BEIS0001197 - Post Office Compensation Programme Board Minutes - Rob Brightwell (Chair)

Evidence on official site

Department for

Business, Energy
& Industrial Strategy

Charles Donald

Chief Executive Officer, UKGI
By email

11 August 2022

Dear Charles,

UKGI00049064
UKGI00049064

Sarah Munby
Permanent Under-Secretary of State
1 Victoria Street
London
SWIHOET

Thank you for your letter and for our recent conversation.

I can confirm that we have received and note your advice. As David Bickerton has explained to your
team previously, we in BEIS are comfortable with our current governance arrangements for the project
to compensate postmasters with overturned convictions. We believe that the combined force of legal
input across GLD, Post Office and the claimants’ representatives, together with external advisors
(including Lord Dyson as well as various QCs) is providing us with sufficient reassurance.

HMT have also confirmed that they are content with the current arrangements. The condition to their
funding approval was that BEIS should seek legal assurance beyond HSF, which is in their view
adequately covered by Tolley QC, Eadie QC and the Early Neutral Evaluation process.

I am therefore happy to confirm that we are not expecting UKGI to deliver a broader role than the
advisory position that your team is currently playing, in line with the POHC terms of reference.

We continue to welcome your help in relation to this important Government asset.

Sarah Munby
BEIS Permanent Secretary