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Mediation Scheme timeline
nfidential i Le IP
Timeline - events
Pre-2010
DATE EVENT
October Gartner report on Horizon Online (HNG-X)design
2008
2009 JFSA established
11/05/2009 I Computer Weekly article on deficits with Horizon system published
Timeline - events
2010
DATE EVENT
2010 Horizon online upgrade (HNG-X)
31/03/2010 I Alan Bates sends a letter to Edward Davey MP, Minister for Postal Affairs
08/07/2010 I Alan Bates emails Edward Davey MP Regarding the response he received to his letter
of 31 May 2010
Alan Bates is upset by Edward Davey’s response and lists the ‘hidden issues’ SPMRs
face/experience
31/07/2010 I Edward Davey MP emails Alan Bates to request that he contact his PA to set up a
meeting
14/10/2010 I Alan Bates emails Edward Davey MP to follow up on their meeting. He states:
¢ Horizon is the root cause of All issues for JFSA members
e JFSA has no other agenda than to redress the wrongs that have inflicted upon
them
21/10/2010 I Alan Bates emails Edward Davey MP to highlight 3 cases of Subpostmasters being
prosecuted
07/12/2010 I Edward Davey replies to Alan Bates email, stating he:
¢ is reassured Horizon is sound
cannot interfere with judicial cases.
Timeline - events
2011
DATE EVENT
February Horizon integrity subject of 2 features on BBC's ‘Inside Out’ programme
2011
20/08/2011 Email from Alan Bates to Edward Davey MP informing him that letters of claim have
filed by Shoosmiths on behalf of four Subpostmasters against POL in respect of:
¢ the Horizon System
e legality of the Subpostmaster Contract
The four cases are:
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Scott Darlington
Julian Wilson
Terence Walters
Thakshila Somaskandarajh
ec ee
09/09/2011 Edward Davey MP sends Alan Bates and email acknowledging his email of
20/08/2011
Timeline - events
2012
DATE EVENT
January
2012
24/02/2012» a _ T
.
.
February The JFSA launch a short survey of 100 Subpostmasters on ‘Survey Monkey’.
2012 Questions attempt to capture the losses respondents attribute to faults in Horizon.
Survey is open for eight days.
February I Deloitte perform and Internal Audit Assurance review of Key System Controlsin I
2012 Horizon
25/02/2012e I Alan Bates emails the new Minister for Postal Affairs Norman Lamb to request a
meeting. He wishes to:
¢ Raise the JFSA cause
© Offer to work with the the Minister’s Office
.
27/02/2012
08/03/2012
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26/03/2012
02/04/2012
15/05/2012»
17/05/2012
01/06/2012 I An initial proposal from Second Sight is received and they sign NDAs
6/06/2012 Alice Perkins and Susan Crichton (Post Office GC) prepare a TOR for Second Sight to
work on the investigation
7/6/012 \ is held
.
.
7/6/012 Deloitte provide an alternative proposal
08/06/2012 I Alice Perkins makes some minor adjustments to the Second Sight TOR
11/06/2012 I The TOR are shared with James Arbuthnot for his approval
18/06/2012e I James Arbuthnot meets with MPs, with Post Office present.
25/06/2012 I James Arbuthnot writes a letter to Alice Perkins asking for advice on how to respond
to his constituent — Mr D Robinson, Odiham, Hook
25/06/2012 I Susan Crichton asks SS to hold off beginning work until James Arbuthnot endorses
the Post Office’s decision.
4/07/2012 ©
Second Sight attends its first meeting with James Arbuthnot. The following MPs are
also present:
e Andrew Bridgen MP
« Mike Wood MP.
¢ Tessa Munt MP Mary Glindon MP
The primary purpose was to get James Arbuthnot’s approval of Second Sight
05/07/2012 I James Arbuthnot emails Alwen Lyons to state that Alan Bates should have no power
of veto over SS’s appointment or how the investigations ought to be undertaken.
12/07/2012e I Second Sight attend its second meeting with James Arbuthnot. Alan Bates and
Kay Linnell are present. "how to carry the sub-postmasters with us" is discussed.
23/08/2012 I Post Office sends Second Sight the first CD containing documents for the initial batch
of cases
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13/09/2012 I lan Henderson attends a workshop with Fujitsu to get a technical understanding of
Horizon
December «
2012
2013
Timeline - events
DATE
EVENT
SOURCE
DOC
COMMENT
28/02/20136
Deadline for
Subpostmasters to submit
issues to Second Sight for
their Inquiry.
Cases are submitted
through either the office
of the Rt Hon James
Arbuthnot MP (29 cases)
or the JFSA (18 cases)
25/03/2013
Meeting between Second
Sight and MPs. Seven
issues are identified that
SS propose to prioritise.
An Interim report is to be
produced by
Parliamentary Recess on
18 July 2013
25/03/2013
James Arbuthnot emails
Susan Crichton to
comment on lan
Henderson’s account of
the meeting
21/05/20136
Alan Bates writes to Paula
Vennels requesting a
meeting. Requests that
Kay Linnel also attends as
she will be monitoring the
work of SS on behalf of
the JFSA
Alan Bates believes he
has sufficient evidence to
show that many Post
Office prosecutions
should not have taken
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.
place
03/06/2013
Paula Vennels emails Alan
Bates to state it is too
early in the investigation
to question:
«Integrity of
Horizon
© Validity of
prosecutions
E-mail from PV to AB
09/06/2013
Alan Bates emails Paula
Vennels agreeing toa
meeting once Second
Sight have published their
Interim Report and
presented to MPs on9
July 2013
E-mail from AB to PV
05/07/2013
PV-JA meeting
06/07/2013
Asking PV for WG
proposal and to include
putative names for the
group (will become WG)
E-mail from AB to PV
06/07/2013
Agree to send SS report
after factual inaccuracies
corrected and POL draft
statement
E-mail from PV to AB
07/07/2013
Sent POL statement, AB
already had a SS report
copy.
Asks AB to support and
help implement the 3
recommendations made
by POL
E-mail from PV to AB
08/07/2013
JA-JFSA(AB) meeting
08/07/2013
SS Interim report
published on 4 cases
reviewed
08/07/2013
Post Office releases
statement on SS’s Interim
report
09/07/2013
House of Commons
Debate: ‘Post Office
Horizon System’
11/07/2013
Proposes barebones of
scheme. Each case
assessed on 2 areas.
1. Thematics/systemic
E-mail from AB to PV
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2 failures & issues
3. Software/hardware
problems
11/07/20136
PV agrees to look at
approach.
Asked if '4a' is effectively
(civil) early settlement
E-mail from PV to AB
26/08/2013
Post Office press release
announcing the
establishment of the
Scheme
27/08/20136
Case application opens
for SPMRs (past &
present).
Post Office announces
independent mediation
scheme
for subpostmasters
© "...the Post Office,
JFSA (Justice
for Subpostmasters Al
liance), and Second
Sight, the
independent
investigators, have
formed a working
group to
collaboratively
develop and monitor
this scheme which is
available to current
and
former subpostmaste
rs from 27 August
2013..."
http://media.postoffice.co.uk/N
ews-Releases/Post-Office-
announces-independent-
mediation-scheme-for-
subpostmasters-8d.aspx
September
2013
Case Review Mediation
pack published
Case Review Mediation pack
24/09/2013
Paula Vennells,
Alasdair Marnoch and
Martin Edwards -Sir
Anthony Hooper (AH)
meeting
15/10/20136
‘ARQ data, which is
housed on the legal +
compliance drive
Shirley Hailstones to
David King mentioning
that Charlie McLoughlin
(Business Analyst in the
E-mail: ARQ Requests
Charlie McLoughlin
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Independence and
Separation Programme)
had requested some ARQ.
data for SS - could be as
many as 30 ARQ's.
16/10/2013 I Role of the Working _DOC_27544698(1)_Sir Anthony
Group proposed Hooper - Appointment Report
(2).docx, Section 5
29/10/2013 I POLannouncement of Sir I http://media.postoffice.co.uk/N
Anthony Hooper ews-Releases/Sir-Anthony-
appointed as Hooper-appointed-as-
independent chair of independent-chair-of-working-
working group overseeing I group-overseeing-initial-
initial mediation scheme I mediation-sche-72.aspx
for Subpostmasters
",..The Post Office, JFSA
(Justice
for Subpostmasters Allian
ce), and Second Sight, the
independent
investigators, have
formed a Working Group
to develop and monitor
the scheme which is
available to both current
and
former subpostmasters..."
18/11/2013 I Case application closes
for SPMRs (past &
present).
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Timeline - events
2014
DATE EVENT SOURCE boc COMMENT
13/01/2014 I ABraises concern over I E-mail from AB to
POL's apparent Pv
restricting of WG scope
in terms of investigation
and discussion. Says this
stems from the new POL
reps on the WG.
« I Refers to a signed
document from
July/August 2013 stating
JFSA participation
13/01/2014 I Arrange a meeting to E-mail from
fully understand AB's Martin Edwards
concerns. (on behalf of PV
to AB
PV and CA meeting with
WG Chair
24/03/2014 I PV meeting with JA
PV and WG Chair
meeting with MPs
PV meeting with Second
Sight
27/03/2014 I An Excel spreadsheet Email: FW: <<MP_ Cases _- cD1=
showing the data was MP_Cases_- _working_filexlsx>> 1.53Gb
sent to SS for MP cases _working_file.xlsx cD2=
on 4 CDs. 5.6Gb
Andy Holt cb3 =
3.07Gb
CD4=
0.571Gb
Total =
10.771Gb
xx/03/2014 I Linklaters commissioned
to review legal risk
xx/03/2014 I Linklaters report
xx/04/2014 I Deloitte commissioned
to review Horizon
control environment
30/04/2014 I Deloitte report
produced though issues
with report quality
xx/04/2014 I Second Sight produce Cases Mxxx
their first Case Reviews
that are discussed at
Working Group
xx/05/2014 I Factfile (Part 2) agreed
xx/05/2014 I AB sends a letter
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directly to the Minister
xx/05/2014 I Minister replies and
letter notified to JA, SAH
and Post Office
xx/05/2014 I JA letter to AB
xx/05/2014 I JA letter to PV regarding
updating MPs
23/05/2014 I PV meets Sir Anthony
Hooper
xx/05/2014 I M022 Case Review
and Factfile sent to
applicant and Post
Office
25/07/2014 I SS produce their Briefing
Report — Part One
21/08/2014 I SS produce their Briefing
Report — Part Two
(August Edition)
22/09/2014 I Reply of POL to SS
Briefing Report — Part
Two (August Edition)
09/12/2014 I Edwin Coe LLP issue a
press release stating
they have been
instructed by the JFSA to
bring a class action
against POL
17/12/2014 I Westminster Hall
Debate
Timeline - events
2015
DATE EVENT SOURCE boc COMMENT
03/02/2015 I BIS Select Committee
10/03/2015* I POL announces closure
of the Working Group
and published the
Scheme Report
11/03/2015e I Prime Minister’s
Questions (James
Arbuthnot)
16/03/2015» I Letter from Adrian
Bailey to Vince Cable
26/03/2015 I Letter (in reply) from
Vince Cable to Adrian
Bailey
09/04/2015 I SS produce their
Briefing Report — Part
Two (April Edition)
09/04/2015 I POL produce their Reply
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to SS’s Briefing Report —
Part Two (April Edition)
15/04/2015~
Second Sight moved
onto a new Terms of
Engagement
May 2015 «
POL receives first of 45
DSARs (42 of which are
from Scheme
Applicants)
May 2015 «
JFSA Newsletter
recommends Applicants
withdraw from the
Scheme, pending a
Government Inquiry
29/06/20156
House of Commons
Debate: ‘Post Office
Horizon System’
July 2015 «
Second Sight completes
final outstanding CRR
01/07/20156
Prime Minister’s
Questions (Andrew
Bridgen)
17/08/2015
BBC Panorama
Programme: ‘Trouble at
the Post Office’
17/08/2015*
POL issues statement in
reply to the Panorama
Programme
10/09/2015
Early Day Motion tabled
in Westminster: ‘Post
Office Horizon
Computer System’
08/09/2015e
Initial Consultation with
Jonathan Swift QC