Remedy
Start free

Section 36: Designated USP conditions

Postal Services Act 2011 · 2011 c. 5View on legislation.gov.uk

Part 3: Regulation of postal services

OFCOM may impose a designated USP condition on a universal service provider.

OFCOM may impose a designated USP condition only if they consider it is necessary to do so in order to secure the provision of a service of a description set out in the universal postal service order in accordance with the standards set out there.

A designated USP condition may make provision as to the tariffs to be used for determining prices in accordance with which a universal postal service, or part of a universal postal service, is provided.

In exercising the power conferred by subsection (4), OFCOM must seek to ensure that—

the prices are affordable,
the prices take account of the costs of providing the service or part of a service, and
the prices provide incentives to provide the service or part of a service efficiently.

A designated USP condition may impose performance targets.

If there are two or more universal service providers—

OFCOM must secure that there is no overlap in the universal service obligations imposed on the providers, and
designated USP conditions may require the providers to make arrangements for securing that a universal postal service operates uniformly and effectively throughout the United Kingdom.

In this Part "universal service obligations", in relation to a universal service provider, means the obligations imposed on the provider by any designated USP condition.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. These source and reuse terms cover the legislation text, not Remedy's commentary.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.