* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Entertainment-Focused Narrative and Culture Change Practice – New America

    Transforming Culture Through Engaging Entertainment Narratives

    Rising stars: Young classical musicians surging on social media – Yahoo

    Meet the Next Generation of Classical Music Sensations Making Waves on Social Media!

    Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

    Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

    Why Starz Entertainment Stock Soared Today – The Motley Fool

    Unpacking the Surge: What Fueled Starz Entertainment’s Stock Explosion Today!

    Unveiling the Enigmatic: First Looks at Destruction and Puck in ‘The Sandman

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    AI for lawyers: Win back your time using technology – nationaljurist.com

    Reclaim Your Time: How AI is Transforming the Legal Profession

    Prosecutors accuse men of exporting U.S. military technology to China – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    Men Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S. Military Technology to China

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    This giant microwave may change the future of war – MIT Technology Review

    Revolutionizing Warfare: The Impact of a Game-Changing Giant Microwave

    Bajeed Pattan Joins Forbes Technology Council as Innovation Leader – PRWeb

    Bajeed Pattan Takes the Helm as Innovation Leader at Forbes Technology Council!

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Entertainment-Focused Narrative and Culture Change Practice – New America

    Transforming Culture Through Engaging Entertainment Narratives

    Rising stars: Young classical musicians surging on social media – Yahoo

    Meet the Next Generation of Classical Music Sensations Making Waves on Social Media!

    Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

    Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

    Why Starz Entertainment Stock Soared Today – The Motley Fool

    Unpacking the Surge: What Fueled Starz Entertainment’s Stock Explosion Today!

    Unveiling the Enigmatic: First Looks at Destruction and Puck in ‘The Sandman

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    AI for lawyers: Win back your time using technology – nationaljurist.com

    Reclaim Your Time: How AI is Transforming the Legal Profession

    Prosecutors accuse men of exporting U.S. military technology to China – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

    Men Charged with Illegally Exporting U.S. Military Technology to China

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    This giant microwave may change the future of war – MIT Technology Review

    Revolutionizing Warfare: The Impact of a Game-Changing Giant Microwave

    Bajeed Pattan Joins Forbes Technology Council as Innovation Leader – PRWeb

    Bajeed Pattan Takes the Helm as Innovation Leader at Forbes Technology Council!

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology

Post Office CEO refused to meet government minister without her lawyer after 2015 Horizon report

February 18, 2024
in Technology
Post Office CEO refused to meet government minister without her lawyer after 2015 Horizon report
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Post Office statements on the Horizon system, whether to journalists or the government, were routinely carefully crafted by lawyers


Karl Flinders

By

Karl Flinders,
Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Published: 14 Feb 2024 8:30

Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells refused to meet a government minister without a lawyer in 2015 when he insisted on a briefing to discuss the damaging findings of a landmark investigation into the Post Office Horizon system.

This set the tone for the Post Office, which has relied heavily on lawyers to keep a lid on the Horizon scandal over the past two decades.

In 2015, George Freeman, who was minister for life sciences in the Department of Health and Department for Business, said he initially refused to read out a speech prepared by officials stating that Horizon was reliable, but did so after meetings with the Post Office CEO, which she refused to attend without her lawyer.

Covering for absent postal minister Jo Swinson, Freeman made the speech following the publication of a report from forensic investigation company Second Sight. He said in the House of Commons: “Second Sight produced two independent reports – one in 2013 and the other earlier this year [2015] – both of which found there was no evidence of systemic flaws in the system.”

But Second Sight’s report, published in April 2015, said there were systemic problems for users. “As we have previously stated, when looking at the totality of the ‘Horizon experience’ we remain concerned that, in some circumstances, Horizon can be systemically flawed from a user’s perspective and Post Office has not necessarily provided an appropriate level of support,” it said.

“When told by officials to read out the speech they had written, I refused – and insisted on a briefing meeting with [Post Office CEO] Paula Vennells”

George Freeman, minister

Freeman, who never held ministerial responsibility for the Post Office, accepts there were systemic problems with Horizon, but said Paula Vennells and officials told him otherwise.

“When told by officials to read out the speech they had written, I refused – and insisted on a briefing meeting with Paula Vennells,” Freeman told Computer Weekly.

He said she refused to meet him without her lawyer: “She and officials told me that there was no evidence of a systemic failure in the software, and the department’s lawyer insisted I mustn’t accept liability for the department or Post Office (as an arm’s length body ‘quango’ with an independent legal status).

“I was uncomfortable and raised concerns with the minister responsible at the time. We now know that there was a systemic failure in the software. Lessons must be learned and reforms made to ensure that arm’s length bodies like this can never escape ministerial scrutiny.”

Freeman was not alone in being duped into believing Horizon was reliable.

Picture of Stephen Timms’ letter to Alan Bates’ MP Betty Williams

Stephen Timms’ letter to Alan Bates’ MP Betty Williams

Stephen Timms was Labour’s minister at the Department for Trade and Industry from 2002 to 2004. In January 2004, while minister for energy, e-commerce and postal services in the Labour government, Timms reassured the MP of former subpostmaster Alan Bates that the Horizon system was okay, because the Post Office said so.

Bates had contacted Betty Williams, Labour MP for the constituency of Conwy, about the problems being experienced with the Post Office emanating from unexplained losses in his branch. Bates, who had his contract terminated by the Post Office for refusing to settle his accounts because he did not agree with them, described to Williams the problems he had experienced with the Horizon system.

In a letter to Williams, Timms wrote: “The government invested £480m in this project and so I take very seriously Mr Bates suggestion that the Horizon system is in an ‘appalling condition’.

“I understand that the management of the Post Office do not share Mr Bates’ concerns and are fully confident as to the reliability of the Horizon system.”

He added: “[Post Office managers] have found no evidence to suggest there is any fault with the Horizon system and maintain that the decision to terminate Mr Bates’ contract was legitimate.”

Timms told Computer Weekly his letter to Williams was “setting out the assurances” he had received from the Post Office.

He said, “I haven’t seen any other correspondence I was involved in about Horizon. The department tells me it has no records of my correspondence on the subject – not even those letters I know about. Looking back on this correspondence, it didn’t provide a basis for me taking the matter further at that stage. If, for example, I had received a response to my second letter, I could have enquired further, but, since I don’t appear to have done, there was no reason for me to do so. I was reshuffled to a different job in September 2004.”

Computer Weekly first exposed the scandal in 2009, revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters, including Bates, and the problems they suffered as a result of the Horizon system. Subpostmasters were prosecuted, sacked and expected to make up for phantom shortfalls, which were later proved to be caused by computer errors.

Bates led the campaign for justice for subpostmasters, which exposed the widest miscarriage of justice in UK history and accompanying cover-up (see timeline of Computer Weekly articles below).

Picture of Ed Davey’s letter to Alan Bates in May 2010

Ed Davey’s letter to Alan Bates in May 2010

Liberal leader Ed Davey recently received criticism for his refusal to meet Bates in 2010, when he was postal minister in the coalition government.

In the letter, Davey wrote that a meeting “would not serve any useful purpose”. He later met Bates. He said when he put his concerns to the Post Office, he was “lied to” over the Horizon system’s reliability.

There are also questions being asked about which government minister knew about the Post Office’s strategy in the group litigation order with subpostmasters in 2018. The Post Office blew more than £100m on legal costs in an attempt to silence subpostmasters and prevent the truth about the Horizon system being revealed.

• Also read: What you need to know about the Horizon scandal.

• Also watch: ITV’s Post Office scandal documentary: The real story.

Read more on IT for retail and logistics


Post Office Horizon IT scandal inquiry: Two years of shocking revelations

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders


‘People are now listening,’ Post Office inquiry told as latest phase ends

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders


Government ‘dragging it out’ by refusing to share knowledge of Post Office trial ‘delaying tactic’

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders


Committee chair asks minister to back ‘Mr Bates clause’ in Post Office compensation legislation

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Computer Weekly – https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366569873/Post-Office-CEO-refused-to-meet-government-minister-without-her-lawyer-after-2015-Horizon-report

Tags: OfficeRefusedtechnology
Previous Post

How AI is redefining data-based roles

Next Post

Connor Bedard sparks a rally as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Ottawa Senators to snap an 8-game winless streak

Entertainment-Focused Narrative and Culture Change Practice – New America

Transforming Culture Through Engaging Entertainment Narratives

June 3, 2025
NC lawmakers target pharmacy “middlemen” in proposed reforms – North Carolina Health News

NC Lawmakers Take Aim at Pharmacy Middlemen with Bold Reform Proposals

June 3, 2025
If we want better political representation, let’s stop voting straight ticket in Indiana – Indiana Capital Chronicle

Break the Mold: Why Ditching Straight Ticket Voting in Indiana Can Transform Political Representation

June 3, 2025
AI for lawyers: Win back your time using technology – nationaljurist.com

Reclaim Your Time: How AI is Transforming the Legal Profession

June 3, 2025
LeBron James details his gripes with the current state of youth sports: ‘A lot of kids burn the hell out’ – CBS Sports

LeBron James Opens Up About the Challenges Facing Youth Sports: “So Many Kids Are Burning Out

June 2, 2025
Restoration cannot be scaled up globally to save reefs from loss and degradation – Nature

Reviving Our Reefs: The Challenge of Scaling Up Restoration Efforts Globally

June 2, 2025
Attorney General Bonta Sues to Stop Termination, Withholding of National Science Foundation Grants – State of California – Department of Justice (.gov)

Attorney General Bonta Takes Action to Protect National Science Foundation Grants

June 2, 2025
Exclusive: US veterans agency orders scientists not to publish in journals without clearance – The Guardian

US Veterans Agency Imposes New Restrictions on Scientific Publishing

June 2, 2025
Upper Allen Township launches new initiative to encourage a more active lifestyle – fox43.com

Upper Allen Township launches new initiative to encourage a more active lifestyle – fox43.com

June 2, 2025
Lionel Messi rejoins Argentina for two World Cup qualifiers before Club World Cup – USA Today

Lionel Messi rejoins Argentina for two World Cup qualifiers before Club World Cup – USA Today

June 2, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (660)
  • Economy (674)
  • Entertainment (21,581)
  • General (15,257)
  • Health (9,718)
  • Lifestyle (677)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (676)
  • Politics (684)
  • Science (15,895)
  • Sports (21,180)
  • Technology (15,662)
  • World (662)

Recent News

Entertainment-Focused Narrative and Culture Change Practice – New America

Transforming Culture Through Engaging Entertainment Narratives

June 3, 2025
NC lawmakers target pharmacy “middlemen” in proposed reforms – North Carolina Health News

NC Lawmakers Take Aim at Pharmacy Middlemen with Bold Reform Proposals

June 3, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version