BEIS Chair writes to Post Office & Fujitsu

Chair's comments

Darren Jones, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said:

“Sub-postmasters deserve justice and it's an appalling reality that many have suffered considerable personal distress as a result of the handling of faults in the Horizon IT system. It's important that the Post Office and Fujitsu now respond fully to the BEIS Committee's questions over their actions and oversight during this period. It's important Post Office Ltd and the Government genuinely learn the lessons from this scandal and take the actions necessary to ensure this kind of mistreatment of dedicated sub-postmasters and postal staff can never arise again.”

The Committee intends to publish the responses to the correspondence as part of its inquiry.

The Committee's evidence session on 24 March on the Post Office and Horizon with Post Office Ltd CEO, Nick Read, the former CEO, Paula Vennells, and Fujitsu had been scheduled for Tuesday 24th March but was postponed due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

The BEIS Committee's inquiry had been 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 had learned from a scandal which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters accused of fraud.

On Tuesday 10 March,  the BEIS Committee heard from the following witnesses: Alan Bates, Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance and former sub-postmaster, Wendy Buffrey, former sub-postmaster, Tracy Felstead, former Post Office worker, Andy Furey, Deputy General-Secretary, Communication Workers Union, Calum Greenhow, CEO, National Federation of Sub-postmasters, Ron Warmington, Second Sight Forensic Accountants, Ian Henderson, Second Sight Forensic Accountants.

Further information

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