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Initial Complaint
Review and
Mediation
Scheme
ExCo Sub-Committee
Response to JFSA Letter
23 April 2014
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Background ee)
* Alan Bates has written to Jo Swinson (dated 16 April).
* His letter raises concerns about the Scheme operation and breaches the confidentiality of the
Working Group discussions.
* This meeting is to discuss the handling and response to the letter both strategically (what it means for
the Scheme and Post Office’s relationship with JFSA) and more tactically (how do we handle the
correspondence, who do we share it with and who replies and in what terms).
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Consideration
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Strategic
&
oN Oe
Provides opportunity to change the terms of engagement
between Post Office and the Working Group.
Need to consider whether the trust between Post Office and
JFSA has irretrievably broken down.
Give a clear reason to make large scale and sweeping
changes to the way that Post Office handles the Scheme
(should it wish to do so).
Options:
End the Scheme immediately.
Suspend the Working Group pending consideration of Post
Office response.
Remove JFSA access to Post Office material.
Remove JFSA from the process (in the knowledge that this
will probably cause the fracture of the WG).
Refer to Tony and leave to him to handle.
Refer to Tony with a strong Post Office position.
Ignore for now and feed this into sub Board process.
Ignore and rise above it.
Tactical
* Need to agree handling of the letter
1. Subject to BIS agreement it is suggested that:
2. BIS pass the letter to Paula Vennells for response
3. Due to the seriousness of the breach of confidence Paula
passes the letter to Tony Hooper for his information.
4. Chris Aujard to follow up with a call to Tony. NB we do not
expect Tony to respond this side of the weekend.
An early draft letter for consideration follows but whether to send
any letter and the exact content and tone is one of the issues to
discuss.
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Draft Letter from Paula to Alan Bates &
Dear Alan,
Your letter of 16 April to the Minister for Postal and Regulatory Affairs has been passed to me for reply as the matters it
raises are operational concerns which are my responsibility.
I was very concerned at the content of your letter and the manner in which you have chosen to raise your concerns.
As a member of the Working Group and a signatory to the Terms of Reference you are well aware of the confidentiality
that surrounds the process, indeed you are one of the architects of the process.
The Scheme documentation (which you agreed) and the Terms of Reference make clear that it is the role of the
Working Group to oversee the administration of the Scheme under the Chairmanship of Sir Anthony Hooper. I was
therefore very disappointed that you had not only broken confidence but done so in a way which excluded the Chair
and other members of the Working Group.
Post Office has up to this point worked collaboratively with JFSA to co-design the Scheme. Post Office has commited
significant resource and public money to fulfil our role and responsibilities in relation to the Scheme. Such an
arrangement must be based on mutual trust and respect. In my view that trust has been damaged not only by the fact
that you sent the letter but by the content as well. I will reflect on Post Office’s next steps over the coming days.
As I have done with similar correspondence passed to me about the Scheme I have passed your letter on to Sir
Anthony Hooper for his consideration.
Yours etc
PV
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