Government department or authority with
responsibility for postal services and
telecommunications. In the UK, the first
Master of the Post was appointed 1516 with a
limited brief, and in 1635, there was a royal
proclamation `for the settling of the letter
office in England and Scotland', establishing
the first public service. The service
developed and expanded rapidly, with
financial services being provided by the 18th
century. It has responsibility for paying out
social security and collecting revenue for
state insurance schemes. Post Office
activities were divided 1981 to separate
telecommunications activities, and in 1984,
these were privatized, and a new company,
British Telecom, was established.