Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what approval was given by his Department for Post Office Ltd to prosecute sub-postmasters in cases relating to the Horizon accounting system; and if he will make a statement.

While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The relationship with its sub-postmasters and the management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office and as such do not require Government approval.