ROYAL MAIL GROUP PLC INLAND LETTER POST (AMENDMENT No 5) SCHEME2 2002

Made 17th January 2003 Coming into operation 17th January 2003

Royal Mail Group plc(a) by virtue of the powers conferred upon it by section 89 of the Postal Services Act 2000 and of all other powers enabling it in this behalf, hereby makes the following Scheme:

Commencement, citation and interpretation

1.	This Scheme shall come into operation on 17th January 2003 and may be cited as the Royal Mail Group plc Inland Letter Post (Amendment No. 5) Scheme 2002.
2.	This Scheme shall be read as one with the Successor Postal Services Company Inland Letter Post Scheme 2001(b) (hereinafter called “the Scheme”) as amended by the Consignia plc Inland Letter Post Scheme (Amendment No. 1) Scheme 2001, the Consignia plc Inland Letter Post Scheme (Amendment No. 2) Scheme 2001, the Consignia plc Inland Letter Post Scheme (Amendment No. 3) Scheme 2001 and the Consignia plc Inland Letter Post Scheme (Amendment No. 4) Scheme 2001.
3.	A reference in this Scheme to the Successor Postal Services Company shall be read as a reference to Royal Mail Group plc.

Paragraph 6 Forwarding a letter

4.	Paragraph 6.2 shall be deleted and the following substituted
“6.2	Except in the circumstances set out in paragraph 6.3 below, Royal Mail will not charge additional postage or fees for forwarding a letter that has been re-posted in accordance with paragraph 6.1 above.”

Paragraph 8A letter which will not be delivered

5.	The title of paragraph 8 shall be deleted and substituted with the following:
“8.	Undeliverable and re-posted letters”
6.	Paragraph 8.2.1 shall be deleted and paragraphs 8.2.2 to 8.2.6 shall be renumbered 8.2.1 to 8.2.5.
7.	Paragraph 8.3 shall be deleted and replaced with the following paragraph
“8.3	Royal Mail may, at its discretion, return a letter to sender from the delivery address, if it is re-posted by the addressee or any other person for any reason and the return address is written correctly and legibly on the cover or envelope and is an address in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.”
8.	A new paragraph 8.4 shall be inserted as follows
“8.4	Where a letter is undeliverable and:
8.4.1	the sender’s name and address in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man are legible on the cover or envelope, Royal Mail Group plc may return the letter to the sender unopened;
8.4.2	the letter was originally posted with a Printed Postage Impression and the sender’s name and address are (a) not on the cover or envelope, or (b) they are illegible, or (c) the sender’s name and address are on the cover or envelope but the address is outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, then the letter may be dealt with or disposed of at the discretion of Royal Mail Group plc;
8.4.3	the letter was not originally posted with a Printed Postage Impression and the sender’s name and address are not on the cover or envelope, or they are illegible, then the letter may be opened. If the name and address of the sender are inside, and the address is in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, and the letter does not consist solely of advertising material, newspapers or magazines, then the letter may be returned to the sender. Otherwise the letter may be disposed of at the discretion of Royal Mail Group plc.”
8.	Paragraphs 8.4 and 8.5 shall be re-numbered 8.5 and 8.6 respectively. The reference to section 8.3 in the renumbered paragraph 8.5 shall be deleted and substituted with a reference to paragraph 8.4. The words “in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man” shall be inserted in renumbered paragraph 8.5.1 after the words “sender’s name and address”. The words “or if the sender’s address is not in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man” shall be inserted in renumbered paragraph 8.5.2 after the words “cover or envelope”.

Paragraph 10 Paying Postage and Fees

9.	Paragraph 10.1.4 shall be deleted and substituted with the following
“10.1.4	the letter is re-posted to be forwarded in accordance with paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2 of this Scheme or to be returned to sender in accordance with paragraph 8.3 of this Scheme.”

Paragraph 13 Posting

10.

A new paragraph 13.7 shall be added

“13.7

For mail which is posted with a Printed Postage Impression, Royal Mail Group pIc will require not less than 24 hours’ prior notice of any posting of a large volume of mail (which means 4,000 or more letters and/or 1,000 or more packets) or of a larger volume of mail than that usually posted by the sender under any arrangements he has with Royal Mail Group pIc (which means an additional 4,000 or more letters and/or an additional 1,000 or more packets). This notice must be given in the manner specified by Royal Mail Group plc from time to time. If this notice is not received, the posting will not be processed for despatch on the day of posting. For the purposes of this paragraph only, “letter” means a letter which is no larger than 240mm x 165mm and which is no thicker than 5mm and no thinner than 0.25mm in size and which weighs no more than 100g and a packet means any letter which is larger or heavier than this but is otherwise within the size and weight limits for a letter as set out in paragraph 16 of this Scheme.”

Paragraph 15 Prohibitions and Restrictions

11.	Paragraph 15.1 shall be deleted and the following substituted
15.1	Royal Mail Group plc will not accept a letter that contains any of the following:
15.1.1	Aerosols
15.1.2	Alcoholic liquids with alcohol content higher than 70%
15.1.3	Asbestos
15.1.4	Batteries that are classed as dangerous goods by the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Technical Instructions
15.1.5	Butane lighters and refills
15.1.6	Clinical and medical waste
15.1.7	Flammable, non-flammable, toxic compressed gases
15.1.8	Corrosives
15.1.9	Counterfeit money or counterfeit postage stamps
15.1.10	Drugs of any description, except those permitted under paragraph 15.2 below.
15.1.11	Dry ice
15.1.12	Environmental waste
15.1.13	Explosives
15.1.14	Filth
15.1.15	Flammable liquids or solids
15.1.16	Lottery tickets excepts for United Kingdom lottery tickets
15.1.17	Indecent, obscene or offensive material
15.1.18	Infectious substances listed by the World Health Organisation to be in risk group 4 and the group 3 substances listed in schedule 3 part 5 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 (COSHH)
15.1.19	Magnetised material with a magnetic field strength of 0.159A/m or more at a distance of 2.1m from the outside of the package
15.1.20	Matches
15.1.21	Oxidising materials or organic peroxides
15.1.22	Pesticides
15.1.23	Toxic liquids, solids or gases
15.1.24	Poisons
15.1.25	All radioactive material and samples that are classified as radioactive using Table 2-12 of the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Technical Instructions
15.1.26	Weapons of war, except as permitted by paragraph 15.2 below.
15.1.27	Ammunition
15.1.28	Solvent-based paints, varnishes and enamels
15.1.29	Water-based paints, varnishes and enamels with volume over 150ml
15.1.30	Any other item prohibited by law or that in the opinion of Royal Mail may be harmful or dangerous to Royal Mail employees.
12.	Paragraph 15.2 shall be deleted and the following substituted
15.2	A letter containing any of the following items may be posted provided that the sender meets all Royal Mail Group plc’s requirements for acceptance of the item, including, but not limited to, packaging requirements.
15.2.1	Alcoholic liquids with alcohol content lower than 70%
15.2.2	Batteries, other than those prohibited in paragraph 15.1.
15.2.3	Battery operated goods, excluding the batteries if prohibited under 15.1
15.2.4	Drugs sent in emergencies for medical or scientific purposes
15.2.5	Guns for sporting use
15.2.6	Diagnostic substances listed in the World Health Organisation’s risk groups 1-3 inclusive (except as mentioned in section 15.1.19)
15.2.7	living creatures
15.2.8	Magnetised materials, other than those prohibited under paragraph 15.1
15.2.9	Water-based paints, vanishes and enamels with volume less than 150ml.
15.2.10	Perishable goods
15.2.11	All radioactive material and samples that are not classified as radioactive using Table 2-12 of the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Technical Instructions.
15.2.12	Vaccines

Paragraph 30 Prepaid in Cash

13.	Paragraph 30.2 shall be deleted and the following substituted
“30.2	The minimum postage value for letters that will be marked in this way on any one occasion must be at least equal to the postage for 500 Second Class letters at the first weight step. The letters must be in bundles of 50 in which each letter must be of equal weight and must be faced in the same direction. First and Second Class letters must be presented in separate bundles. A note must be provided to Royal Mail of the total number of First and Second Class letters to be marked.”
(a)	Royal Mail Group plc (a company registered in England and Wales under number 4138203) is a universal service provider as defined in section 4(3)(a) of the Postal Services Act 2000. Royal Mail Group plc is the successor postal services company referred to in article 37(1) of the Postal Service Act 2000. (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2001 (2001/1148 (C.37)). It changed its name from Consignia plc on 4th November 2002.
(b)	The Post Office Inland Letter Post Scheme 2000 was amended, renamed the Successor Postal Services Company Inland Letter Post Scheme 2001 and treated as made under section 89 of the Postal Services Act 2000 by the article 37 of the Postal Services Act 2000 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2002 (2001/1148 (C.37)).

Signed By Louise Anderson, for and on behalf of Royal Mail Group plc. 20th December 2002