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Message
From: Nina Arnott [IMCEAEX-
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on Nina Arnott <IMCEAEX-
behalf _O=MMS_OU=EXCHANGE+20ADMINISTRATIVE+20GROUP+20+28FYDIBOHF23SPDLT+29_CN=RECIPIENTS_CN=NINA+20ARNOTT3AS7£
of 3F07-4026-A548-2ABA48C32F17F24@C72A47.ingest.local> [IMCEAEX-
_O=MMS_OU=EXCHANGE+20ADMINISTRATIVE+20GROUP+20+28FYDIBOHF23SPDLT+29_CN=RECIPIENTS_CN=NINA+20ARNOTT3A5S7&
3F07-4026-A548-2ABA48C32F17F24@C72A47.ingest.local]
Sent:
To: Hugh Flemington
n Crichton}
} Martin Edwards
Lesley J Sewell
Subject:FW: Draft statement
Hi Mark
How about the attached and below? Suspect we are providing a little too much detail at some points, which we
might want to put at the end of the release as a Q&A in Notes to Editors.
Hope this helps
Nina
Confidential
DRAFT Post Office statement on Horizon system — NA comments
An interim review into concerns around the accuracy of the accounting programme used in Post Office
branches has concluded there are no systemic issues inherent within the system. (The PO has announced
sounds less independent)
The review, undertaken independently by Second Sight Support Services Ltd in consultation with the Post
Office, James Arbuthnot MP and the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance — addressed four cases raised by
MPs.
The Post Office now plans to invite the JFSA to work alongside them in conjunction with Second Sight to
complete the review of a handful of other cases..
The Horizon system is used by 60,000 people across 30,000 terminals in the Post Office network, recording six
million transactions every day. The issues with Horizon have occurred in less than [insert figure if possible to
demonstrate ratio]
Second Sight has called on the organisation to improve the IT training support for subpostmasters in order to
minimise the chance of future accounting errors. The Post Office is committed to continual training and
development and fully supports this recommendation.
[Lesley — perhaps insert details of the Fujitsu 100k here?]
During the course of the review, the Post Office has worked with its supplier Fujitsu to provide Second Sight
with evidence around how the Horizon system has been used by Subpostmasters and staff.
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The evidence included details of situations where accounting shortages or overpayments have occurred as a
result of minor issues in the system. This amounted to two sets of transactions — one impacting 62 of the Post
Office's 11,800 branches between March and October 2010 and the other affecting 14 branches due to
accounting entries for 2010/11 being incorrectly reproduced in 2011/12 and 2012/13.
In the first of these cases,17 subpostmasters were adversely affected — and later reimbursed — to a total cost
of £xxx (with the highest payment being £115). In the second set of cases, the total impact was xxx.
When the accounting anomalies in these cases were picked up by the Horizon system, the Post Office
proactively informed subpostmasters and any losses, however minor were reversed.
None of these cases had any impact on the four cases which were reviewed by Second Sight.
Lesley Sewell said: “We are very grateful to James Arbuthnot MP for his support throughout the review, and to
Second Sight for their hard work.
“The Post Office takes its responsibilities, whether to customers, subpostmasters, staff or taxpayers. very
seriously and it is right that we took steps to ensure claims about the Horizon system were thoroughly
reviewed.
“Having concluded the review, Second Sight has confirmed there are no systemic issues in the computer
system, but we will continue to work with them, and the JFSA, to examine other cases put to us.
“The Horizon system deals with more than 40 million transactions every week — more than 2 billion a
year. While every major computer system can be subject to errors, we have confidence in Horizon, and this
review supports that confidence.
“If issues do emerge we will of course address then, just as we are determined to address the training needs
which Second Sight has identified as part of our continual improvement as a business.”
From: Mark R Davies
Sent: 02 July 2013 14:12
To: Ruth X Barker; Nina Arnott; Hugh Flemington; Rodric Williams; Susan Crichton; Alwen Lyons; Lesley J
Sewell; Simon Baker; Martin Edwards
Subject: Draft statement
All
A draft statement — please can I have comments and amendments within the next hour.
Sorry for short timescale.
Mark
Mark Davies I Communications Director
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