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From: Julia Manwood
To: Peter C Wilkinson; Sarah Cottrell; Kerryann Warren-Darley; Bob Collins; Chris) Gilding; Erank Martin; Judy Balderson;
Philip Andrews; Warren Hattrell; Baldev Kahlon; Caroline A Hoare; Graham Simmons; Merwyn Antony; Phillioa Newey;
‘Robert Worley; Wendy Hamilton; ; Gaynor D Davies; Leighton Barratt; Lisa) Barton; Matthew Walls; Neil F
$e Se
Cindy M Kennard; Clare Jones; Claudette Beaneys
eee roe Wy Pant Comme: Deve Relea; baud inany bobes tsi; Dit Paes Cane Doses ten
LGeary; Emil Clive; Emmanus iL Muwonge: Gemma. Martin; Haydi rerien; Jacqueline M Walker; Jacqui Swinney; Jane
Guillem; ; Joe Hove; John E
Wapshott; Junaid Tanveer; Karen A Pearson; Karen A Tabrett; K ith Noverre; Laura Houghton; Lesley Porazinski;
corraine T Richards; Maureen Nolan; Michael Gribbon; Michelle Moore; Natalie Liff; Nitin Patel; Ozan S Abuluma; Paul A
Jones; Paul D Holland; Paul DJohescns Phillip. emule; Rachel tas ; Rakesh. Liethwa Ahvanne. Fox; Sally Ingold; Sam
Bakes; ; Stella E
Saunders; Steve Patel; Suzanne Gayther; Teresa Facey; Tina Loordens Tracey. J Harris; Val Wath
Subject: INFO ONLY - The latest on Panorama
Date: 14 August 2015 13:26:13
Attachments: image001 ipa
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All FYI below.
Thanks
Julia
From: Communications Team
Sent: 14 August 2015 12:26
To: Communications Team
Subject: in the loop - the latest on Panorama
cid:image001.jpg@01D0ADB1.52FAD010
Mark Davies
Communications &
Corporate Affairs
Director
Hello
I wanted to send a short update on the plans by the BBC’s Panorama to
broadcast a programme about the Post Office and its Horizon system on
Monday.
We have spent a great deal of the week dealing with this issue, and
making our position clear to the BBC at very senior levels. We do expect,
however, that the programme will include a number of unsubstantiated
allegations. We have decided against being interviewed as part of the
programme and have instead issued a robust statement. This was a very
carefully considered decision but the programme wanted us to speak
publicly about individual cases and we are not prepared to break the
confidentiality commitments we have given about these. Whilst it is
difficult to take this position in the face of untrue claims being made in
public, we believe it is the right one.
If you have any queries about the programme, please don’t hesitate to
contact me at mark.r.daviest GRO ‘In addition if any
colleagues come across/or are contacted by postmasters with specific
questions about Horizon then they should be asked to ring NBSC so that
assistance can be offered.
On Monday we will be sending out a note to all Post Office colleagues
updating them on the programme. In the meantime, our core points are
below. T would welcome your help in ensuring that our key messages are
cascaded to colleagues, particularly those who may get questions from
customers or postmasters (and potential new operators).
The key points to make are as follows:
extremely serious, unsubstantiated allegations about the Post Office
and the Horizon system have continued to be repeated over
the past few years by a small number of mainly former
postmasters
we are sorry if these people feel they have not been treated fairly
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by the Post Office and we have gone to great lengths to look
at their cases
the clear evidence we have in these cases does not support
allegations being made
we committed to confidentiality to people who put grievances to us,
so we cannot share details about individual cases
what we can say is that we do not prosecute people for making
innocent mistakes and never have
it is right that we may take action as custodians of customers'
money where there is evidence of dishonesty
we have demonstrated that Horizon works as it should. It has been
shown to be robust and effective in dealing with six million
transactions a day, with some 78,000 people using it, and it is
regularly audited
£70bn goes through Horizon every year: if there were systemic
problems with branch accounting, it is reasonable to expect
them to have been more widely experienced across the Post
Office network than the 136 individual complaints spanning
more than 10 years, during which there have been 500,000
Horizon users.
during the past three years we have done everything and more
than we committed to do to investigate the concerns put
forward about our computer system. That was the right thing
to do.
we set up an independent inquiry, established the complaint review
and mediation scheme and provided financial support for
people to obtain independent, professional advice.
this work has provided overwhelming evidence that demonstrates it
was not Horizon that was responsible for missing money in
any of the branches investigated
Thank you in advance for your help.