MP and Government talk over help for Warrington Post Office workers

Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly convicted because of faulty accounting software, with the major miscarriage of justice in the spotlight thanks to an ITV drama.

Warrington South MP Andy Carter spoke in the House of Commons last week in a hearing over financial redress for subpostmasters and outstanding issues relating to the Horizon scandal.

He thanked Kevin Hollinrake, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for working with him to assist his constituents caught up in the situation.

Mr Carter said: “I add my thanks to the minister for his work in helping me to advise my constituents who have come forward asking many questions about the situation that they found themselves in.

“I am very pleased that the Government is working to compensate postmasters who were convicted in a court of law, but there are many individuals who worked for the Post Office and faced disciplinary proceedings who did not end up in court.

“However, their professional reputations were trashed, they had no ability to find jobs when they were dismissed, and they were significantly out of pocket.

Warrington South MP Andy Carter

“The Post Office must know whom it disciplined; it must have records through the disciplinary procedure.

“Will the minister outline what steps the Post Office has taken to contact those individuals so that they can get the compensation that they rightly deserve?”

In response, Mr Hollinrake said: “I thank my honourable friend for so ably representing his constituents who have fallen victim to this scandal.

“People do not need to have gone before a court of law to be compensated. A postmaster with a contract with the Post Office can access either the Horizon shortfall scheme or the group litigation order.

“A prosecution of any form is not required to be able to claim through those schemes.

“I think he raises a point about somebody who worked for a postmaster or for the Post Office. That is separate, and I am very happy to talk to him about that point, which has been raised by a number of members.

“The Post Office would not necessarily know whether a postmaster who is working independently and runs an independent business had disciplined their members of staff, so it might not be as straightforward as he sets out. Nevertheless, I am happy to engage with him on that.”