BEIS0000223 - Letter from David Sibbick to SoS re issues with Post Office

Evidence on official site

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To: ce: Secretary of State

Sir Michael Scholar
Mr Johnson Mr Macdonald

Mr Davis CGBPS
From: Dr Hopkins CII

Mr TeeNEWS
David Sibbick Mr Bfebner PORT
Director Posts Mr Leese PORT

‘Ms Wright CGBPS 1
+ Spoor CGBPS 1

s Madson NEWS
20 January 2000 Fj Special Advisers

Ww

wes i Mr Whitehead CGBPS 1
4 Inge

POST OFFICE: VARIOUS ISSUES
Horizon

You will be pleased to learn that after some fairly tense final stages both
POCL and ICL have accepted that the problem of data corruption has
now been solved to the satisfaction of both sides. As a result the Horizon
roll-out programme will resume on the planned date of 24 January. The
roll-out will build to a “beat-rate” of some 300 offices a week needed to
ensure that every counter position at every post office in the land is
equipped with the Horizon platform by the scheduled end date of Spring
2001.

Horizon Working Group

I do not see anything in the revised version of the CWU / CMA / NFSP
letter to require changes to the draft response you already have. We will
hold off arranging a next meeting of the Working Group until Simon
gives us the signal to go ahead.

Timing Issues

For the benefit of copy recipients, I should record that we discussed
briefly the unfortunate timing coincidences of the ballot on the “way
forward” package opening on 24 January and closing on 10 February; the
projected introduction of the Bill on 28 January; the Board decision on the
WAND on 8 February and a public announcement of the decision the
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following day (so that the Board cannot be accused of using the one
decision as a cynical reprisal if the ballot goes against them). You
concluded that the scenario was perhaps not quite as bleak as it first
appeared since traditionally the largest number of votes in the ballot
would be cast within the first few days of its opening; and that there was
anyway little we could do about the timing.

DAVID SIBBICK