British Commonwealth and Foreign Parcel Post Warrant, 1950
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | SI 1950/1200 |
| Year | 1950 |
1950 No. 1200
POST OFFICE
The British Commonwealth and Foreign Parcel Post Warrant, 195021stJuly 1950
25thJuly 1950
1stSeptember 1950
We, the Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, in exercise of all powers given to us by Sections 2, 4, 12 and 82 of the Post Office Act 1908(a) and Section 6 of the Post Office (Amendment) Act 1935(b) and of all other powers enabling us in this behalf, do, by this Warrant, made on the representation of His Majesty's Postmaster General (testified by his signing the same) and under the hands of two of us, the said Commissioners, order, direct and declare as follows:—
Places between which parcels may be transmitted
1.—(1) Parcels may, subject to the provisions of this Warrant, be transmitted by post:—
(a) between the British Islands and any country or place out of the British Islands with reference to which an arrangement has been made with respect to the conveyance of parcels by post, and
(b) between the British Islands and such British Postal Agencies as the Postmaster General may direct, between such Agencies and any country or place with reference to which such an arrangement as above mentioned has been made, and also between such British Postal Agencies.
Provided that (except as provided in paragraph (3) of Regulation 16 and in Regulation 17 hereof) this Warrant shall not apply to parcels transmitted between the British Islands and the Republic of Ireland.
(2) This Warrant shall also apply to parcels posted:
(a) on board any of His Majesty's ships of war on the high seas or in any port or place outside the British Islands and transmitted in closed mails from such ships;
(b) by members of the naval, military, or air forces of any British Commonwealth country serving abroad and transmitted through a British Army post office, a Royal Air Force post office or a British Fleet Mail Office at which British postage stamps are issued, or through such combined post office (being an office at which British postage stamps are issued) as may be established in substitution for such respective offices;
(c) by members of the armed forces of any Allied State who are stationed with the naval, military or air forces of any British Commonwealth country at any place abroad, and transmitted as mentioned in the last preceding sub-paragraph.
(a) 8 Edw. 7. c. 48.
Prohibitions
2. There shall not be posted or conveyed or delivered by post any parcel:—
(1) Consisting of or containing any indecent or obscene print, painting, photograph, cinematograph film, lithograph, engraving, book, card or written communication, or any indecent or obscene article, whether similar to the above or not; or
(2) Having thereon, or on the cover thereof, any words, marks, or designs which are grossly offensive or of an indecent or obscene character; or
(3) Consisting of or containing:—
(a) any explosive substance;
(b) any dangerous substance;
(c) any filth;
(d) any noxious or deleterious substance;
(e) any sharp instrument not properly protected;
(f) except with the special permission of the Postmaster General, any living creatures other than bees, leeches and silkworms;
(g) any article or thing whatsoever which is likely to injure other postal packets in course of conveyance, or any receptacle in which the same are conveyed, or an officer of the Post Office or other person who may deal with such packet; or
(4) Containing:—
(a) coin or gold bullion exceeding £5 in value, or any parcel containing silver bullion or silver partly manufactured exceeding £20 in value;
(b) any article or thing prohibited by the Customs or other laws or regulations of the British Islands or of the country to which the parcel is addressed or of any country through which it may pass, or, if posted at a British Postal Agency, by the Customs or other laws or regulations of the country or place in which the Agency is situated;
(c) any imitation of a Bank note within the meaning of Section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act 1925(a); or
(5) Consisting of or containing two or more postal packets (of the same or of different descriptions) addressed to different persons who are at different addresses; or
(6) Containing or bearing:—
(a) any fictitious postage stamp or any counterfeit impression of a stamping machine used under the direction or by the permission of the Postmaster General; or
(b) any letter or other document in the nature of a personal communication, except so far as may be permitted by the arrangement with reference to the transmission of parcels between the British Islands and any country or place outside the British Islands; or
(7) Purporting to be prepaid with any stamp or impression of a stamping machine which has been previously used to prepay any other postal packet, or any other revenue duty or tax; or
(a) 15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 86.
(8) Having thereon or on the cover thereof any words, letters or marks (used without due authority) which signify or imply or may reasonably lead the recipient thereof to believe that the parcel is sent on His Majesty's Service; or
(9) Having thereon or on the cover thereof any words, marks, or designs of a character likely, in the opinion of the Postmaster General, to embarrass the officers of the Post Office in dealing with the parcel in the post; or
(10) Of such a form or so made up for transmission by post as to be likely, in the opinion of the Postmaster General, to embarrass the officers of the Post Office in dealing with the parcel in the post; or
(11) Having anything written, printed, or otherwise impressed upon or attached to any part of that side of the parcel which bears the address at which the parcel is to be delivered, which, either by tending to prevent the easy and quick reading of the address of the parcel, or by inconvenient proximity to the stamp or stamps used in the payment of postage, or in any other way, is in itself, or in the manner in which it is written, printed, impressed, or attached, likely, in the opinion of the Postmaster General, to embarrass the officers of the Post Office in dealing with such parcel.
Maximum dimensions and weight
3. Except by permission of the Postmaster General, there shall not be forwarded, conveyed, or delivered by post any parcel the length of which shall exceed three feet six inches or the combined length and girth of which shall exceed six feet (the girth to be measured round the thickest part) or the weight of which shall exceed twenty-two pounds or such lesser length, girth or weight as shall be prescribed with reference to parcels for particular countries or places.
Rates of postage on parcels
4.—(1) There shall be charged and paid on outgoing parcels (except Air Mail parcels) rates of postage not exceeding forty shillings per parcel up to a maximum weight of twenty-two pounds.
(2) There shall be charged and paid on every Air Mail parcel a rate of postage not exceeding forty shillings per pound or twenty shillings per half pound or fractional part of a pound or half pound (as the case may be) up to a maximum weight of twenty-two pounds.
(3) The Postmaster General shall publish from time to time in the London Gazette the several rates of postage payable under this Warrant, and in any proceeding relating to the postage payable in respect of parcels transmitted under this Warrant, the production of a copy of the Gazette stating the rate in question shall be conclusive evidence that such rate is the postage for the time being payable as aforesaid.
Mode of posting
5. Subject to the provisions of this Warrant, the following provisions shall apply to the posting of an outgoing parcel, that is to say:—
(a) The parcel shall be posted by being handed in at a post office designated by the Postmaster General for that purpose.
(b) The parcel must bear the name and full address of the addressee, and must be packed in such manner and form and in accordance with such directions as may from time to time be prescribed in that behalf. Except in the case of a parcel posted at a British Postal Agency in the Persian Gulf for transmission to an address served by another such Agency in the Persian Gulf, the parcel must be accompanied by or have affixed to it one or more declarations of such kind, and stating the nature and value of the contents of the parcel in such manner and form and with such other particulars as the Commissioners of Customs and the Postmaster General may direct.
(c) The sender may also be required to fill up a despatch note in a prescribed form.
Provided that notwithstanding the provision of paragraph (a) of this Regulation the Postmaster General may, if he thinks fit, from time to time authorise such officers as he may direct to receive parcels for the post otherwise than at a post office under such rules and conditions as may be prescribed.
Payment of customs and other charges by sender
6.—(1) Where the sender of an outgoing parcel desires that such parcel may be delivered to the addressee free of all Customs Duties and other charges thereon, the following rules shall apply to such parcel:—
(a) There shall be charged and paid on such parcel, in addition to all postage payable thereon, the amount of the Customs Duties and of all other charges payable on the delivery of such parcel, and such further sum or fee not exceeding one shilling as the Postmaster General shall direct.
(b) The sender shall sign an undertaking in the prescribed form to pay on demand the amount of such Customs Duties and other charges as aforesaid.
(c) The sender shall also, if so required, pay, by way of deposit at the time of posting the parcel, such sum as the Postmaster General may direct in respect of such Customs Duties and other charges.
(2) This Regulation shall not apply to a parcel addressed to a country or place with the Postal Administration of which the Postmaster General has not for the time being an arrangement for the collection from the senders of Customs and other charges.
Customs regulations
7. Parcels intended to...
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