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Letter to Branches
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General Secretary: Dave Ward
No: 533/15 Ref: 100 Date: 17" August 2015
TO: ALL BRANCHES WITH POSTAL MEMBERS
Dear Colleague
POST OFFICE: PANORAMA PROGRAMME ON HORIZON ISSUES
I would like to advise Branches and members that the BBC’s “Panorama” programme
scheduled for 7.30pm this evening (BBC1) will highlight the issues faced by many
Postmasters in relation to alleged problems with the Horizon system.
The synopsis of the programme (as shown on the BBC website) is as follows:
“Trouble at the Post Office
Panorama
The Post Office has prosecuted dozens of postmasters after their computers showed that
money had gone missing. Some have been jailed, but could there be other explanations
for the cash shortfalls? Reporter John Sweeney meets a whistle-blower who says there
were problems with the computer system. And he investigates claims that the Post
Office charged some postmasters with theft even when the evidence didn't stack up.”
LTB269 dated 21% April 2015 gave an overview of the situation surrounding the alleged
issues with Horizon and provided an update as to the associated parliamentary activity
including an adjournment debate and a BIS Select Committee Inquiry at which the CWU
gave evidence. LTB269 is attached for reference.
The subject was also raised during Prime Minister’s Questions on 1%* July 2015, when
Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Con) asked the following:
“ Owing to ongoing issues with the Post Office’s Horizon software accounting system, I
believe that many honest, decent, hard-working sub-postmasters and sub-
postmistresses have lost their reputations, their livelihoods, their savings and, in the
worst cases, their liberty. This is a national disgrace. Will my right hon. friend consider
the requests from Members across the House for a judicial inquiry into this matter and
bring it to a conclusion?”
The Prime Minister replied: “My hon. Friend has done a real service in campaigning
tirelessly on this issue, and I know that he has led a debate in the House on it as well.
The Post Office’s answer is to say that it set up an independent inquiry which has not
found evidence of wrongdoing, but, clearly, that has not satisfied many Members on
both sides of the House who have seen individual constituency cases and want better
answers.
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What I think needs to happen next is for the Under-Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman), to
convene a meeting involving Members of the House, the Post Office and representatives
of sub-postmasters to discuss their concerns and see what should happen next. I would
hope that it would not be necessary to have a full independent judicial inquiry to get to
the bottom of this issue, but get to the bottom of it we must.”
I will provide an updated comment via a press release and CWU web story following this
evening’s programme.
Any queries in relation to this LTB should be directed to Lea Sheridan on
or Isheridant
Yours sincerely
Andy Furey
Assistant Secretary
15LTB269 - Post
Office Horizon Syster
COMMUNICATION WORKERS UNION
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