Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Rejected
Ensure Group Litigation Order claimant offers are at or above top-end redress bands.
Recommendation
The Department should ensure that offers to claimants are delivered at or above the top-end of the illustrative redress bands and guidance established under the guidance and principles of the Group Litigation Order scheme. Further requests for information should only be made in order to increase the offer value to claimants, or in the rare instance where there may be reasonable concern about a claim’s basis of calculation. A claim’s named case facilitator should have a defined role in swiftly considering whether a request for information is reasonable for the above purposes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52) 26 Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation, arguing that adding an additional layer of governance for information requests would exacerbate delays, though it acknowledges RFIs should aim to increase offers and be made early.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
• The Government does not accept this recommendation. • Requests for information are intended to enable the Department to increase its offers to claimants, including where there is a reasonable concern about the basis of calculation. • The Department recognises the feedback from claimants and their representatives that such requests are in some cases being made late into the process and is therefore keen for such requests to be made as early as possible. Adding an additional layer of governance by requiring the claim facilitator to agree to the request would increase the time taken to issue such requests which would exacerbate delays. • We can, however, confirm that Addleshaw Goddard are aware of the importance of making it clear that RFIs are only issued to seek further information that could help increase an offer to claimants.