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From: Peter D Johnson[i~
Sent: Tue 24/07/2012 7:37:37 PM (UTC)
To: Jarnail A Singk
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FO! Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Thanks Jarnail — we already have some information from Mark Dinsdale from a previous case. We'll initially be
seeking further input from Mark. Pete
From: Jarnail A Singh
Sent: 24 July 2012 10:05
To: Chris Darvill; Peter D Johnson
Cc: Hugh Flemington; Susan Crichton
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
I am advised that Criminal law team have been keeping a database of prosecutions since 2009 (but that is all
prosecutions and not by grade) before that any figures might be obtainable from visual files but I don’t think it would be
a small job to get that information if it's possible at all.
Regards.
Jarnail singh
From: Chris Darvill
Sent: 24 July 2012 08:52
To: Peter D Johnson
Cc: Jarnail A Singh; Hugh Flemington; Susan Crichton
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Pete
Please can you ensure that Jarnail is kept in the loop regarding the latest request from Mr Bates (if you have not
already). Thanks
Regards
Chris Darvill
Legal Services
Post Office Ltd
_148 Old Street, LONDON, EC1V 9HQ
From: Peter D Johnson
Sent: 24 July 2012 07:47
To: Mike Granville; Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa; Alwen Lyons; Alana
Renner
Cc: Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell; Andrew J Moore
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Importance: High
Good Morning
Thank you to those who have already feedback on the draft response to this case.
I have continued to extend the deadline for this response, however the case has now reached 40 days and as such
unless there are any substantial concerns about the information contained within the draft or the structure I shall be
despatching today. The draft is included in the email immediately below.
Additionally, Mr Bates has sent a further request for information to POL.
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For how many years does Royal Mail/Post Office Limited hold details
of the amount of subpostmasters/mistresses prosecuted in a year,
and which years do they have records of?
We shall work closely with Mark Dinsdale to identify the information requested.
Kind regards
Pete
Peter D Johnson
Senior Engagement and Involvement Manager
Post Office Ltd
Network Services and Transformation
1st Floor, Bunhill Row Wing, 148 Old Street,
Confidential Information:
This email message is for the sole use of the intended
recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
information. Any unauthorised review, use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient
please contact me by reply email and destroy all copies of the
original message.
From: Peter D Johnson
Sent: 23 July 2012 06:37
To: Mike Granville; Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa; Alwen Lyons; Alana
Renner
Cc: Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell; Andrew J Moore
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Importance: High
Hi all
After lan’s recent feedback we have redrafted the first paragraph as below;
“Post Office Ltd identifies a communication incident as an interruption between the service connection or
dedicated telephone line between the Post Office branch and the data centre. Whilst interruptions to
communications networks are a generic factor for any industry using telephone lines, Post Office Ltd uses
industry standard technology, enabling the branch to use the backup communications when the primary communication
channel is unavailable. All of our branches currently have a router which gives them a secondary connection
method i.e. a wireless mobile connection. Interruptions to service connections do not create an issue for the
Horizon system
These interruptions can be caused by factors such as, utility providers digging through cables,
environmental ones such as flooding or high winds damaging overhead cables’, damage to the
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communication wire or the equipment in the branch, such as wires accidentally being pulled from sockets.
Turning to your request for information; I can confirm that we do hold information relevant to your request;
there were 11,862 of such incidents in the period June 2011 to May 2012; in a branch operating network of
over 11,800. To reiterate communication incidents are caused by factors as described above, and do not
create an issue for Horizon.”
Kind regards
Pete
“GRO I
From: Peter D Johnson
Sent: 20 July 2012 10:00
To: Mike Granville; Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa; Alwen Lyons; Alana
Renner
Cc: Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell; Andrew J Moore
Subject: FW: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Importance: High
Good morning
After feedback from Rod and a discussion with Mike I have redrafted the response to Mr Bates’ request about Horizon
Communication failures. Can I ask you to take another look through the draft and advise me of your views? The text in
bold is the pertinent sections that I would like you to review.
Alana/ Alwen, this may be the first time you have seen a draft to the request, so I have attached copies of the request
for information and previous the response to Mr Bates for background
Attachments:
+ Final Response to previous request 250512
+ Fresh request for information 270512
* Draft v4 200712
Dave/ lan, after the redrafting can you check the any technical statements/ statements about the Horizon system and
back up are accurate please?
I am aiming to send the letter by close of play on Monday.
Kind regards
Pete
Peter D Johnson
Senior Engagement and Involvement Manager
Post Office Ltd
Network Services and Transformation
4st Floor, Bunhill Row Wing, 148 Old Street,
London, EC1V
Mobile Number:
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Confidential Information:
This email message is for the sole use of the intended
recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
information. Any unauthorised review, use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient
please contact me by reply email and destroy all copies of the
original message.
From: Peter D Johnson
Sent: 16 July 2012 12:51
To: Mike Granville; Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa; Alwen Lyons; Simon
Baker; Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell
Cc: Andrew J Moore
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Importance: High
Good afternoon everyone
Please find attached the latest version of my response to Mr Bates. I have taken into account Mike and Chris's
comments and hopefully drafted a response that better reflects our position. The RMG review panel are sitting
tomorrow and will be discussing a complaint made by Mr Bates about this late response. I would like to give them
some comfort that we have responded to the request, and as such would really appreciate a quick turnaround so that I
can send this before noon tomorrow, If you would like to discuss any aspect of the response please give me a call.
Please note there are a number of reasons for a communication failure, however I have only included a small
selection.
Kind regards
Pete
Peter D Johnson
Senior Engagement and Involvement Manager
Post Office Ltd
Network Services and Transformation
1st Floor, Bunhill Row Wing, 148 Old Street,
London, EC1V 9HQ
Mobile N
Confidential Information:
This email message is for the sole use of the intended
recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
information. Any unauthorised review, use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient
please contact me by reply email and destroy all copies of the
original message.
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From: Mike Granville
Sent: 09 July 2012 14:53
To: Peter D Johnson; Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa
Cc: Alwen Lyons; Simon Baker
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Peter
Looking at this reply — can I suggest that we need to include some more context such as an example of what a
communication failure actually is — presumably this is things such as a line connection being lost for an individual
terminal for a few minutes - to avoid any subsequent populist media line that seeks to wrongly make out that this is a
large number — for example claiming to have discovered that ‘there is one failure in every branch each year’. Also, is
there any wider context — for example is this the kind of thing that any large company system would have at these
kinds of level.
Finally — I suggest that before we send a reply, that this draft is sent to Alwen Lyons and Simon Baker — as we are
aware that Alan Bates has some link into the Arbuthnot enquiry type work — it is important that they are sighted on this
particular correspondence and the response that is being given.
Thanks
Mike
Mike Granville
Head of Stakeholder Relations
Post Office Ltd
1st Floor, 148 Old Street, London, EC1V 9HQ
From: Peter D Johnson
Sent: 07 July 2012 13:46
To: Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Mike Granville; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa
Cc: Cory Alexis; Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell; Andrew J Moore
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Hi all
Thank you all for your comments. I have taken these on board and adjusted the draft accordingly. Please find attached
my latest draft. Again we are hoping to send by close of play on Monday, any and all comments welcome.
With regard to context ~ would it help if we added detail around the number of Horizon terminals currently live within
the open and trading network?
Kind regards
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Pete
Peter D Johnson
Senior Engagement and Involvement Manager
Post Office Ltd
Network Services and Transformation
1st Floor, Bunhill Row Wing, 148 Old Street,
London, EC1V 9HQ
Mobile Number:
Confidential Information:
This email message is for the sole use of the intended
recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged
information. Any unauthorised review, use, disclosure or
distribution is prohibited. If vou are not the intended recipient
please contact me by reply email and destroy all copies of the
original message.
From: Chris Darvill
Sent: 06 July 2012 12:43
To: Andrew J Moore; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Mike Granville; Ronan Kelleher; Sabrina Jethwa
Cc: Peter D Johnson; Cory Alexis; Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell
Subject: RE: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Andy
I would delete the reference to “tardy response”. If we have missed the deadline for responding, I think it would be
sufficient to say that “We apologise for the delay in responding”.
I think the explanation regarding communication failures across the network needs to be simplified. It was not
entirely clear what point we were trying to make. Needless to say any ambiguity in our response will be seized upon
and it is, therefore, important that our response is clear. Otherwise we simply open ourselves up to further requests
or challenges.
Going forward, please can you ensure that Sabrina is also copied in on these emails. Thanks.
Regards
Chris Darvill
Legal Services
Post Office Ltd
From: Andrew J Moore
Sent: 06 July 2012 11:38
To: Chris Darvill; Mark S Wright; Rod Ismay; Mike Granville; Ronan Kelleher
Cc: Peter D Johnson; Cory Alexis; Dave Hulbert; Ian Trundell
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Subject: Alan Bates - Draft FOI Response - Horizon Communication Failures
Hello all,
Please find attached our draft response to Mr Bates regarding Horizon Communication Failures.
REQUEST
‘in your response (your ref: KFME-8TQJVX) to my Freedom of Information request dated 26th April 2012 where you
clearly state that nowhere within The Post Office are you aware or have ever been notified of any Bit Error Rate testing
results of Horizon, you do confirm that Horizon does suffer from communication failures.
How many communication failures has Horizon suffered from in the last 12 months or is this information not logged or
recorded or ever made known to The Post Office?”
The request comes on the back of the last response Mr Bates received regarding “bit error rate testing” (also attached).
Dave Hulbert has provided a figure for the past 12 months (11,862) and also some background to why these failures
occur. We have used this in the draft and the finer detail that Dave provided is detailed below.
The response deadline is close of play Monday so I would be grateful if you would provide all your comments by 3pm
on Monday for Peter to review and make any changes necessary.
Many thanks
Andy
Andrew Moore
Freedom of Information Team
2” Floor, 14 St. Peters Street
St. Albans
Incident levels fluctuate between 550 to 2000 per month. Network failures relate to the whole telecoms infrastructure
across our Horizon estate, which is vast. Added to this the complexity of the telecoms infrastructure in the UK, plus
consideration of all other factors such as environmental ones means that network failures are common in a branch
estate of our size. It would therefore seem unreasonable to trawl through the incident logs to pull out these failures,
particularly as the vast majority of these will be due to issues outside of Fujitsu and Post Office’s direct control.
An example below re incidents out side of POL/Fujitsu’s control that may affect our ability to communicate with
Branches.
I know that this one is not about a comms failure but an incident similar to this one could have affected
telecommunications [ remember the fire in the comms tunnel Manchester/Durham ] and reinforces Dave’s statement.
Other incidents could be the contractor digging up the road and slicing through comms cables !
COMMUNITY SAFE.GOV.UK
Whitehall - fire in EDF substation
Whitehall - Fire in EDF substation has caused a power failure in immediate area. Alarmsi/lifts have been effected -
Please bring this to attention of entry staff as any entry measures may be effected. Update as required
Message sent at June 29, 2012 11:11