POL00277085
POL00277085
From: Ben Foat[/O=EXCHANGELABS/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP
(FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=8070ECECB2CC4077A7ECE34867 16D2B6-BEN
FOAT]
Sent: Fri 21/06/2019 1
To: Rodric William:
Mark Underwor oo
GR Elizabeth Hallissey[,
“Bourke! jane BI:
Veronica Brantonl,
Subject: Board SubCommittee - Actions
All ba
Liz will forward the minutes and actions to you for your awareness.
Apologies for the shopping list approach, but there are a number of material actions:
1. Rod / Mark — can we please have an actions / task list for this project — we need to ensure that the meetings,
Steerco, and Board SubCommittees are the diary, minutes / actions are being recorded and then circulated to
everyone. Indeed, I need this with all of my projects (Angela / Mark — could we have a meeting next week
together please. I think we need to work through some governance on all the programmes within LCG).
2. Rod - We do need to have WBD urgently review the fraud and concealment issue and have an
opinion/advice on the prospects of success on that point and therefore the likelihood that the limitation period
defence is undermined.
3. Horizon Contingency — I! don’t think the Board’s point on operational and technical changes has quite landed
with Deloitte yet. The contingency planning is not just about the comms around our Day 1 and future state. Its
working through with the relevant team (IT, Operations, Network) to have technical and organisation solutions
in place or ready to go. Again, far too much focus was on the PR and Comms around this which is very important
but the Board has now for the second time asked about the technical solutions/measures (ie what network
operations processes are going to be changed post day 1 of the Horizon Contigency judgment). I answered this
at the Committee that we would leverage the Operations Workstream work — but Deloitte have not captured
this in their plan or indeed even refer to Julie Thomas and her program in their slides. Angela / Patrick and Zoe
—could you remedy and progress this. It might be undertaken in the background but its not mentioned in the
slides and Deloitte weren’t really able to answer the question.
4. Can we please arrange for HSF to review the criminal (CCRB?) claims. Given the potential direction of travel
we need to ensure that these are reviewed and we understand the consequences of settlement or to the
convictions themselves. Patrick / Mark / Rod — can you please arrange for these files to be available to HSF who
will have their Belfast litigation centre review.
5. Aminor point but Rod can you ensure that all the relevant barristers are briefed not to character assassinate
the judge. He is a judicial officer who rightly or wrongly has a firm view about how Post Office conducts itself.
Again, Tony Robinson QC went a bit too far. It right to call out that the claimants case clearly reasonates with
the judge more than ours but we have repeatedly been through this issue before and Im not sure why it does
not land with the counsel team.
6. Operational Workstream meeting — I asked for these to be in my diary for early July but I haven’t seen them
arranged. Zoe
7. We need answers on the historic suspension claims issues. Zoe
8. July Board paper will be needed. Mark / All — will you set up a template (based roughly on the last one) and
circulate to relevant people to update their components. We should touch on change of strategy, litigation
(common issues appeal, horizon trial, horizon contingency, settlement and its consequences, annual report and
accounts, ) and operational workstream.
Let’s pick up at GLO meeting on Monday.
Kind regards
Ben
Ben Foat
General Counsel
Post Office Limited
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