THE POST OFFICE HORIZON IT INQUIRY
RESPONSE TO THE INQUIRY’S INFORMATION BATCH REQUEST 003 TO UK GOVERNMENT INVESTMENTS LIMITED
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This document has been prepared in response to the Inquiry’s third request for information, dated 26 February 2021. That request was addressed to UK
Government Investments Limited (“UKGI”). The Inquiry’s question, and the answer thereto, is set out below.
In our recent Call for Evidence return, produced jointly with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (“BEIS” or the “Department”), we set
out the governance approach taken with regards to Post Office Ltd (“POL”) and set out the roles performed by both UKGI and the Department. This response
should be read in conjunction with the response provided to the Call for Evidence and its underpinning evidence pack.
In this request, you ask for information about the teams within UKGI that engage with Post Office Ltd (“POL”). We have not included details of management
or other processes within UKGI, and instead focused this response on those teams who have a specific role to engage with POL. Please see further details
below.
Please provide information about all the teams in UKGI who engage directly or indirectly
with POL.
* This should include the name of the team and its lead official(s).
* A brief summary of the nature of the relationship between the team and POL.
Jamie Carter,
Executive Director
Rob Mackie,
Executive Director
Team and/or Directorate Lead Official Brief summary of the nature of the relationship
Post Office Shareholder Tom Cooper, UKGI is responsible for performing the shareholder role for POL and holds a board seat on POL’s
Team Director board as a non-executive director (the “Shareholder NED”).
These roles are set out in more detail in the BEIS-UKGI response to the Call for Evidence
submitted to the Inquiry on Tuesday 23 February.
The Shareholder Team is the main point of contact for POL within UKGI.
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UKGI General Counsel &
Legal Team
Lucie Lambert,
General Counsel
The UKGI Legal Team advise the UKGI Shareholder Team in respect to all matters relating to
POL. This can include, amongst other things, advice on matters that require Shareholder consent
under the Articles of Association, appointments and employment of senior POL employees, and
any disputes or litigation.
Engagement with POL
In the ordinary course, the UKGI Legal Team have limited direct engagement with POL and
predominantly act in an advisory capacity to the UKGI Post Office Shareholder Team. Examples
of direct engagement (which are more frequent than usual at present, due to the current
circumstances) include:
- Attending POL board meetings focusing on litigation matters to improve the visibility of
the Shareholder team on these meetings; and
- Dialogue with the POL General Counsel and legal team in relation to litigation matters.
UKGI Appointments Team
Susie Timlin,
Chief Operating Officer
The UKGI Appointments Team leads the dissemination of best practice to shareholder teams,
including providing specific support in relation to board appointments and remuneration.
Engagement with POL
On an ad hoc basis, the Appointments Team may have cause to interact with POL in the context
of making appointments to POL’s board.
Corporate Services
Susie Timlin,
Chief Operating Officer
Rob Razzell,
Chief Financial Officer
On an ad hoc and very limited basis, other teams within UKGI may have cause to interact with
POL which can include, amongst other things:
- Corporate communications, or other media inquiries, for example FOIA requests;
- Hosting networking events (to which POL may be invited to attend);
- Occasionally sharing insights into procurement best practices within HMG/UKGI;
- Providing high-level advice on contingency planning and corporate distress; and
- Supporting any engagement between a UKGI Executive Committee and/or UKGI board
member the POL Board and/or Executive.