Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment his Department has made of the (a) fairness and (b) efficiency of the Horizon compensation schemes.
As of 2 June 2025, over £1 billion has been paid to over 7,300 claimants across the 4 horizon schemes. This represents a fourfold increase since July 2024, with more than 4,500 victims receiving compensation for the first time.
Claims for Horizon redress are assessed by applying the specific facts of the individual cases to established legal principles and any other factors which support reaching a fair outcome. Across each scheme, claimants have the option of accepting a fixed-sum offer or requesting a detailed assessment. Where a claimant is not satisfied with an offer for redress, the offer may be appealed. On the Group Litigation Order scheme, disputed offers would be assessed by an independent panel and in some circumstances, an independent reviewer.
We continue to seek options to speed up redress, in discussion with the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board.