Select Committee · Business and Trade Committee

Post Office and Horizon

Status: Closed Opened: 4 Mar 2020 Closed: 27 Apr 2022 20 recommendations 9 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry explores issues emerging from the Horizon IT Court cases, looking at the impact on sub-postmasters and its effect on the future viability of the Post Office, and examining the lessons the Government and Post Office Ltd have learned from a scandal which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters accused of fraud. In the 2017-19 Parliament, … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon - Compensation: in… HC 1129 17 Feb 2022 29 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
3 Conclusion Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon… Accepted in Part

We are deeply concerned that, despite the efforts that the Post Office Ltd.

We are deeply concerned that, despite the efforts that the Post Office Ltd. (POL) has made to contact them, so few sub-postmasters have approached POL to begin the process of overturning ‘unsafe’ Horizon convictions. POL has conceded that this might be to do with the trauma caused by the Horizon … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government will not set up a new independent body but will work with existing independent bodies like the Criminal Cases Review Commission to contact postmasters with Horizon-related convictions and offer support.
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Department for Business and Trade
4 Recommendation Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon… Accepted in Part

We recommend that the Government urgently set up an independent intermediary body as a trusted...

We recommend that the Government urgently set up an independent intermediary body as a trusted first point of contact for those wrongly convicted because of Horizon, in particular for the 576 convicted sub-postmasters who have not yet come forward. The independent body should be appropriately resourced to support these victims … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government will not set up a new independent body but will work with existing independent bodies, such as the CCRC, to contact postmasters and offer support.
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Department for Business and Trade
28 Recommendation Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon… Accepted in Part

We have recommended in this Report that the Government set up a properly resourced independent...

We have recommended in this Report that the Government set up a properly resourced independent intermediary to assist sub-postmasters seeking to overturn convictions and seek compensation. We recommend that this same body should also be tasked with assisting sub-postmasters who are accessing the Historic Shortfall Scheme. This should include providing … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government expresses concern that setting up an independent body would cause further delays, but it has advised the Post Office to take further action, including appointing an intermediary body to provide independent advice, assistance with routes to compensation, legal advice, and strengthened emotional and …
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Department for Business and Trade

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
11 Jan 2022 Carl Creswell · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Nick Read · Post Office Ltd, Paul Scully · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Tom Cooper · Post Office Ltd View ↗
14 Dec 2021 Alan Bates, former Sub-postmaster · Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, Dr Neil Hudgell · Hudgell Solicitors, Jo Hamilton - Former Sub-postmaster, Paul Harry - Former Sub-postmaster View ↗
24 Mar 2020 Carl Creswell · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Nick Read · Post Office Ltd, Paula Vennells CBE · Post Office, Paul Scully · Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Rob Putland · Fujitsu, Tom Cooper · Post Office Ltd View ↗
10 Mar 2020 Alan Bates, former Sub-postmaster · Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, Andy Furey · Communication Workers Union, Calum Greenhow · National Federation of SubPostmasters, Ian Henderson · Second Sight Forensic Accountants, Ron Warmington · Second Sight Forensic Accountants, Tracy Felstead, former Sub-postmaster, Wendy Buffrey, former Sub-postmaster View ↗

Who gave evidence

16 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alan Bates, former Sub-postmaster · Founder Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance 2
Carl Creswell · Director, Services Directorate Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 2
Nick Read · Chief Executive Post Office Ltd 2
Paul Scully · Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour… Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 2
Tom Cooper · Director, UK Government Investments, and former S… Post Office Ltd 2
Andy Furey · Assistant Secretary Communication Workers Union 1
Calum Greenhow · Chief Executive Officer National Federation of SubPostmasters 1
Dr Neil Hudgell · Director Hudgell Solicitors 1
Ian Henderson · Chartered Accountant Second Sight Forensic Accountants 1
Jo Hamilton - Former Sub-postmaster 1
Paul Harry - Former Sub-postmaster 1
Paula Vennells CBE · Former Chief Executive Officer Post Office 1
Rob Putland · Senior Vice President Fujitsu 1
Ron Warmington · Chartered Accountant Second Sight Forensic Accountants 1
Tracy Felstead, former Sub-postmaster 1
Wendy Buffrey, former Sub-postmaster 1

Correspondence

15 letters
DateDirectionTitle
22 Feb 2022 To cttee Letter from Nick Read, Chief Executive, Post Office Limited on compensation for…
9 Feb 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets on co…
8 Sep 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Labour Markets on co…
26 May 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister to the Chair relating to the Post Office and Horizon I…
29 Apr 2021 To cttee Letter from the Minister to the Chair relating to the Court of Appeal overturni…
22 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from the Minister to the Chair regarding the Post Office Horizon IT inqu…
7 Oct 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Minister on the Independent Review into the Post Office Lt…
25 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Minister on Independent Review into Post Office and Horizon
25 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Fujitsu Ltd on Post Office and Horizon
25 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Nick Read on Post Office and Horizon
25 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Paula Vennells on Post Office and Horizon
3 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Fujitsu
3 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Paula Vennells
3 Jun 2020 To cttee Letter from Chair to Nick Read
4 Mar 2020 From cttee Letter to the Prime Minister on Post Office dated 3 March 2020