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Richard Foster CBE
Chair
Criminal Cases Review Commission
5 St Philip's Place
Birmingham B3 2PW
5 March 2015
Thank you very much for coming to London yesterday for our meeting. Both Kevan Jones
and I came away from it feeling encouraged. As I mentioned, the SubPostmasters we both
know are not criminals, are finding that the mediation Scheme currently run by the Post
Office is offering them no redress and they are at a loss as to where to go next. You have
given us a most valuable suggestion as to what they ought to do next.
I may not have mentioned to you and Sally but there are over 140 MPs who have at least
one constituent involved in the Mediation Scheme. There are plenty more individuals who
could not apply within the timescale allowed to join the Scheme so this should give you
some idea of the scale of the problem. There have been bankruptcies and family
breakdowns, of course, but there have also been suicides. Some of the stories we hear are
utterly ghastly.
I have asked Alan Bates, an extremely good man who runs the Justice for SubPostmasters
Alliance (JFSA), to prompt those affected to apply to the CCRC to have their cases
investigated. I hope many do apply. My own constituent, Jo Hamilton, most certainly will.
As to the favour you asked in return, within the next week I shall be sending an update on
the matter to all 140+ colleagues here at the House of Commons and I shall ask them to
look on your request to make Section 17 applicable to private bodies with favour. You might
care to talk to Kevan Jones about this after the election, if he is returned. I hope we can
deliver this for you.
Please thank Sally for her valuable comments. I know Janet will be in touch with her direct.
lam very grateful to you.