UKG100003913
UKGI00003913
From: Swinson MPST{/O=BIS PRODUCTION/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP
(FYDIBOHF23SPDLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=B5EA 160380D24B92930A52D175C14178-
WILLOTT M]
Sent: Wed 18/03/2015 12:10:55PM(UTC)
To: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)}. GRO ___.... Swinson MPST
Correspondencef,
Ce:
Subject: RE: Post Office: reply to Alan Bates ~
Attachment: 150317 reply to Alan Bates revised.docx
Thanks Laura — Jo has cleared with no further changes.
Corres team — could you please prep for this afternoon’s box so Jo can sign?
Thanks,
Claire
From: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)
Sent: 17 March 2015 12:01
To: Swinson MPST; Swinson MPST Correspondence
Cc: Cable MPST; Callard Richard (ShEx); McInnes Tim (ShEx)
Subject: RE: Post Office: reply to Alan Bates
Hi Claire
Here’s a revised draft, following our discussion earlier. I haven’t shown tracks as I also made a few extra tweaks to
bring the language in line with the revised SoS-Arbuthnot letter.
Hope this helps.
‘tor I Shareholder Executive
From: Swinson MPST
Sent: 16 March 2015 18:31
To: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive); Swinson MPST Correspondence
Cc: Cable MPST; Callard Richard (ShEx); McInnes Tim (ShEx)
Subject: RE: Post Office: reply to Alan Bates
Laura,
Thanks again for turning this around so quickly and apologies for missing your call earlier. Jo has seen this revised
version of the letter but unfortunately she still has some concerns that we have not directly addressed JFSA’s point
around the nature of the relationship between Second Sight and POL.
JFSA assert that Jo’s letter of 22°* September 2013 gave them assurance that Second Sight’s independence should not
be questioned because they were not employed by POL. The Minister acknowledges that it is a contractual, rather
than an employment relationship but what the current letter does not address is why we believed that Second Sight’s
independence was not in question but that it is also right that the decision to end the current contractual relationship
was a decision for POL and not the working group.
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I’m happy to discuss tomorrow if this is not clear or you'd like to talk through what we might be able to say to address
the Minister’s concerns on that drafting point.
Claire
From: Thompson Laura (Shareholder Executive)
Sent: 16 March 2015 13:54
To: Swinson MPST; Swinson MPST Correspondence
Cc: Cable MPST; Callard Richard (ShEx); McInnes Tim (ShEx)
Subject: Post Office: reply to Alan Bates
Claire
As discussed earlier, please find attached a revised response for Jo to send to Alan Bates of JFSA regarding his email
on Tuesday last week about the Post Office Horizon scheme. We have amended this in light of the comments Jo fed
back — in track changes.
A bit of additional comment on the point about whether Second Sight were “employed” by POL. Technically, Second
Sight were not employed by POL, they were engaged under contract by POL. This contract was to provide a number of
services to the Working Group — and now that the Working Group has closed, it makes sense that POL are bringing to
an end that arrangement which is now outdated (given how the role of the WG has moved since the scheme began).
I appreciate that “engaged by” rather than “employed by” could sound a bit like semantics. As such, I haven’t
proposed a rebuttal of Mr Bates’ point, but just set out the position instead (using similar language to that used by
POL in their press responses and correspondence — although slightly more placatory than their line). It’s also
important, I think, to note that a lot of the arguments being waged around this issue rely a lot on wilful
misinterpretation of language or statement — such as the accusation that Second Sight “have been sacked and forced
to destroy documents”, for example.
I hope that’s helpful, but do let me know if Jo has any additional questions.
Laura
Laura Thompson I Assistant Director, Post Office Network Team I Shareholder Exect
BIS, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H OET i _ i
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-shareholder-executive
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