2
Ht
Department for
Business & Trade
Review History
Terms of Reference
GROUP LITIGATION ORDER (GLO)
COMPENSATION SCHEME
STEERING GROUP
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Version Date Amendments
0.1 23 December I First draft for comments
2022
0.2 4 January 2023 I Clearance with SRO
0.3 13 January 2023 I To add an independent member of the Group to the
attendees.
0.4 30 May 2024 GIAA Recommendations implemented into ToR and
approved by SRO.
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1.0 Context
In December 2019, Post Office Limited (POL) reached a “full and final” settlement of £42.75m plus legal
costs incurred in the long running “Group Litigation Order” (GLO) case initiated by 555 postmasters
regarding its accounting system, Horizon. As a condition of the GLO settlement POL created the Horizon
Shortfall Scheme (HSS), which compensated other affected postmasters without criminal convictions.
Once the Courts began to overturn convictions POL set up the Overturned Convictions (OC)
compensation arrangements. As the settlement was “full and final”, POL no longer has a legal obligation
to make further payments to unconvicted members of the GLO. DBT was not a party to those
proceedings and consequently has no legal obligation to pay compensation arising from those
proceedings.
About £31m of the agreed GLO settlement went to the firm which funded the litigation, leaving those
postmasters worse off than their peers who qualified for the HSS. As a result of signing the GLO
settlement, claimants were excluded from applying for further compensation under the HSS.
The Government has long considered unfair the unequal treatment received by members of the GLO,
which is why on 22 March 2022, the Chancellor announced that the Government would make funding
available to ensure that they received compensation similar to that given to their non-GLO peers, with the
scheme launched for formal applications in March 2023.
2.0 Aim
The GLO Compensation Scheme aims to fulfil Ministers’ commitment for the GLO group to access similar
levels of compensation as its non-GLO peers.
3.0 Objectives
In delivering the scheme, key objectives identified include:
- Ensuring that, in line with Ministers’ commitments, the GLO group can access similar levels of
compensation to their non-GLO peers.
- Delivering fair compensation rapidly as was permitted by the Post Office (Horizon System)
Compensation Act 2024.
- Minimal time, effort and stress for postmasters to participate in the scheme;
- Scheme is trusted by postmasters; and
- Delivery of the scheme is cost-effective.
4.0 Role of the Steering Group
The role of the Steering Group will be to provide advice, critical friend challenge, cross cutting
perspectives and support to the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) on policy decision-making (such as
issue escalation) to ensure the project remains on track and delivers successfully.
The Steering Group will be responsible for:
e Reviewing project progress and plans to ensure deliverability and alignment, offering challenge
and support with any potential blockers and issues
e Exploring and offering guidance on the deliverability of policy options presented by the project
team
¢ Ensuring alignment with other Postmaster compensation schemes and wider Government
objectives, including policy, engagement and communications
« Ensuring delivery partners’ plans and resourcing remain aligned and are delivering against agreed
plans and scope
DBT will provide the secretariat for the Steering Group and its membership, comprised primarily of DBT
Members and one external HMT Member. Papers will be sent out before the meeting.
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5.0 Project Governance and Cadence
The Steering Group will be scheduled to meet every 2 weeks, however, by exception, occasionally
meetings may be dropped in favour of being conducted via correspondence.
« The Steering Group will be used, by exception, as an escalation point of the following items up to
the Horizon Redress Programme Board (scheduled every 4 weeks):
o Risks
o Issues
o Policy Questions/Papers
« Case sign-off requires only a subset of the Steering Group: the full steering group for exceptional
cases, the SRO for standard cases, and HMT sign-off for cases meeting specific criteria. These
criteria are codified in their respective documentation.
The Steering Group will oversee the delivery phase of the project as well as be sighted on the progress of
cases throughout the project lifecycle.
6.0 Steering Group Membership and Meetings
The Steering Group will be chaired by Carl Creswell, Director Services, Business Resilience, DBT. Group
membership comprises of the following representatives:
Name Job Title
DBT Carl Creswell Director, Post Office and Business
Engagement (SRO and Chair)
DBT Rob Brightwell Deputy Director, Response to Horizon Inquiry
& GLO Project, (Deputy Chair)
DBT Tony Pedrotti (Independent)! Director, Grant Delivery Directorate
DBT Beth White Deputy Director, Post Office (job-share)
DBT Eleanor Brooks Deputy Director, Post Office (job-share)
HMT Milo Kershaw Policy Advisor, HMT
DBT Eleri Wones Senior Lawyer, DD Emeritus
DBT Joshua Scott Head of GLO Scheme
DBT Ellen Wasden Senior Economist
DBT Richard Howard Senior Finance Business Partner
The Steering Group shall be considered quorate when the Chair, along with Representatives from
Finance, Legal and HMT are present (Or designated alternatives).
Note: Attendance from members of the GLO Project Team will be as required.
Requests to extend to other representatives can be made to the secretariat of the Steering Group along
with reasons for their attendance.