Post Office Capture software: wrongful convictions and financial redress
Dear Post Office Limited,
1. The Post Office’s faulty Capture accounting software for sub post offices led to this:
27 February 2024, Business and Trade parliamentary committee –
Mr Nick Read, Post Office Chief Executive Officer:
“I'll let Mr Recaldin get into the detail of this. We're very thankful for Kevan Jones coming forward with his eight particular victims of the Capture system. We've obviously spent the last five weeks working hard on it.”
2. Five weeks before 27 February takes us back to 23 January 2024. Hence, the Post Office has, as at July 2024, been “working hard” on its Capture investigation for nearly six months.
3. What has the Post Office discovered in that time? When is the Post Office going to fully disclose and publish what it has discovered?
4. What steps is the Post Office taking to overturn any associated unsafe convictions?
5. What arrangements are in hand at the Post Office to make financial redress for the many victims?
Yours faithfully,
Rupert Lloyd Thomas
Our ref: FOI2024/01011
Dear Rupert Lloyd Thomas,
Thank you for your request for information which was received on 11th
July. Your request is being considered under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.
The Act requires that a response must be given promptly, and in any event
within 20 working days. We will therefore reply at the latest by 12th
August.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
Regards,
Data Protection and Information Rights Team
100 Wood Street,
London,
EC2V 7ER
Dear Rupert Lloyd Thomas,
We are writing in respect of your information request, FOI2024/01011. At
present, our view is that your request falls within the scope of the
qualified exemption at section 43 the Freedom of Information Act ("
FOIA"), relating to Commercial Interests.
As permitted by section 10 of the FOIA, Post Office Limited (" Post
Office") requires further time to consider the public interest test in
relation to this exemption. An extension is permitted until such time as
is reasonable in the circumstances. Having considered the FOIA Code of
Practice, Post Office considers that an extension of 20 working days is
appropriate in this instance and will therefore aim to respond to you by
10th September.
Kind regards,
Data Protection and Information Rights Team
100 Wood Street
London
EC2V 7ER
[1][email address]
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
References
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1. mailto:[email address]
Dear Rupert Lloyd Thomas,
I am writing with regards to your request for information, which was
received on 11 July.
We have started to consider your request, however we require further
information before we are able to proceed, please see attached letter for
further details.
As you will appreciate the statutory timescale for our response to your
request will not commence until we are supplied with the further
information which we require. In the event that we do not hear from you we
will assume that you do not wish to proceed with your request.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
Yours sincerely,
Data Protection and Information Rights Team
100 Wood Street,
London,
EC2V 7ER
Dear [email address],
In answer to your questions:
3. What has the Post Office discovered in that time? When is the Post Office going to fully disclose and publish what it has discovered?
3.1. Please provide all the information the Post Office has found in its Capture investigation, from January 2024 onwards.
3.2. Can you list all the Capture-related information the Post Office has disclosed to Kroll/DBT from May 2024 onwards?
3.3. Can you list any Capture-related information you hold which has not been disclosed to Kroll/DBT?
4. What steps is the Post Office taking to overturn any associated unsafe convictions?
I request information on any work done investigating convictions that involved Capture.
Yours sincerely,
Rupert Lloyd Thomas
Dear [email address],
3. I mean the number of records, with list of contents, that the Post Office has passed to DBT/Kroll.
Plus list of any other Capture records not disclosed to DBT/Kroll.
4. I request information on any work done since January 2024 on investigating convictions that involved Capture.
Yours sincerely,
Rupert Lloyd Thomas
Afternoon Rupert Lloyd Thomas,
We would like to refer you to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
guidance on how to access information from a public authority, which can
be found at the following link:
[1]https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...
The above link may help with refining your request. As we have now
received multiple clarification emails from yourself relating to the
reference number FOI2024/01011. The two we have received are below:
First sent 19/08/24:
3. What has the Post Office discovered in that time? When is the Post
Office going to fully disclose and publish what it has discovered?
3.1. Please provide all the information the Post Office has found in its
Capture investigation, from January 2024 onwards.
3.2. Can you list all the Capture-related information the Post Office has
disclosed to Kroll/DBT from May 2024 onwards?
3.3. Can you list any Capture-related information you hold which has not
been disclosed to Kroll/DBT?
4. What steps is the Post Office taking to overturn any associated unsafe
convictions?
Second sent 26/08/24:
3. I mean the number of records, with list of contents, that the Post
Office has passed to DBT/Kroll.
Plus list of any other Capture records not disclosed to DBT/Kroll.
4. I request information on any work done since January 2024 on
investigating convictions that involved Capture.
It has become unclear of the information you are looking for, due to the
multiple clarification emails. Please be aware that if we keep receiving
multiple emails, even if relating to the original request this could be
classed as a new request, due to the possible expansion in different
direction to the original request. It is also possible that repeated
requests on the same topic without allowing us time to respond may not be
replied to as this could fall under section 14 of the FOIA: [2]Dealing
with vexatious requests (section 14) | ICO
With the above in mind could you please clarify from your oiginal
requester the following. We need your final clarification of what you are
looking for from the below:
3. What has the Post Office discovered in that time? When is the Post
Office going to fully disclose and publish what it has discovered?
Relating to the above point (point 3) in particular, it would be useful to
know when you say ‘what has the Post Office discovered’ do you mean the
number of records we have passed on have been passed to DBT/Kroll? Or do
you mean something different. If so, could you please explain further what
you mean by ‘what has Post Office discovered’.
4. What steps is the Post Office taking to overturn any associated unsafe
convictions?
Could you please confirm if for the above question you would like
information on any work done investigating convictions that involved
Capture?
Please note anything beyond or out of scope of these two questions will be
viewed as a new Freedom of Information request.
Kind regards
Information Rights Team
Data Protection and Information Rights Team
100 Wood Street
London
EC2V 7ER
[3][Post Office request email]
Logo, company name Description automatically generated
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
References
Visible links
1. https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...
2. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/foi...
3. mailto:[post%20office%20request%20email]
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