Contributions
2,186 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsMy understanding is that Mr Justice Fraser has referred a number of people to the Crown Prosecution Service.10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsMy hon. Friend refers to Susan Knight. He has also told me about another constituent of his who was the landlady of a local pub and lost that pub. It was another terrible story,…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsMr Justice Fraser is that independent judge who has looked into exactly what the hon. Gentleman described, which is why we want to build on those findings in what happens next.…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsWhat we are not going to do with the review is get in the way of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. It is really important that it does actually go through that process as…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsIt may be that many Government Ministers have come here, but it is this Government Minister who has actually pushed to make sure that we can have a review and that we can have it…10 Jun 2020HANSARDPost Office Horizon IT System: Independent ReviewI am today announcing the scope of the independent review into the Post Office Horizon IT system and trials which the Prime Minister committed to on 26 February 2020. This…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. That is why some of my first conversations with Nick Read, the current chief executive of the Post Office, have been to ensure that he can…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI sympathise with the hon. Lady’s constituent who sadly took his life. That is one of many tragic stories. The fact is that we have now got the Post Office to accept its wrong…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsWe will, of course, review that and keep it in our mind.10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for his question. The Horizon IT system was put in place in 1999, with the first issues being raised in the early 2000s, so this was over a…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI keep hearing that. I keep hearing the words “judge-led inquiry” and then I keep hearing that we need to move this on as quickly as possible. The point is that the terms of…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI acknowledge the hon. Gentleman’s part not only in campaigning on the plight of the sub-postmasters since coming to this place, but in his previous work representing some of them…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsIn terms of the finances, the Government continue to work with the Post Office on its needs and to ensure that, although it is an independent company, it can work within its…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI am sorry that, for the same reason, I was unable to attend that session, but I hope in future to engage fully with the Select Committee. The key point is that the Post Office…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsIn terms of the whistleblower, Justice Fraser recommended a number of individuals to the criminal prosecution service, and that will follow its train accordingly. In terms of the…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI totally empathise with the suffering of my hon. Friend’s constituent, Siobhan Sayer. The chairman, who is independent of the Post Office, and the Government need to look at…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI am grateful to the hon. Lady for those questions. The review that we are putting in train covers the areas that a public inquiry would achieve. We want to find out exactly what…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsI thank the hon. Gentleman for that promotion to Secretary of State. He raises some really important points. The point is that, whether we call it a review or an inquiry, the…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsOne of the first things I said to the chief executive was to acknowledge the fact that we need to build the relationship with postmasters and give them the support they need in…10 Jun 2020HANSARD Horizon: Sub-Postmaster ConvictionsIsabella Wall is one of far too many constituents of ours who have suffered in this. The hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi) was right when he said that the Post Office should have…10 Jun 2020