Post Office Governance and Horizon Compensation Schemes Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Department for Business and Trade

Post Office Governance and Horizon Compensation Schemes

Gerald Jones Excerpts
Monday 19th February 2024

(10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Kemi Badenoch Portrait Kemi Badenoch
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The hon. Gentleman will know that Stormont is now up and running, and that we will be having conversations with devolved Governments on the best way to resolve this. We do not have an answer now, but we are aware of the issue and are working on it.

Gerald Jones Portrait Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

The reports on the weekend were extremely alarming, given how sub-postmasters have been treated in recent years. On the obvious question, can the Secretary of State give any assurance or guarantee that the compensation will be paid and taken forward before the general election is called? That surely is what sub-postmasters would ask for, and it is the least that they deserve.

Kemi Badenoch Portrait Kemi Badenoch
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

That is absolutely the right thing to do. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, because it gives me another opportunity to restate that the very idea that compensation would be delayed until after the election is complete nonsense. It does not even make political sense. We want to ensure that people get their money as quickly as possible.