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From: Rodric Williams!”
Sent: Tue 16/12/2014 2:29:00 PM (UTC)
To: Patrick Bourke;
Subject: RE: Queries
As intended!
From: Patrick Bourke
Sent: 16 December 2014 14:28
To: Rodric Williams
Subject: RE: Queries
Thank you, Sir, I take that as a serious badge of honour ©
From: Rodric Williams
Sent: 16 December 2014 14:27
To: Patrick Bourke
Subject: RE: Queries
I swear, you are the only person I’ve met more cynical than me, and then by some considerable margin....
From: Patrick Bourke
Sent: 16 December 2014 14:16
To: Mark R Davies; Susan.BARTY! Belinda Crowe; Tom Reid; Tom Wechsler; Melanie Corfield; Ruth X
Barker; Andrew Parsons; Rodric Williams
Subject: RE: Queries
Apart for its breathtakingly facetious tone, this looks to me to be clutching at straws a little bit.
That some subpostmasters don’t like the system is inevitable; I don’t particularly like working in Old Street with its
rodent problem. ‘Living in fear’ is going too far in my view. They chose to sign a contract to provide services in an
honest and diligent way. Rather than living in fear, would it not be better to do something else ?
I liked this that Mel sent me earlier, from an SPM:
“What tripe. I have worked in several large Crown Post Offices for the entire time that Horizon has been
the operating system. Each of theses branches dwarf many ‘sub’ post offices several times over. In all
this time I have never encountered any problems at all with system accuracy. I have however seen
many instances of human frailty...”
On the renewal —I have no idea if there is any truth to it but every organisation in the world updates it IT systems, so
that is a particularly weak line of enquiry, I’d have thought.
Finally, I note he writes of his ‘planned’ chat with presenters which does rather suggest that final running order is not
set in stone.
In conclusion, I’m not sure it merits more than a cursory response.
PB
From: Mark R Davies
Sent: 16 December 2014 13:59
To: Susan.BARTY,
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Barker; Andrew Parsons; Rodric Williams
Subject: Fwd: Queries
Hi
Another email from the BBC, now raising a series of new questions.
Any thoughts?
Mark
Mark Davies
ti
d Corporate Affairs Director
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Nick Wallis}
To: ‘Mark R Davies’
Cc: Melanie Corfield Ruth X Barker
Jane French
Subject: Queries
Hi Mark
I wonder if you or your colleagues could help me with a few queries.
When was the last time the Post Office did any research into how satisfied or otherwise SPMRs are with
the Horizon system? It would be very helpful to know the scope of that research and its results.
Is your statement about the vast majority of SPMRs not having any problems with Horizon based on
customer feedback or purely on the volume of successful transactions?
I get the sense from speaking to a number of SPMRs that they don’t like the system, they don’t trust it
and they live in fear of what the Post Office might do if they get something wrong with it. It may be
because I only come into contact with SPMRs who are having problems that I keep hearing this, so it
would be useful to know the other side of the coin.
If you have data which shows the vast majority of SPMRS love using Horizon and trust it implicitly, it
would be useful to have that information.
Also is it true that you are in the process of commissioning a new system to replace Horizon? If so, why?
And when do you expect it to be operational?
During my planned chat on the sofa with Matt and Alex tomorrow I will be reporting on the comments
of MPs during the Westminster Hall debate. I’d also like to talk about my experiences of dealing with
former and existing SPMRs and their attitude to Horizon, plus whether or not this system is due to be
replaced any time soon.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
"} Belinda Crowe; Patrick Bourke; Tom Reid; Tom Wechsler; Melanie Corfield; Ruth X
Many thanks
Nick
From: Mark R Davies [
Sent: 15 December 2014 17:35
To: Jane French; Nick Wallis; Clare Hoban
Cc: Ingrid Kelly; Melanie Corfield; Ruth X Barker
Subject: Fwd: One Show
All
Just copying to Nick to ensure you all have the statement and answers to your questions.
Mark
Mark Davies
Communications and Corporate Affairs Director
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Melanie Corfield {
Date: 15 December 2014
To: Jane French
Ce: Mark R Davies Ruth X Barker
I attach the answers to the questions you have raised with us and also a short statement,
for use in full please, in the film.
Please let me know if you need clarification about any of the information.
Thanks
Mel Corfield
Communications Team
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