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From: Belinda Crowe CC: — Chris Aujard
Angela Van Den Bogerd
David Oliver
Mark Davies
22/02/2014
To: Paula Vennells,
Chief Executive
Issue
1. Briefing for your meetings with Second Sight and Sir Anthony Hooper on Monday 24
February.
Timin,
2. You are due to meet Second Sight at 1300 - 1400 in your office and Tony Hooper at
1430 - 1530 in Chris Aujard’s office.
Summary
3. Both the meetings with Tony and Second Sight have been arranged as you
requested to provide you with the opportunity to have some exploratory discussions
around the scope of Second Sight’s work and the Terms of Reference for the
Working Group.
4. I suggest you use the meeting with Second Sight to explore three key areas:
0 Second Sight’s plans where they have suggested that they may brief MPs on
the contents of the their generic report either at, or ahead of the James Arbuthnot
meeting on 24 March
0 The Scope of Second Sight’s engagement where they have said that they still
see themselves engaged in “two jobs” their work for MPs and their work in the
Scheme (although they acknowledge an overlap).
0 Second Sight’s capacity to deliver their role in the Scheme where a clear
commitment from Second Sight around the number of cases they can process in
a week will help ensure the cases are through the Scheme within a reasonable
timescale. This should form part of the terms of their engagement going forward
and will be important to establish should you later wish to support them with
additional resource.
5. It also gives you an opportunity, where you feel it is sensible, to set out Post Office’s
Position:
0 The generic report is being produced for the Working Group and the need to
avoid any publication that will skew the mediation process while it is in progress
o
o
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Scope of the Working Group is narrow and designed to oversee the mediation
Scheme and not other issues.
MPs cases and any consequential investigation is now subsumed in the
Scheme - as you confirmed with James Arbuthnot the work for MPs is now
subsumed within the Scheme and Second Sight should be focussed on that.
A final report that you are happy for a final report to be produced but at the end
of the scheme and do not want a running commentary during the scheme.
6. The meeting with Tony Hooper will provide an opportunity to open a trusted channel
with Tony Hooper and also to cover off a number of specific issues:
o
o
The Terms of Reference for the Working Group and specifically how narrow
(or wide) its role is
General Reflections on progress with the Scheme including how he feels
Second Sight are delivering and how the Post Office team have been doing.
Second Sight’s Capacity where, dependant on the meeting with Second Sight,
you may wish to raise this as an issue and the potential need to provide some
resource to bolster that part of the process (the independent review’) for which
Second Sight are responsible.
Cost of the Scheme and the Role of Professional Advisors it will be worth
discussing ensuring value for public money in light of the challenges we are
facing from advisors (who are seeking more money and time) and the current run
rate for Second Sight (£50,000 pcm).
The Final Report where you can explain to Tony that you are happy to have a
final report (if you feel it appropriate to do so) at the close of the Scheme but do
not wish to see a series of interim reports, as you agreed with James Arbuthnot
Tony’s Contract where it would be a nice touch if you asked Tony if he is willing
to continue to Chair the Scheme for its duration.
7. Detailed briefing on each of these issues is attached and we have an hour/hour and
a half set aside on Monday to run through the detail with you.
Belinda Crowe