Information Rights Unit
HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ
Ms Eleanor Shaikh
020 7270 5000
xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
www.gov.uk/hm-treasury
26 October 2020
Dear Ms Shaikh
Ref: FOI2020/34813
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Thank you for your enquiry of 28 September 2020, which we have considered under the
terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the FOI Act).
You asked for the following information:
“Thank you for your recent response to my FOI request (FOI 2020/31556) regarding
reporting links between yourself and UKGI.
I would be most grateful if you would release minutes of the meetings you
acknowledge at which discussions took place regarding the cost implications of
Post Office’s Litigation.
Ideally this would be from the time of the approval of the Group Litigation Order in
March 2017 until the present. If this is too wide a time-frame for the scope of a FOI
request, the period of the active litigation November 2018-December 2019 will
suffice”
Following a search of our records, we can confirm that HM Treasury does hold information
within the scope of your request.
UKGI’s performance against their objectives is monitored via regular meetings between
HM Treasury and UKGI, mainly via Quarterly Shareholder Meetings (QSMs). Each QSM is
primarily intended to be weighted towards being a forward-looking and risk-based
analysis of progress against the UKGI Budget and Objectives.
Discussions regarding the Post Office were recorded in the minutes of QSMs in October
2017, November 2019, and March 2020. The relevant extracts from the minutes can be
seen below.
October 2017
“PD noted the BEIS budget bid for Post Office issues.”
November 2019
“RR noted the increased risk of the Post Office Limited.”
March 2020
“Attendees then discussed Post Office Limited (POL). Attendees noted the importance of
the UKGI NED on the board, and the upcoming Spending Review. Attendees discussed the
previous POL Spending Review settlement and the tensions that arose during this, and the
desire for a smooth process this time around.”
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact us. Please quote the reference
number above in any future communications.
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Unit
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sector-information/uk-government-licensing-framework/crown-copyright
/
Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
If you are not happy with this reply, you can request a review by writing to HM Treasury,
Information Rights Unit, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ or by emailing us at the
address below. Any review request must be made within 40 working days of the date of
this letter.
Email: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
It would assist our review if you set out which aspects of the reply concern you and why
you are dissatisfied.
If you are not content with the outcome of the review, you may apply directly to the
Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the Commissioner will not make a
decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by HM Treasury
which is outlined above.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s
Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF (or via their website at:
https://ico.org.uk).