into effect.
PostComm, the new Regulator, will now monitor delivery of free postal
services for blind and partially sighted people. Licences will include a
condition requiring these services to be maintained and easily accessible.
Alan Johnson said: “I have today instructed the Postal Services Commission
to include in the licence of all universal postal service providers a
condition which, if the Secretary of State so directed, would require
licensees to provide certain services free of charge for the blind and
partially sighted.
“This will ensure that blind and partially sighted people can send a letter
or parcel, of any weight up to 7 kilograms, free of charge to any place in
the world. This is a vital social service and, to very many people, a
lifeline.
Safeguarding this measure ensures that, as the Post Office enters this new
competitive and commercial era, they do not move away from those services
that people cherish most about our postal system.
“Today’s measure gives reassurance to the almost 2 million blind or
partially sighted people in this country who will benefit from this
service.”
RNIB Chief Executive, David Smith, added the support of the charity to the
Government’s decision: “This is really excellent news for the 2 million
blind and partially sighted people in the UK. The free post service is a
vital life-line, ensuring that blind and partially sighted people can stay
in touch and receive a range of important services such as ‘Talking Books’.”
Notes to Editors
1. Blind and partially sighted people will continue to be able to send
books, papers and letters free of charge. The Post Office currently provide
this service as part of their ordinary postal service, and the same
arrangements will apply when the Post Office is transformed to the Post
Office company. But to guard against service being eroded at any time in the
future, the PSC will, as a result of the direction, include a licence
requirement which would oblige the Post Office company and any other postal
operator which may be licensed as a universal postal service provider, to
provide an articles for the blind service. But, in accordance with section
41(2) of the Postal Services Act 2000, the requirement would not come into
force before a further direction was made by the Secretary of State; this
would not be done unless there was a danger that the voluntary arrangements
were not supplying the service.
2. The PSC is responsible for maintaining a universal postal services at a
uniform tariff, granting licences, imposing penalties on operators who fail
to meet licence conditions, and furthering the interests of postal users,
where appropriate, by promoting competition.
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