Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 October 2025 entitled Volume 1 of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report: Government response to recommendations, HCWS937, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that postmasters receive the benefit of the doubt in cases where evidence has been (a) lost and (b) destroyed.

The Government recognises the challenges some postmasters face in providing evidence, particularly where significant time has passed or records have been lost or destroyed. The independent panel assessing each case takes these difficulties into account when making its recommendations.

As outlined in the joint statement made with the Post Office on 9 October, fairness requires acknowledging the absence of retained evidence, especially where it was wrongly withheld or destroyed. In such cases, and where it is fair to do so based on individual circumstances, postmasters should rightly receive the benefit of the doubt.