Parliament to launch inquiry into Post Office Horizon scandal compensation delays

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https://inews.co.uk/news/parliament-lau ... TO=newsnow

A new select committee will call ministers, sub-postmasters and their lawyers to give evidence next week

Parliament is to launch an inquiry into delays in compensation settlements for subpostmasters affected by the Horizon scandal.

The newly formed Business and Trade Select Committee will call ministers, subpostmasters and their lawyers to give evidence next week with a second session to follow in mid-November.

The Committee’s chair, Liam Byrne MP told ITV News that there was “definitely a delay” in people coming forward for payment.

“What we’re hearing from subpostmasters is that if there is an argument about how much should be paid out, the first offer is made quite quickly but if there’s a negotiation, that negotiation is dragging,” he said.

Mr Byrne said the Committee wanted to hear from subpostmasters about what is “still going wrong” and what ministers can do to “speed it up.”

Sir Alan Bates, the Post Office campaigner and chair of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, is expected to be invited to give evidence.

Earlier this month, Sir Alan told i that his own claim had not been addressed and that he had written to Sir Keir Starmer asking for his intervention.

He said: “Like many of the groups, my claim has not been completed. It’s ridiculous. I am one of just many in this position,

“This is why I wrote to the Prime Minister at the start of October, asking that he instruct the department to ensure that all claims – and I’m talking about in the GLO group, the original 555 – have been completed by March next year.”

Mr Byrne said: “We on the committee are going to batter away at this, week in, week out, until it is job done. All of us on our committee are frankly horrified and outraged by how long this has taken and we’re just not going to give up.”