These Regulations, which set out the customs requirements relating to incoming and outgoing postal packets and to goods contained in them, supersede the Postal Packets (Customs and Excise) Regulations 1975. Changes in the 1975 Regulations are occasioned by amendments to the provisions of the Acts of the Universal Postal Union on which certain of the 1975 Regulations were based, and by the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. The opportunity has been taken to introduce certain other changes and to make some drafting amendments.
The principal changes in the Regulations are as follows:—
References to the Customs and Excise Act 1952 (c.44) have been replaced by references to the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
The value below which incoming and outgoing postal packets transmitted by letter post are not required to be the subject of a separate, full customs declaration has been raised to £270.
The category of person to whom a seizure notice may be issued has been re-defined and extended.
The Regulations contain references to various Post Office Schemes, which are made under section 28 of the Post Office Act 1969. Details of the Schemes are published in supplements to the London Gazette, as shown below.
Post Office Inland Post Scheme 1979 (P1/1979)—London Gazette No. 47855 dated 31 May 1979 (ISBN 0 11 657855 6)
Post Office Overseas Letter Post Scheme 1982 (P2/1982) and Post Office Overseas Parcel Post Scheme 1982 (P3/1982)—London Gazette No. 48876 dated 29 January 1982 (ISBN 0 11 658876 4)
Details of the schemes are also contained in the Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.