Establish standing public body to administer future redress schemes
Post Office Horizon Inquiry · Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Volume 1 Report · Issued 8 July 2025 · Addressed to: Department for Business and Trade
Government responseDepartment for Business and Trade: Noted (Oct 2025)
DeliveryCabinet Office says in progress (Oct 2026)Department for Business and Trade states no delivery position (Oct 2025)
Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
As soon as is reasonably practicable, HM Government shall establish a standing public body which shall, when called upon to do so, devise, administer and deliver schemes for providing financial redress to persons who have been wronged by public bodies.
Post Office Horizon Inquiry, Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Volume 1 Report · 8 Jul 2025 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
AI-generated evidence summary
The Inquiry recommended establishing a standing public body to administer future financial redress schemes. In October 2026, the Cabinet Office reported that officials were exploring options to improve redress arrangements, though work assessing their implications remained ongoing (Cabinet Office, Oct 2026). It added that any new body was unlikely to be established in time to take over existing time-limited schemes (Cabinet Office, Oct 2026). Previously, in March 2026, the Business and Trade Committee HC 1598 found no progress on establishing the body and noted that the government had not committed to the proposal (Business and Trade Committee HC 1598, Mar 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 16 Oct 2026.
Government response
●Department for Business and Trade · Noted · 9 Oct 2025
DBT sees clear advantages of the recommendation but recognises that options to improve future delivery of redress will need to be carefully considered and the feasibility of an independent body will need to be properly explored, alongside existing mechanisms. The minister responsible for Postal Services will chair a ministerial group to lead this work. While it is unlikely that an independent body could be established in time to take over delivery of redress for existing time-limited redress schemes, the government is actively considering its options and will make a substantive statement on this matter by summer 2026.
Extract from: Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1)
Delivery
●Cabinet Office says in progress · 5 Oct 2026
BIST recognises the merits of recommendations to strengthen the future delivery of redress, including proposals for a standing independent body. Officials are exploring a range of options to improve future redress arrangements, drawing on lessons from existing schemes and wider government experience and taking account of the recent report from the Public Accounts Committee. While any new arrangements are unlikely to be established in time to take over delivery of existing time-limited redress schemes, work is ongoing to assess the available options and their implications.
From: Post Office (Horizon) Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, October 2026 (data file)
●Department for Business and Trade states no delivery position · 13 Oct 2025
Sir Wyn’s 19th recommendation—for an independent body to deliver redress for future scandals—is welcome, but we will need to do more work on its feasibility before we can adopt it. This work is under way, and we will update the House when appropriate.
From: Volume 1 of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report: Government response to recommendations
Earlier statements on delivery (0)
●Cabinet Office · 16 Jun 2026
DBT sees clear advantages in the recommendation but recognises that options to improve future delivery of redress will need to be carefully considered and the feasibility of an independent body will need to be properly explored, alongside existing mechanisms. The Minister responsible for Postal Services is chair of a ministerial group which leads on this work. While it is unlikely that an independent body could be established in time to take over delivery of redress for existing time-limited redress schemes, the government is actively considering its options and will make a substantive statement on this matter later in 2026.
From: Post Office (Horizon) Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, May 2026 (data file)
●Cabinet Office · 2 Mar 2026
DBT sees clear advantages of the recommendation but recognises that options to improve future delivery of redress will need to be carefully considered and the feasibility of an independent body will need to be properly explored, alongside existing mechanisms. The Minister responsible for Postal Services is chair of a ministerial group which leads on this work. While it is unlikely that an independent body could be established in time to take over delivery of redress for existing time-limited redress schemes, the government is actively considering its options and will make a substantive statement on this matter by summer 2026.
From: Post Office (Horizon) Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, February 2026 (data file)
Published evidence
●Business and Trade Committee HC 1598 · 13 Mar 2026
HC 1598 found no progress on establishing a standing public redress body. The government had not committed to the proposal and promised a substantive statement by summer 2026. The committee noted this remains undelivered.
Read the finding in full
Business and Trade Committee HC 1598 (13 March 2026) examined redress delivery one year on. Key findings: £1.44bn paid to 11,300+ claimants but thousands still waiting. HSS takes 143 days average for fixed-sum offers (target: 30 days) and 450 days for assessed claims (target: 180 days). Total redress bill now approximately £2bn. Fujitsu has contributed nothing. Committee made 29 formal conclusions and recommendations across redress schemes, quashed convictions, Fujitsu contribution, and pre-Horizon (Capture) IT system concerns.Post Office Horizon scandal: Justice for sub-postmasters (HC 1598, 13 March 2026)View source →
●Business and Trade Select Committee · 6 Jan 2026
Business and Trade Select Committee noted the government had not committed to establishing a standing public body for financial redress as recommended. The committee heard DBT was "actively considering its options" and had promised a substantive statement by summer 2026.
Read the finding in full
Business and Trade Committee held an evidence session on 6 January 2026 with witnesses from Fujitsu, the CCRC, DBT and MoJ. The CCRC revealed Horizon software may have been installed earlier than previously believed, potentially expanding the pool of eligible convictions. Over 4,000 claimants were still awaiting final settlement across all schemes at that date. Government accepted only 3 of 17 committee recommendations in full.Business and Trade Committee evidence session, 6 January 2026View source →
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