BEIS0000188 - Briefing from Martyn Baker to Secretary of State re Post Office Review

Evidence on official site

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To: SECRETARY OF STATE ci = Mr McCartney

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Mr Scholar
From: MARTYN BAKER Mr Macdonald
Head CB & CGBPS Mr Hilton._.......
Mrs Bri GRO DRT*

Mr Sibbick”-CGBPS1*
Mr Brebner PORT*
Mr Leese PORT*

8 October 1998 Ms Syme COM*
Special Advisers

*without attachment

POST OFFICE REVIEW: NEXT STEPS

Issue

You have indicated in response to my minute of 6 October that you do want to see key
players before the Interdepartmental Steering Group’s Report is submitted in a final
form.

Timin;

2 Your office will be arranging key meetings in the week beginning 19 October. In
the meantime we will continue to work up the draft Report so that it is ready to submit
once you have reached a view on how best to take forward the policy options.
Recommendations

3 In discussing the Report’s emerging conclusions there is a balance to be struck
between seeing a broader range of interested parties (which would prolong the period
when leaks could occur) and seeing those key players whose bottom line you need to

know (bearing in mind the way previous reform attempts have been derailed).

4 I recommend concentrating on the latter group in a tight timetable which would
mean your seeing during the week after your return from the USA in this order:-

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1 The PO Chairman and Chief Executive
2 The unions (CWU and CMA)
3. The Chancellor”

5 In the light of this last session you should be better able to judge how best to
couch your own recommendations to the Prime Minister.

Background

6 Attached is an extract from the latest version of the draft Report covering
implementation which I hope gives a clearer picture of the proposed timescale for step
by step implementation of decisions if there were to be an early Ministerial meeting of
minds.

MARTYN BAKER

“With the move of Mr Darling to DSS it is not clear which junior Treasury Minister is closest to the subject; it is not
apparent from our Steering Group work that his officials yet know what is in the Chancellor’s mind

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