Government Mail

• National Network
• Dedicated Service
• Secure Mail Screening
• Confidential Waste Destruction
• What we mean by 'secure'
• Government Mail Directory
• Regional Plus
• Fuel Surcharge

Sensitive material is often at its most vulnerable when in transit

Losses of personal data and other items within government have reinforced the need to be fully aware of our responsibilities when moving items from one place to another. It is advisable to use a secure courier service for such consignments.

Government Mail provides a secure document carriage service for all consignments - including restricted, confidential, secret or top secret document classifications - as standard.

What do we mean by secure?

No book of rules can prescribe exactly how to deal with every possible situation but we want to provide some guidance to make your decision easier when booking a courier.

The Package

• Is the package protectively marked (Restricted, Confidential, Secret, Top Secret etc.)?
• Does the package contain sensitive or valuable material (reports, tender documents, test samples, personal effects etc.)?
• Does the package contain personal data covered under the Data Protection Act?
• Does the package contain valuable items other than cash?

The Courier

• Are the courier drivers security cleared by government to at least CTC level?
• Does the courier store your package in a secure locked place overnight when sent as a next-day delivery?

The Service

• Can your courier track the whereabouts of your package?
• Does your courier offer point to point or closed loop service to prevent cross-contamination with non-government items?

If ever you are unsure whether you are dealing with something in the right way you may find it helpful to ask yourself:

• Can I trust the company and its employees with my secure packages?
• What would happen if the package was lost?
• Would your employer be embarrassed if this loss became public?
• How would this look on the front page of my newspaper?
• Should I seek advice from my manager or another colleague?
• Can I defend my actions?

Ultimately, if in doubt, you should refer to your Departmental Security Officer or an equivalent.