Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the Minister for the Post Office last met with the Justice For Sub-postmasters Alliance.
Answered by Paul Scully
I am in regular email contact with Mr Alan Bates, founder of the Justice For Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA). The most recent exchange was on the 8 February 2022.
Officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) met with the JFSA on 26 January 2022.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2022 to Question 105377 on Northern Powergrid: Storms, how many compensation payments (a) have and (b) have not been processed by Northern Powergrid in relation to Storm Arwen and Storm Barra.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government has been informed that a significant proportion of compensation cases have been paid by Northern Powergrid. Any remaining cases remain under investigation or in progress.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many compensation payments (a) have been and (b) are yet to be processed by Northern Powergrid in relation to Storm Arwen and Storm Barra.
Answered by Greg Hands
Under Ofgem’s rules, Northern Power Grid must compensate customers for the inconvenience caused by loss of supply if the level of required service is not met.
My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to Ofgem and network operators, including Northern Powergrid, on the 6th December 2021, setting out his expectations that Distribution Network Operators make every effort to deliver compensation to affected customers swiftly and without delay, considering the burden making a detailed application might place on impacted customers, and in line with the Guaranteed Standards expectations.
Northern Powergrid had paid a significant proportion of compensation cases by Christmas 2021. Any cases remaining unpaid to this date are still under investigation or in progress as required by Ofgem’s regulation.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether there will be an appeal system in the Alternative Disputes Resolution process for the Post Office Horizon scandal; and whether the Government has made an estimate of the cost of resolutions.
Answered by Paul Scully
Alternative Dispute Resolution is a consensual process, through which those making claims (and their advisors) can question and challenge how their claims have been assessed. It is a fundamental tenet of Alternative Dispute Resolution that questions and challenges are addressed in good faith so as to obtain a comprehensive and consensual resolution of all claims. As participants in the process are not obliged to accept any offers made by Post Office, there is no need for an appeals process.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Post Office Horizon scandal, how those conducting the Alternative Dispute Resolution process will be advised to calculate quantum.
Answered by Paul Scully
Claims will be assessed by applying the specific facts of the individual cases to established legal principles and any other factors which support reaching a fair outcome. Those making claims (and their advisors) can question and challenge those assessments, and it is a fundamental tenet of Alternative Dispute Resolution that questions and challenges are addressed in good faith so as to obtain a comprehensive and consensual resolution of the claims.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether friends, family and employees of subpostmasters will be permitted to take part in the Alternative Dispute Resolution process proposed in response to the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Answered by Paul Scully
Alternative Dispute Resolution is a consensual process, through which those making claims (and their advisors) can question and challenge how their claims have been assessed. The Terms of Reference for the Historical Shortfall Scheme explain its Dispute Resolution procedure. Processes for those with quashed convictions will be agreed between the Post Office and a claimant’s legal representatives.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether consequential losses will be included in the Alternative Disputes Resolution process for the Post Office Horizon scandal; and what other disputes will be included.
Answered by Paul Scully
Post Office will consider all claims for compensation made by a postmaster, branch manager and/or assistant whose conviction is quashed or who has submitted an eligible claim under the Historical Shortfalls Scheme, including claims made for consequential losses.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps will be taken to ensure consistency is maintained in the processing of disputes in response to the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Answered by Paul Scully
Claims will be assessed by applying the specific facts of the individual cases to established legal principles and any other factors which support reaching a fair outcome. Those making claims (and their advisors) can question and challenge those assessments, and it is a fundamental tenet of Alternative Dispute Resolution that questions and challenges are addressed in good faith so as to obtain a comprehensive and consensual resolution of the claims.
Asked by: Lord Beamish (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Post Office Horizon scandal has altered the valuation of the Government's shareholder position in Post Office.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government’s role as shareholder is to ensure that the Post Office is delivering its social purpose alongside building a stable business. The Government continues to support the Post Office with subsidy. The Government, through my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, holds 100% of the issued share capital. There is a special share in POL (nominal value of £1) which is held directly by the Secretary of State. The value of this investment is published annually in the BEIS accounts.