Tim McCormack
Date
13 November 2023
request-1016088-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Post Office
100 Wood Street
London EC2V 9ER
Your Ref:
Classification:
Public
Dear Tim McCormack,
Freedom of Information Request – FOI2023/00485
We are writing in response to your email received by Post Office Limited (“
Post
Office”) on 18 August, which has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (“
FOIA”).
In your email you have requested the information shown in bold below:
“
In Ms Burton's report she states in the final paragraph:
7. The Remco will review the terms of the 2022/23 STIP when it meets
later in June and I will be recommending that Remco exercises its
discretion not to award the element of bonus specifically relating to the
Inquiry. Any variable pay schemes going forward should not include any
metrics relating to the Inquiry
Could you please provide me with the wording of the 2022/23 STIP Metric
that, as she states, specifically relates to the Inquiry.
Please provide me with the date of the REMCO meeting that initially
approved that metric.
Please provide me with the minutes of the REMCO meeting that initially
approved that metric.”
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Post Office Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered No. 2154540.
Registered Office 100 Wood Street, London WC2V 7ER
postoffice.co.uk
Post Office and the Post Office logo are registered trade marks of Post Office Limited.
We can confirm that Post Office does hold the information you have requested, and
we are able to provide you with some of this information.
The wording of the 2022-23 Short-Term Incentive Plan (“
STIP”) relating to the
inquiry metric, is:
“Ensure POL provides the information and cooperation needed by the POHIT Inquiry
by responding to their requests in a reasonable manner and timeframe, so that if
feedback is given by POHIT Inquiry on our engagement that is positive.”
Please note in the above extract, ‘POL’ refers to Post Office Limited, and ‘POHIT’
refers to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
The date of the Remuneration Committee (“
RemCo”) meeting that approved the
inquiry metric was 16 August 2022. However, following the reviews carried out
relating to the Transformation Incentive Scheme (“
TIS”), by Post Office and the
Department for Business and Trade (“
DBT”), the RemCo has removed the inquiry
metric from the STIP.
The reviews can be found at the following links:
https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/media/5tzew1fx/amanda-burton-report-review-of-
the-transformation-incentive-scheme.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-review-of-the-governance-
relevant-to-post-office-limiteds-senior-executive-remuneration
We have withheld the minutes from the RemCo meeting of 16 August 2022, as it
falls under the exemption in section 43(2) of the FOIA, which relates to information
which would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person
(including the public authority holding it). In applying this exemption, we have had
to balance the public interest in withholding the information against the public
interest in disclosure.
We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosure of information concerning
RemCo meetings, and the decisions that RemCo may make, as this helps to
scrutinise decision-making and promote transparency in Post Office business, as
well as provide reassurance about the way public money is being spent.
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postoffice.co.uk
Classification
However, there is a strong public interest in withholding the RemCo meeting
minutes as it would, if disclosed, prejudice the commercial interests of Post Office.
RemCo meetings involve discussions that include very sensitive information relating
to Post Office, including about Board targets, design and implementation of
incentive schemes and internal commercial deliberations. It is not in the public
interest to publish sensitive details of discussions that would be likely to prejudice
Post Office’s position in a competitive market.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of this response, you do have a right to
request an internal review. You can do this by writing to the address above within
40 working days of receipt of this response stating your reasons for your internal
review request or alternatively, by emailing
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx. If, having requested an internal review by Post Office, you are still not satisfied with
our response you also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Team
xxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx
https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/en/governance/access-to-information/access-to-
information/
Post Office Limited is committed to protecting your privacy, information about
how we do this can be found on our website at www.postoffice.co.uk/privacy
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postoffice.co.uk
Classification