Post Office: Horizon Accounting System

Baroness Burt of Solihull Excerpts
Thursday 18th June 2020

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Burt of Solihull Portrait Baroness Burt of Solihull (LD) [V]
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The Minister seems keen to move on from this debate, but there are many faithful ex-servants of the Post Office who cannot move on, whose lives have been ruined. Does he agree that they deserve proper justice—yes or no? The noble Lord, Lord Arbuthnot, has shown that the proposed review is inadequate. If the Minister does believe in justice, will he now finally sanction an independent, judge-led inquiry?

Lord Callanan Portrait Lord Callanan
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I do agree with the noble Baroness that they deserve justice. Nothing that we can do will be able to put back together some of the lives that have been shattered and broken by this terrible scandal but I honestly believe that the best way of securing justice is through the judicial process, which is ongoing and which I cannot pre-empt. That process will run its course but then there is additional work to do; we think the best, swiftest and fastest way of doing that is through an independent review.