Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of conflict of interest of Tim Parker holding the position of chairman of the Post Office, when it sought to block appeals by convicted postmasters, while also holding the position of Chair of HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

When appointments are made, conflicts are routinely addressed as part of the appointments process. The Companies Act sets out that a director must avoid situations where they have conflicts which conflict with the interests of the company, and they must disclose conflicts of interest.

The Department is not however aware of any specific assessment made with regard to Tim Parker’s role as Chair of HMCTS and Post Office Ltd decisions in response to postmaster appeals.