Witness Name: Ms Suzanne Palmer
Statement No.: WITN0224_02
THE POST OFFICE HORIZON INQUIRY
EXHIBIT WITNO224_02
On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, 10:38 am, Sue Palm
Hi my name is Suzanne Palmer , I was prosecuted by the post office, had a three day trial, I
pleaded not guilty and was found not guilty. The post office wouldn’t reinstate me , I lost my
home of 22 years , my business, the newspaper printed I was guilty. The postmasters who
have had their convictions overturned are receiving compensation which they wholeheartedly
deserve. What I would like to know is where is mine . I went through exactly the same
process. This cannot be fair ? I feel I’ve had my stomach ripped out TWICE . There must be
compensation for those who were prosecuted. I Suzanne Palmer
Sent from my iPhone
Paul Scully MP
Foot Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Business, Energy &
Industrial Strategy
Department for 1 Victoria Street
Business, Energy London
& Industrial Strategy
T +44 (0) 20 7215 5000
E — enquiries@beis.gov.uk
Sue Palmer se nnnnnennneny W waw.gov.uk
Email: H
Our ref: MCSL2021/19325
1 December 2021
Dear Sue,
Thank you for your email dated 3 August, regarding compensation for those affected by the Post
Office Horizon system. I sincerely apologise for the delay with the response. This has only
recently been brought to my attention.
I understand the serious impact that issues arising from faults with the Horizon IT system and
the Post Office’s management of these issues, have had on affected postmasters’ lives and
livelihoods. The Government recognises the distress that postmasters and their families have
suffered since faults with the Horizon system began, with some having their livelinoods and
businesses taken away and some convicted of crimes which we now know they did not commit.
The Post Office has accepted that it got things wrong and has apologised. However,
Government has been clear that this apology must only be the start of a process that leads to
real and fundamental change in the Post Office.
I recognise that you were part of the Group Litigation Order (GLO) against Post Office Limited.
In December 2019, Post Office Limited and claimants in the GLO reached a substantive
settlement of £57.75m. Post Office Limited also issued an apology and this concluded the civil
case against the company. I understand the strength of feeling by postmasters like yourself
who only received a portion of the £57.75m settlement paid by Post Office. However, a full and
final settlement was reached between the claimants in the GLO and the Post Office. There is
nothing further the department can do at this time.
Thank you again for writing in.
Yours sincerely,
PAUL SCULLY MP
Minister for Small Business, Consumers & Labour Markets
Minister for London
On Thursday, December 2, 2021, 7:36 am, Sue Palmer 7
Dear Paul
Since I received your reply email which you dictated ,and dismissed mine 3 months after I sent it ,
perhaps we could have a face to face meeting so you can explain how you came to the decision that
some people who were prosecuted are more important than others compensation wise . Only the
outcome was the same for me guilty/ not guilty. Many thanks Suzanne Palmer
/ GRO
On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, 10:38 am, SCULLY, Paul <paul.scully.mp@parliament.uk> wrote:
Paul Scully MP
Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam
Thank you for your email. This acknowledgement has been triggered automatically.
I receive a large amount of correspondence each day, but I will aim to respond as soon as I
can.
If you are a constituent, please ensure that you have included your full name and postal
address in your email. If you have not, please resend with this information as there is a strict
Parliamentary rule that MPs can only act on behalf of their own constituents.
You may also find the answer to your query by looking at my 'Quick Help Guide' by
visiting www.scully.org.uk.
If you're not sure who your MP is, you can find out through the House of Commons website:
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk,
I aim to respond to all correspondence within 14 days. If you have not received a reply by
then, please do not hesitate to contact my office with a reminder.
Thank you for taking time to contact me.
Regards
Paul
Paul Scully
Member of Parliament for Sutton and Cheam
House of Commons, London, SW1A OAA
Tel: 020 8661 9900
www.scully.org.uk I@scullyp
I send out occasional bulletins updating constituents on what I am doing as an MP and will add your name to
this list unless you ask not to receive them.
UK Parliament Disclaimer: This e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient. If you have
received it in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Any unauthorised
use, disclosure, or copying is not permitted. This e-mail has been checked for viruses, but no
liability is accepted for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail. This e-
mail address is not secure, is not encrypted and should not be used for sensitive data.
UK Parliament Disclaimer: this e-mail is confidential to the intended recipient. If you have received it
in error, please notify the sender and delete it from your system. Any unauthorised use, disclosure,
or copying is not permitted. This e-mail has been checked for viruses, but no liability is accepted for
any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail. This e-mail address is not secure, is not
encrypted and should not be used for sensitive data.
Paul Scully MP
we Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Business, Energy &
Department for Industial Strategy
Business, Energy London
& Industrial Strategy
T +44 (0) 2072155000
E — enquiries@beis.gov.uk
Suzanne Palmer W www.gov.uk
By email
Our ref: MCB2021/29017
13 January 2022
Dear Suzanne,
Thank you for your emails of 1 and 2 December, in response to my letter to you dated
1 December, about compensation forthe issues caused by the Post Office Horizon system.
I understand the strength of feeling of you and your colleagues who participated in the group
litigation and only received a portion of the £57.75m awarded. I recognise that as a group,
you have performed a massive public service by exposing the wrongdoings within the Post
Office. I have met some of your colleagues and I recognise your deep frustration at the fact
that because the group agreed that the settlement with the Post Office would be a full and
final one. Without your group’s work the scandal would not have been exposed, the Inquiry
would not have been launched and fundamental change in the Post Office would not have
been delivered.
The Government has recently announced that it will fund Post Office so that it can make full
and final compensation payments to postmasters whose historical Horizon-related criminal
convictions have been overturned. This is a major step in helping resolve the issues created
by the Horizon IT scandal. The Post Office proposes to follow a process of Alternative
Dispute Resolution to reach full and final settlements with postmasters. Members of the
Group Litigation Order (GLO) who have had criminal convictions overturned are eligible for
compensation as part of the overturned criminal conviction settlements. The Compensation
is open to all those who were prosecuted, including those not convicted and will be
determined based on individual circumstances.
Thank you again for writing in. I will continue to work with sub-postmasters on this to see
what we can do.
Minister for Small Business, Consumers & Labour Markets
and Minister for London
sb Paul Scully MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Departmentfor Business, Energy &
Business, Energy 1 Vitoria Street
& Industrial Strategy SWIHOET
T +44 (0) 2072155000
E — enquiries@beis.gov.uk
Suzanne Palmer W www.gov.uk
Our ref: MCB2021/29017
02 February 2022
Dear Suzanne,
Following my letter of 13 January 2022, I wanted to take the opportunity to write to you again
following my last letter, to clarify a point which might have created a misunderstanding.
I stated that members of the GLO who have had criminal convictions overturned by the courts
are eligible for compensation as part of the overturned criminal conviction settlement process,
I then went on to explain that in addition to those members of the GLO, compensation is also
open to individuals who were prosecuted but not convicted and that such claims would be
determined on individual circumstances. I wanted to clarify my explanation that because of
the terms of the settlement, this does not refer to members of the GLO who were prosecuted
but not convicted.
The position in relation to members of the GLO who were prosecuted but not convicted is
different to those who were convicted under the terms of the settlement agreement. The
position of people who form part of this group is that they have already fully settled their
claims against Post Office Ltd. I recognise your deep frustration at the fact that because the
group agreed the settlement with the Post Office that it would be a full and final one.
That said, as I stated in my last letter, all members of the GLO performed a massive public
service by exposing the wrongdoings within the Post Office. As I said in my appearance at
the BEIS Select Committee on 12 January 2022, I will continue to work with subpostmasters
in the GLO to see what can be done. My officials recently met with representatives of the
GLO participants to understand the harms they have experienced.
Yours sincerely,
PAUL SCULLY MP
Minister for Small Business, Consumers & Labour Markets
Minister for London
On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, 6:50 pm, Sue Palmer!
Dear Paul Scully
Further to this letter I have received from you
There is no misunderstanding, I specifically asked you why I was excluded from the intrim payment
scheme when I had been prosecuted but found not guilty. Your reply was that I can be included, you
always new that I was part of the 555 , you are now backtracking on your letter , I don’t like being
treated like I’m stupid, that’s what the post office did to me . Because I stood my ground because I
knew I’d done nothing wrong, I’m now being penalised again.
Suzanne Palmer
Sent from my iPhone