POL00027890
POL00027890
I Department for Business
BS F Rm R I Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
Pat McFadden MP
Alan Cook aa OFFICE LTO. Our ret ADK24156
Managing Director POs Your wk
Post Office Ltd 97 MAY 7008 \
80-86 Old Street
London O'S OFFICE ;
EC1V 9NN MANAGING DIRECTORS T'T 20” April 2009
pe
Deer Ado,
Please find enciosed correspondence from Brian Binley MP, on behalf of his
constituent, Ms Rebecca Thomson, concerning the accounting system at Post
Office Ltd (POL)
Pat McFadden has asked that you look into this matter and reply directly to
Brian Binley MP.
ows Rinerln
ROBERT PORTEOUS
Private Secretary
1 Vietorta Strest, London SAH OFT
www, berr.govak
Ereqatil
POL00027890
POL00027890
RGIS
Brian Binley MP
Northampton South Constituency
House of Conunons
London
Pat McFadden MP
Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs
Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
1 Victoria Street
London
SW1H GET
24” February 2009
BRIGDI3N
Dear Pat,
lI write to you having received an email, which I have enclosed, from Rebecca
Thomson regarding the accounting IT system at the Post Office. The content
of her email is worrying and I would be very grateful if you could address the
points she is making and let me know the exact situation regarding this
matter.
I look forward to your response.
Yours,
Brian Binley MP
Northampton South
POL00027890
POL00027890
From: Thomson, Rebecca (RBI-Uk) iii ia)
Sent: 10 February 2009 17:31
Yo: BINLEY, Brian
Subject: Post Office IT article
Dear Mr Binley
I have spoken to several current and former sub-post masters, who say that random flaws in
the iT are causing devicits in their weekly accounts, sometimes of thousands of pounds et a
time. Their complaint is that, instead of listening to their problems and investigating the
software or equipment, the Post Office is making them pay back this money without any
investigation into what is going wrong, Neither they, nor !, have any way of proving that i is
the {T that is causing the deficits, Their problem is that the Post Office refuses even to
entertain the possibility that their system could be going wrong.
The consequences for some of the Post Masters have bean extremaly serious, Of the group I
am in contact with, two have been forced to file for bankruptcy. Others have lost their life
savings. If post masters cannot pay the deficits back, because their savings have bean
depleted. the Post Office takes # out of their wages. in desperation a couple of the post
masters I've spoken to turned to false accounting: they were not gelting heip when they asked
for it from the company, and they did not have the money to pay the deficifs back. So they
signed the weekly accounts, affirming the money was there when it was not. The Post Office
has then prosecuted these peopie. although no-one that I have heard of has ever been
prosecuted for theft.
This is a link 10 @ website set up by one former post master, I 2034 J
http://postofficevictins.org uk/ which goes inta the issue in more detal.
i know the BERR select committee is currently conducting an investigation into fe future of
the Posi Office, but as a separate matter i'd like ¥ af all possibile to talk to you to get your
comments on the allegations of these post masters.
Thanks a lot for your time
Rebeoca
Rebecca Thomson
Reporter
S = Weekly
r
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