Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, further to reports by the forensic accounting company Second Sight, any Minister, civil servant, or director appointed by the Government advised the Post Office to make provision for contingent liabilities in its annual financial statements; and if so, on what dates such recommendations were made.

In the timeframe available to us, we have not been able to identify any Minister, civil servant, or director appointed by the Government advising the Post Office to make provision for contingent liabilities in its annual financial statements. The Post Office Board is collectively responsible for approving what is in the Accounts.