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From: Clarke, Stephen - UKGI[/O=-EXCHANGELABS/OU=EXCHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP
DLT)/CN=RECIPIENTS/CN=9284752A38A4481BA04385F0F283975C-
Sent: Mon 01/07/2019 2:1
8 PM (UTC)
To: Aldred, Tom - UKG! Cooper, Tom - UKGIf._.
Ce: Watson, Richard - UKGI} GRO.
Subject: Sensitive/Legally Privileged: the Tim Parker/QC review of the case
Attachment: BNR letter to TP on Sparrow.pdf
Attachment: TP response to BNR.pdf
Attachment: 20160121 Briefing BNR Tim Parker Meeting v1.3.doc
Attachment: 160309 submission on Tim Parker Horizon letter.doc
Attachment: 160425 briefing for BNR Tim Parker meeting.docx
Attached and listed below are the docs in the Sparrow folder relating to TP’s review:
-Letter from BNR to TP asking him to look into Sparrow and take action if needed (Sept 2015)
-TP’s response saying that he was engaging a QC to assist with this (Oct 2015)
-Briefing for 1st meeting between BNR and TP to discuss initial findings & next steps (Jan 2016)
-Sub to BNR in response to a letter sent by TP (Sub 9 March 2016 & letter 4 March)
-Briefing for 2" meeting between BNR and TP (April 2016)
The key docs we’re missing are:
(i) TP’s letter of 4 March 2016 on his findings; (annexed to the sub but I seem to recall Laura telling me it
was too sensitive to send electronically so was walked up to PO!)
(ii) Readouts of the Jan and April meetings between BNR and TP — too sensitive also?
The closest we get to the detail of TPs findings are in the March sub. Key bits pasted below:
1. Mr Parker’s letter provides a further update. As he explained in January, the headline
finding from his review was that there remains no evidence of a systemic problem with
the Horizon system.
2. His review has identified a small number of areas to explore further, with independent
advice, to ensure that a definitive and final conclusion can be drawn on this matter with
no need for any further enquiries.
3. These areas are:
a) To take further advice from a specialist in criminal law on the allegations that
charges of theft had been brought by Post Office solely to secure a guilty plea to the
charge of false accounting.
b) To investigate whether further detailed analysis of transaction logs for particular
cases would be possible, noting this could potentially be a large and complex task.
c) To look further into a very small number of cases where specific complaints were
made about advice received from helpdesk staff (as opposed to the more generic
complaints about lack of training and support).
d) To examine whether there is any relationship between discrepancies in branch and
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balances in POL’s suspense account, a claim previously raised by Second Sight.
4. You should note that all of these areas have previously been explored by Post Office’s
own team and advisors, including independent legal advisors — Mr Parker’s additional
enquiries are intended to put beyond doubt the issues raised.
5. These enquiries, particularly around the further detailed analysis of transaction logs, may
take a few months to conclude. Mr Parker expects to complete his enquiries by May, and
we recommend you meet Mr Parker to discuss these matters at that point, for example in
your next regular catch up with him (currently scheduled for late June).
Stephen Clarke I Post Office Shareholder Team
UK Government Investments
Corporate finance and governance in government.
1 Victoria Street I London I SW1H OET
From: Aldred, Tom - UKGI
Sent: 30 June 2019 19:58
To: Cooper, Tom - UKGI <!
Cc: Clarke, Stephen - UKGI <$~
Subject: Re: Digging in the files: the Tim Parker/QC review of the case
}; Watson, Richard - UKGI < GRO
I don’t think so but we’ll have another check. Steve - can you have a look tomorrow if you have time after attending
horizon?
Do report back on the court room!
Sent from my iPhone
On 30 Jun 2019, at 19:22, Cooper, Tom - UKGI <i, ~~ wrote:
Do you think we got the initial findings?
Tom
From: Aldred, Tom - UKGI
Sent: 27 June 2019 15:16
To: Clarke, Stephen - UKGI
Watson, Richard - UKGI
ooper, Tom - UKGI <i
Subject: Digging in the files: the Tim Parker/QC review of the case
Thanks to our new Infostore search functionality, I found this description of what happened. A
useful summary
At Baroness Neville-Rolfe’s request, when she was the responsible BIS Minister, the
then incoming POL Chair Tim Parker commissioned a new QC to investigate the matter
when he joined POL in October 2015. The initial findings of this investigation satisfied
the Chair that POL had taken the appropriate action at each stage. With the
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announcement of the group litigation in November 2015, the Chair decided following
legal advice not to conclude the investigation as it could have impacted the Court’s
consideration of the claims.
Tom Aldred I Executive Director
Post Office Shareholder Team
UK Government Investments
1 Victoria Street I London, LSW1H OET._..
T:
GRO