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Message
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Subject: RE: BNR - SS.
I completely agree Patrick - I think she should be told.
From: Rodric Williams
Sent: 14 October 2015 15:26
To: Mark UnderwoodiePatrick Bourke; Melanie Corfield
Subject: RE: BNR - SS
My initial reaction was not to share, but it might be useful if it helped colour them as contractors who have done rather
well out of this, found nothing, but still want to keep their noses in the trough by ever expanding the scope of work
(including into matters outside their areas of expertise)...
tf Rodric Williams
Solicitor, Corporate Services
Post Office Ltd
20 Finsbt St
From: Mark Underwoos
Sent: 14 October 2015 1
To: Patrick Bourke; Rodric Williams; Melanie Corfield
Subject: RE: BNR - SS
I don’t think we have shared the amount of money we have spent on Second Sight with BNR (£1.6m incl VAT). I am trying
to think why we wouldn’t want to, but when you weight that up against:
e the commitment they made in their letter of engagement, signed on 1st July 2014 that they would
conduct services provided “In an efficient manner and with a view to ensuring that the costs of the
scheme are reasonable”; and
e that we had been trying to get them onto a piece rate from September 2014 (only finally succeeding
in April 2015)
I think it is quite a powerful story.
Mark Underwood
Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme
GRO
From: Patrick Bourke
Sent: 14 October 2015 15:48
To: Mark Underwood-.i Rodric Williams; Melanie Corfield
Subject: BNR - SS
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Spoke to Laura T about briefing requirements for BNR meeting with SS and she thinks these are very low (she is going to
recommend a ‘listening mode’ to BNR, save for 2 bits of info:
1. Timing and terms of engagements (s) — plural since, as I told her, their work changed radically at various points
and the terms of engagement will also capture what was OUT of scope, as much as what was in; and
2. Amount of money we spent on them...[are we prepared to share this with BNR ? Perhaps we already have]
In addition, I said we’d reflect on whether there were any additional points we’d want to register with BNR. I thought
something about the sheer volume of information, their insistence on trying to broaden the scope of their enquiries
when Horizon looked to work well (as lan recorded most recently on Panorama) and the rather thin character of the
analysis they brought to the party. But open to other suggestions from you ?
The good news is that she doesn’t want anything in writing, so it would just be speaking points for me to take her
through tomorrow late morning...
Thoughts gratefully received.
Many thanks
Patrick
Patrick Bourke