Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
5
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
The Government must confirm how long it expects it to take for final settlements to be made to sub-postmasters after they have received their interim payments. The Government should set out what criteria they are using to determine final payments, alongside indicative examples of what claimants can expect in terms …
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The Government must confirm how long it expects it to take for final settlements to be made to sub-postmasters after they have received their interim payments. The Government should set out what criteria they are using to determine final payments, alongside indicative examples of what claimants can expect in terms of overall compensation, which should include compensation for consequential losses.
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Government response AI summary
The Post Office aims to make interim payments within 28 days and final settlements are determined through individual negotiations. The government will provide principles informing the offers made and the approach adopted.
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Department for Business and Trade
8
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Government provides regular updates when compensation is refused for sub-postmasters who have had their convictions overturned, the reasons for this and if subsequent compensation is sought and awarded. The Government should ensure that POL provide us with details of the mediation for those seeking compensation after …
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We recommend that the Government provides regular updates when compensation is refused for sub-postmasters who have had their convictions overturned, the reasons for this and if subsequent compensation is sought and awarded. The Government should ensure that POL provide us with details of the mediation for those seeking compensation after overturning a conviction, including the process, how independence is achieved, the numbers using it, and what the outcomes have been. We also recommend that BEIS explains its role in signing off this mediation process and the nature of the oversight that it and UK Government Investments (UKGI) are providing. (Paragraph 29) The Historical Shortfall Scheme
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Government response AI summary
The government provides information regarding interim compensation payments, the criteria for eligibility, and the number of claims declined. It describes the confidential form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and BEIS's role in providing funding, agreeing on significant decisions, and monitoring progress towards settlements.
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Department for Business and Trade
12
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
We ask POL to explain how it ensures that the ADR process is fully independent from the Scheme, how many claimants have used it, and what the outcomes have been. We also recommend that the Government provide us with details of BEIS and UKGI’s oversight role in the Scheme’s ADR …
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We ask POL to explain how it ensures that the ADR process is fully independent from the Scheme, how many claimants have used it, and what the outcomes have been. We also recommend that the Government provide us with details of BEIS and UKGI’s oversight role in the Scheme’s ADR process. We specifically note that 22 offers have been turned down by claimants and we recommend that the 24 Post Office and Horizon - Compensationn interim report Government confirm whether these rejections ended up in the Scheme’s ADR process and, if so, what the outcomes are. We recommend that BEIS explains its role in assessing those offers that have been rejected.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the recommendation and refers to the Historical Shortfall Scheme's three-stage Dispute Resolution Procedure, including Good Faith and Escalation Meetings, but does not commit to any new actions beyond existing processes.
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Department for Business and Trade
13
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
Bearing in mind the nature of the Horizon scandal—including the deep mistrust of its victims of the Post Office Ltd. (POL), BEIS and UKGI, its historical nature and issues surrounding the availability of records and a flawed IT system—we would have expected very careful engagement with those who would be …
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Bearing in mind the nature of the Horizon scandal—including the deep mistrust of its victims of the Post Office Ltd. (POL), BEIS and UKGI, its historical nature and issues surrounding the availability of records and a flawed IT system—we would have expected very careful engagement with those who would be expected to use the Historical Shortfall Scheme. It was imperative that those using the Scheme, often without access to legal or expert support, were put at the heart of the process.
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Government response AI summary
The Government accepts the Committee’s recommendation.
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Department for Business and Trade
14
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
In response to this report, POL and BEIS should provide details of who was consulted in drawing up the Scheme, what issues were raised by those consulted, and how those issues were addressed. We also recommend that POL and BEIS set out what opportunities were given to claimants to raise …
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In response to this report, POL and BEIS should provide details of who was consulted in drawing up the Scheme, what issues were raised by those consulted, and how those issues were addressed. We also recommend that POL and BEIS set out what opportunities were given to claimants to raise concerns after the Scheme was opened and how those concerns were addressed.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it accepts the recommendation regarding details of who was consulted in drawing up the Scheme and what opportunities were given to claimants to raise concerns.
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Department for Business and Trade
15
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
It is imperative that any victim of the Horizon scandal receives compensation that puts them back in the position they would have been in had the scandal not occurred, whilst also taking accounting of the distress the scandal caused them. We are therefore troubled by the suggestion that the Historic …
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It is imperative that any victim of the Horizon scandal receives compensation that puts them back in the position they would have been in had the scandal not occurred, whilst also taking accounting of the distress the scandal caused them. We are therefore troubled by the suggestion that the Historic Shortfall Scheme will pay out little in consequential losses to the severe detriment of the claimant. The Government must explain how consequential losses will be assessed under the Scheme with a range of indicative examples that draw on offers that have already been made.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it accepts the recommendation regarding compensation for victims of the Horizon scandal.
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Department for Business and Trade
16
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
We share concerns about the process by which claims to the Historic Shortfall Scheme are assessed and then reviewed by the Independent Panel. Bearing in mind that the Post Office (POL) bears a major part of the responsibility for the Horizon scandal, it seems perverse that POL is making initial …
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We share concerns about the process by which claims to the Historic Shortfall Scheme are assessed and then reviewed by the Independent Panel. Bearing in mind that the Post Office (POL) bears a major part of the responsibility for the Horizon scandal, it seems perverse that POL is making initial recommendations regarding claims.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it accepts the recommendation regarding concerns about the process by which claims are assessed.
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Department for Business and Trade
18
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
We recommend that that the Government in consultation with POL set out the reasons for involving POL in assessing claims, how this was discussed with stakeholders and how they dealt with any concerns stakeholders may have raised regarding POL’s involvement. We also recommend that POL set out what steps have …
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We recommend that that the Government in consultation with POL set out the reasons for involving POL in assessing claims, how this was discussed with stakeholders and how they dealt with any concerns stakeholders may have raised regarding POL’s involvement. We also recommend that POL set out what steps have been taken to ensure independence, including how robust challenge is achieved and the numbers of initial recommendations rejected or amended by the Independent Panel. We further recommend that Government explains how BEIS and UKGI are providing oversight of the Scheme with practical examples of how, if at all, it has intervened to ensure independence.
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Government response AI summary
The government accepts the Committee’s recommendation.
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Department for Business and Trade
19
Conclusion
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
We are disappointed that so few claims have been processed by the Historic Shortfall Scheme considering it was closed over a year ago. The conclusion of only 30% of Post Office and Horizon - Compensationn interim report 25 claims does not represent significant progress. There is a danger that every …
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We are disappointed that so few claims have been processed by the Historic Shortfall Scheme considering it was closed over a year ago. The conclusion of only 30% of Post Office and Horizon - Compensationn interim report 25 claims does not represent significant progress. There is a danger that every delay will lead to many sub-postmasters continuing to suffer financially while more may sadly die before they receive justice because of the age profile of the victims.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the committee's disappointment with the slow processing of claims under the Historic Shortfall Scheme.
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Department for Business and Trade
20
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
The fact that the Post Office and BEIS officials admitted that they underestimated the number of potential claims is telling and indeed, troubling, and suggests that they may not have appreciated the true extent of the Horizon scandal. We acknowledge that the Post Office and the Minister expect to have …
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The fact that the Post Office and BEIS officials admitted that they underestimated the number of potential claims is telling and indeed, troubling, and suggests that they may not have appreciated the true extent of the Horizon scandal. We acknowledge that the Post Office and the Minister expect to have processed the vast majority if not all claims by the end of 2022. The Minister and his officials have confirmed that the UKGI representative on the Post Office Board and the BEIS’s Post Office Team will hold Post Office Ltd.’s “feet to the fire”. Both BEIS and UKGI should be held accountable for this oversight role.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it accepts the recommendation that both BEIS and UKGI should be held accountable for their oversight role.
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Department for Business and Trade
23
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
The absence of records held by the Post Office Ltd. (POL) and other relevant organisations, such as HMRC, DWP and the Royal Mail Group, along with an absence of local suspense accounts for individual POL branches, raises serious questions as to how victims of Horizon are supposed to identify and …
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The absence of records held by the Post Office Ltd. (POL) and other relevant organisations, such as HMRC, DWP and the Royal Mail Group, along with an absence of local suspense accounts for individual POL branches, raises serious questions as to how victims of Horizon are supposed to identify and evidence the losses they suffered. POL and BEIS told us that the Historic Shortfall Scheme’s Independent Panel would take this into account when assessing claims.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it accepts the recommendation regarding the absence of records and how victims can evidence losses.
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Department for Business and Trade
27
Recommendation
Eighth Report - Post Office and Horizon…
Acknowledged
We recommend that the Government liaise with the Post Office to establish how many of the 2,500 claimants have been offered support through the Scheme, at which point support was offered, if costs were covered, how much was paid on average, and what the nature of that support was and …
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We recommend that the Government liaise with the Post Office to establish how many of the 2,500 claimants have been offered support through the Scheme, at which point support was offered, if costs were covered, how much was paid on average, and what the nature of that support was and who provided it. We also recommend that BEIS and UKGI set out what oversight they provided of any support that was given through the Scheme, how they ensured that it was independent and how it was evaluated.
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Government response AI summary
The government says the Post Office is committed to providing adequate support to all applicants, including a well-being helpline, training for support staff, and a Historical Matters Remediation Team. The government provides oversight through regular meetings with the Post Office and challenges to the process.
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Department for Business and Trade