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The Post Office Network Subsidy Scheme Order 2007

Draft. This instrument was laid in draft and may differ from the one made. Look for the made version under its title.

Draft 2007, ISBN 9780110757407

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

Draft Order laid before Parliament under section s122(12) of the Postal Services Act 2000, for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament.

PostAL SERVICES

Made 2007

Coming into force 2007

The Secretary of State, with the consent of the Treasury, makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 103 and 122(2)(a) of the Postal Services Act 2000f1:

In accordance with section 122(12) of the Act, a draft of this instrument was laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2000 c.26.

Contents

  1. 1Citation and commencement
  2. 2The Scheme
  3. Signature
  4. Schedule: THE POST OFFICE NETWORK SUBSIDY SCHEME
  5. 1Interpretation
  6. 2Scope of the Scheme
  7. 3Scheme criteria
  8. 4Amount payable under the Scheme
  9. 5Scheme conditions
  10. Explanatory note

1Citation and commencement

This Order may be cited as the Post Office Network Subsidy Scheme Order 2007 and shall come into force on the day after the day on which it is made.

2The Scheme

The Scheme set out in the Schedule to this Order shall have effect.

Signature

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Postal Services

Department of Trade and Industry

Date

We consent,

Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury

Date

1Interpretation

In this Scheme, “the company” means Post Office Limited (a company registered in England and Wales with the registration number 02154540) or any company which carries on, in succession to Post Office Limited, the business carried on by that company as at the date on which this Scheme came into effect.

2Scope of the Scheme

(1)

The Secretary of State may make payments to the company under this Scheme which will assist in the continued provision by the company of services to be provided from public post offices which it appears to the Secretary of State are likely, but for the making of the payments, to be closed.

(2)

The Secretary of State may make payments to the company under this Scheme in respect of the costs to the company of establishing public post offices if it appears to the Secretary of State that, but for making of the payments, it is likely that public post offices will not be provided in one or more areas of the United Kingdom.

3Scheme criteria

In deciding whether to make a payment under this Scheme, the Secretary of State shall have regard to the following criteria—

(a)

whether services will continue to be provided from a national network of public post offices across the United Kingdom in the absence of the making of a payment;

(b)

whether services will continue to be provided from public post offices or a network of public post offices in any particular area of the United Kingdom in the absence of the making of a payment.

4Amount payable under the Scheme

(1)

Subject to sub-paragraph (2), each payment of subsidy under this Scheme shall meet such proportion of the costs or estimated costs associated with the establishment of public post offices or the provision of services to be provided from public post offices as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for that payment.

(2)

The maximum amount payable under this Scheme in any period of twelve months beginning on 1st April shall be £160,000,000.

5Scheme conditions

Payments under this Scheme shall be made subject to such terms and conditions (including terms and conditions as to repayment and as to the geographical distribution of public post offices that must be provided by the company and their accessibility to users of postal and other services) as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order sets out the Post Office Network Subsidy Scheme. The Scheme provides for the payment of a subsidy by the Secretary of State to Post Office Limited to assist in the establishment and provision of public post offices by Post Office Limited up to a maximum annual amount of £160,000,000.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.