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To: ci Mr Scholar
Mr Macdonald
SECRETARY OF STATE) separate Mr Baker
MR MCCARTNEY ) copies Mr Sklaroff COM
Dr Hopkins CII
From: Mr Hosker FRM
Mrs Britton PORT
DAVID SIBBICK Mr Whitehead CGBPS 1
i Posts Ms Anderson CGBPS 1
Mr Corry Sp Ad
Mr Wegg-Prosser Sp Ad
22 December 1998
BA/POCL AUTOMATION PROJECT: HORIZON
Issue
How to unblock the apparent paralysis currently gripping the final stages of
decision making on the future of the Horizon project?
Recommendation
That you should write along the lines of the attached draft either to the Prime
Minister or to the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Timi
URGENT. The continued logjam is becoming intolerable for ICL, for our
relations with Fujitsu and for individual subpostmasters, any or all of whom may
begin to take decisions by default.
Argument
My submissions of yesterday and earlier today on the proposals from the Chief
Secretary and Alistair Darling respectively were based on a stated intention
(from Treasury officials) that attempts were to be made by telephone at
Ministerial level to reach a decision before Christmas. In the event, these
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attempts have either not been made or have proved unsuccessful. A further
paper from the Chief Secretary promised for this evening has also failed to
materialise. A way through this seeming paralysis is urgently needed. The
attached draft letter seeks to address this and to urge the outcome for which DTI
has long been pressing. Further analysis of Alistair Darling’s letter reinforces
my earlier reaction that it is a rather unsubtle makeover of the discarded Option 2
(Horizon without the benefit payment card) that could prove difficult to defend
to a PAC or NAO enquiry.
DAVID SIBBICK