UKGI00013950
UKGI00013950
Department for Business
Innovation & Skills
BIS
Mrs Gina Griffiths Our ref: 304059
I Your ref:
GRO.
30 August 2012
Thank you for your letter of 15 July to Norman Lamb about the Justice for
Subpostmasters Alliance and your husband’s experiences as a
subpostmaster. As I am sure you will appreciate, the Minister receives far
more correspondence than he is able to respond to personally, and I have
been asked to reply on his behalf.
As I expect you will be aware from previous correspondence on your behalf
between your MP, Stephen Mosley, and Edward Davey last autumn, the
Government cannot intervene in operational and contractual issues between
Post Office Ltd (POL) and individual subpostmasters. I can however advise
you that Norman Lamb met Alan Bates, Chairman of the Justice for
Subpostmasters Alliance, earlier in the summer to hear the Alliance’s
concerns.
I can also report that, in the light of discussions with James Arbuthnot MP and
a number of other MPs with ex-subpostmaster constituents who had raised
concerns about Horizon, POL has agreed to an external review of a number of
individual cases that had been raised with them by several MPs.
POL nevertheless remains confident about the robustness and integrity of its
Horizon system and related accounting processes. Over the past ten years,
many millions of branch reconciliations have been carried out with transactions
and balances accurately recorded.
The external review of specific individual cases is being undertaken by a firm
of forensic accountants and the timescale and precise processes for
1 Victoria Street, London SW1H OET
www.bis.gov.uk
Contact us www.bis.gov.uk/contact-us
UKGI00013950
UKGI00013950
identifying the cases for the review are being determined by James Arbuthnot
and the forensic accountants.
Whilst I have noted your comments about the shortfalls repaid by your
husband under the terms of his contract as a subpostmaster, I should also
point out that, as a recipient and custodian of significant amounts of taxpayers’
funds, it is entirely appropriate that POL has in place suitably rigorous
processes in place to protect and, when necessary, recover these funds. I
also understand that POL would be happy to provide additional training and
advice to resolve recurring accounting problems your husband may be
experiencing.
Yours sincerely
Mike Whitehead
Shareholder Executive