Tag: Europe

British government plans to deliver the U.K. Post Office greater commercial freedom to provide a world class service for the 21st century took a further step forward today when the Postal Services Bill received Royal Assent. The principal provisions of the Act are:

to convert the Post Office into a plc to underline the commercialisation of the business (though the legislation restricts the disposal of shares in the Post Office company) allowing the Post Office company to take advantage of greater commercial freedom;
to clarify and consolidate the independent regulatory and consumer representative framework, putting it on a basis similar to that for the private utilities;
to redefine the Post Office’s monopoly area, to be known as the reserved area, and enable other postal service companies to offer services within this area if granted a licence by the regulator;
to enshrine and protect in law the Universal Service Obligation, guaranteeing deliveries to every address in the country and collections every working day at a uniform price regardless of distance of delivery; and
subject to the need to preserve the universal service, to promote greater competition either through reductions in the scope of the reserved area or by increased licensed competition within the reserved area.