Post Office compensation still moving far too slowly, say MPs
The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) needs to 'outline what more it will do to ensure every affected postmaster' is aware of their options for redress, according to the public accounts committee.
The Government announced earlier this month that more than £1 billion has been paid out to subpostmasters across the Horizon-related schemes.
Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Many are still awaiting compensation.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Richard Townshend/UK Parliament)
Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has described the scandal as 'one of the UK's worst ever miscarriages of justice' as 'thousands of people were failed deeply by the system'.
Releasing the annual report into DBT and its accounts, Sir Geoffrey said: 'This Committee would have hoped to have found government laser-focused on ensuring all those eligible were fully and fairly compensated for what happened.
'It is deeply dissatisfactory to find these schemes still moving far too slowly, with no government plans to track down the majority of potential claimants who may not yet be aware of their proper entitlements.'
According to the findings of the report released on Wednesday, DBT does not 'yet have clarity' on the number of claims that could be submitted under the Horizon Shortfall scheme, or the value of claims that could come forward under the convictions redress scheme.
The committee have said that the department should 'outline what more it will do to ensure every affected postmaster is fully aware of their options for making a claim under the Horizon Shortfall and Horizon Convictions Redress Schemes'.
They also say that officials should lay out how they plan to deal with remaining cases under the convictions scheme in particular.
According to figures released by the DBT earlier in June, £559 million has been paid out to 6,337 claimants from the Horizon shortfall scheme.
The data also says that of the 492 subpostmasters who joined Sir Alan Bates in taking the Post Office to court between 2017 and 2019 that have not been convicted, also known as the Group Litigation Order Scheme (GLO), 488 have received £167 million between them.
Elsewhere, £245 million has been paid out to 463 subpostmasters who had their convictions quashed by legislation put in place last summer, and £68 million has been paid to those who have had their convictions quashed in the courts.
A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: 'This report is based on a period from before last year's election.
'Since then, this Government has quadrupled the total amount paid to affected postmasters to provide them with full and fair redress, with more than £1 billion having now been paid to thousands of claimants.
'We will consider the recommendations and work with the Post Office, who have already written to over 24,000 postmasters, to ensure that everyone who may be eligible for redress is given the opportunity to apply for it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Trade strategy will protect UK firms from ‘harm' amid global shift
The Government has unveiled a new trade plan aimed at boosting exports and protecting UK firms at a time of growing uncertainty for global businesses following Donald Trump's tariffs. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it was the UK's first Trade Strategy to be published since Brexit. It follows the publication of an industrial strategy earlier this week which set out plans to back UK industries which the Government thinks have the potential to grow. The trade plan aims to make the UK the best-connected country in the world to do business, helping to loosen regulation and expand opportunities for exporters. As part of the plan, the DBT pledged to introduce new tools and safeguards to help protect UK firms against the threat of a shifting global trade environment. This is understood to mean expanding its ability to respond to unfair trade practices, guarding sectors such as steel, and potential powers to respond to deliberate economic pressures against the UK. The decision to strengthen trade defences comes at a time of heightened uncertainty following Mr Trump's tariff announcements in April, which have hiked charges on most US imports and raised concerns over the future of global trade arrangements. The strategy nonetheless follows a trio of major deals struck between the UK and India, the US and the EU in recent months. The agreement with the US is set to implement quotas that will effectively eliminate the tariff on British steel and reduce the rate on UK vehicles to 10%. Meanwhile, the deal with India opened up trade between the two countries by lowering tariffs on exports like gin and whisky. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the trade strategy was a 'promise to British business: helping firms to sell more, grow faster, and compete globally'. Jonathan Reynolds, the Government's Business and Trade Secretary, said: 'The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest. 'Our Trade Strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm, while also relentlessly pursuing every opportunity to sell to more markets under better terms than before.' Trade minister Douglas Alexander said the Government was taking 'every step necessary to safeguard British businesses from the increasingly protectionist mood in much of the world by sharpening our defensive toolkit'. Meanwhile, the newly created Ricardo Fund aims to set aside funding to tackle complex regulatory issues and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad – which the DBT said could unlock £5 billion worth of opportunities. It is also expanding the capacity of UK Export Finance – the country's export credit agency – by £20 billion to total £80 billion. The body provides Government-backed loans, guarantees and insurance to help companies trade overseas. Separate to the trade strategy, the DBT said it was calling for views across the steel industry about how future trade measures and protections should be shaped. Steel producers and businesses across the supply chain will be invited to submit feedback over a six-week 'call for evidence' period. Current safeguarding measures – which include tariff-free quotas on steel imports to limit sudden surges – expire in June next year.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner over rape scene shares graphic new allegations
A stuntwoman suing Kevin Costner for allegedly forcing her to perform an unscripted rape scene in his big-budget Horizon western series has hit back at the actor in a new statement - days after sharing new details to bolster her shocking claims. Devyn LaBella first alleged in a lawsuit last month that she was 'the victim of a violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene directed by Kevin Costner' while serving as a double for actress Ella Hunt for Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 in May 2023. In an amended complaint filed on June 18, LaBella included screenshots of text messages with the film's intimacy coordinator along with detailed descriptions of the painful emotions she allegedly experienced after the scene was completed. On Tuesday, Costner's attorney Marty Singer slammed her latest allegations in a statement to the Daily Mail, accusing LaBella of fabricating her account and insisting there was 'no intimacy or anything sexual' in the scene she filmed. But now, LaBella and her legal team are doubling down on their allegations and have accused Singer, Costner, and the other defendants named in her suit of conspiring to silence and discredit her, as they attempt to bury her 'indisputable evidence.' 'What happened to me on that set was a reckless violation - a breach of consent and of basic workplace safety,' LaBella said in a statement shared with the Daily Mail on Wednesday. 'I was told to lie down, and without warning or rehearsal, another actor was brought in to simulate a rape on top of me. My undergarments were exposed. I was left alone afterward, overwhelmed and in shock. Compliance under pressure is not consent. Consent cannot be given after the harm has already begun.' LaBella continued: 'Once the line is crossed, there is no real choice left to make. I spoke up immediately. And for that, I was met with silence, deflection, and efforts to discredit me. 'This case is not just about what happened to me. It's about a broken system that protects those in power and punishes those who speak out. It's about demanding change, not just for me but for everyone who deserves to work in safety and dignity. 'What happened on that set was wrong. Let it be known: I stood up. I told the truth. And I will never apologize for demanding the bare minimum - to be treated like a human being at work.' Her attorneys, James A. Vagnini and Kate McFarlane, both shared statements echoing LaBella's claims. Vagnini claims that, contrary to remarks made by Singer, Labella immediately objected to the traumatic incident she experienced on set and that there's strong evidence - such as texts and a report from the intimacy coordinator - that supports her account. '[T]he Defendants failed her in every possible way,' said Vagnini. 'The playbook used by Defendants like this is tired, archaic, and as hollow as their words. 'How many more men who have followed this same pattern of denial and redirection have to be sued or go to jail before they realize that leading with accountability and an apology goes a long way?' McFarlane went a step further and accused Costner and co. of attempting a 'character assassination' of LaBella. 'However, it is not surprising,' added McFarlane. 'We have seen this time and again from men in this industry attempting to deflect the narrative rather than take any accountability for their actions that harm others. 'The evidence attached to the amended complaint shows that Ms. LaBella had the courage to speak out about her assault immediately after it happened. She maintains that same courage in continuing her fight today.' Singer has not yet responded to a new request for comment. In a new statement, LaBella on Wednesday accused Costner of 'a reckless violation - a breach of consent and of basic workplace safety' In an amended complaint filed on June 18, LaBella included screenshots of text messages with the film's intimacy coordinator along with detailed descriptions of the painful emotions she allegedly experienced after the scene was completed Shared in LaBella's amended complaint is a text exchange she allegedly shared with the 2024 film's intimacy coordinator, Celeste Cheney, the day after the 'rape scene' in question was shot. 'I wanted to discuss yesterdays [sic] abomination when we both have a chance,' LaBella, 30, is seen to write in screenshots of the messages, as first reported by US Weekly. A number bearing Cheney's name is seen to respond: 'Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this Devyn. Let's talk through it.' According to the complaint, LaBella then listed more than a dozen questions regarding the scene. 'Why was there no intimacy coordinator?' she asked. 'Why was a stunt double doing this non-stunt work - especially given the sensitivity of it? Why weren't there any preparations going into the scene? 'Why wasn't it a closed set?' she continued. 'How did lining up a shot turn into a rape sequence? Why was a man from the camera department directing this non scripted action?' LaBella concluded the chain by asking Cheney, 'Who is gonna take responsibility for the abuse of power, negligence and ignorance on set?' In a separate string of texts, LaBella claimed to Cheney that she'd spoken to the film's line producer with another crew member, identified as 'Marshelle', and received an apology for the alleged incident. 'Basically telling me you two spoke, and that Kevin had a long convo with Ella yesterday basically putting the blame on Kevin and that he needs to be brought up to the current times and that it won't happen again and apologize,' wrote LaBella, summarizing the conversation. Cheney responded: 'Thanks for the update. I'm glad Jeff came to you and apologized.' LaBella's complaints about her treatment on set were summarized in an incident report written by Cheney, per the amended filing. In the report, Cheney claimed that several days after the incident, 'apologies were made to Ella [Hunt] and Devyn by various parties involved.' 'This was not a formal or uniform process,' continued Cheney. 'Ideally, apologies would be issued by [Costner], the 1st AD, and others involved to both Ella and Devyn. 'Ella [Hunt] requested that the intimacy coordinator be brought back to provide support the following week. Production obliged. Devyn requested that production pay for her flight home that weekend so she could receive support from family and friends. Production obliged.' Singer blasted LaBella's amended complaint in a scornful statement on Tuesday. 'Ms. LaBella was doing a rehearsal on an Insert Shot for a scripted scene. There was no intimacy or anything sexual in the shot,' he claimed. 'There was tugging on a dress while she was fully clothed in a dress with long bloomers lying down next to a male actor.' Singer also claimed that LaBella thanked her supervisor for 'these wonderful weeks' in a text message sent following her last day of filming. 'Numerous witnesses have contradicted Ms. LaBella's meritless claims,' he further charged. 'We look forward to the swift end of this specious lawsuit.' The Daily Mail previously reported in late May that LaBella had filed a lawsuit against Costner, 70, and Territory Pictures over her experience on the set of the Costner-directed $100 million Western film series. In the lawsuit, LaBella says she was hired as a stunt double for Horizon 2's lead actress, Ella Hunt, under a SAG agreement. Her job was to stand in for Hunt 'during physical scenes,' including performing stunts, per the complaint. According to LaBella's complaint, any 'last-minute requests for nudity or simulated sex' are not allowed by SAG, and the film's producers are expected to give 48 hours' notice of any changes. The performer's permission is also required when it comes to any changes related to intimate scenes, and Hunt's contract mandated having a coordinator on set for all intimacy scenes, the complaint reads. She said she had no issues during the first several weeks of filming until the allegedly 'violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene' took place on May 2, 2023, which she further claimed was 'improvised' by Costner, without warning. Hunt allegedly refused to perform the scene, and LaBella was brought in as a stand-in, without warning, preparation, or consent, and without an intimacy coordinator present, the suit alleges. According to the complaint, a male actor - Robert Ivers - was directed to mount her, pin her down, and violently hike up her skirt. The set was not closed, the suit states. LaBella alleges the experience left her humiliated and traumatized. The suit claims LaBella performed in a scripted rape scene the previous day, which was handled professionally. In that scene, there were rehearsals, an intimacy coordinator was present, and the set was closed. At the time, Singer issued a blanket denial of LaBella's claims, insisting her accusations have 'absolutely no merit' and are 'completely contradicted by her own actions - and the facts'. Singer blasted LaBella for employing 'shakedown tactics' to fleece his A-list client and called her a 'serial accuser of people in the entertainment industry.' Another of LaBella's attorneys, Cassidy Geoghegan, told Daily Mail at the time that her client had 'never filed a lawsuit against anyone, let alone an employer or Hollywood figure.' But Geoghegan added that LaBella did previously receive 'tuition reimbursement after a class action settlement was reached against a well-known actor's acting school.' The Daily Mail exclusively revealed the class action in question related to a lawsuit filed against James Franco and his now-defunct acting school, Studio 4, in which the actor was accused of inappropriate and sexually exploitative behavior by former students. Franco denied any wrongdoing but eventually settled the case for $2.2million. Roughly $1.3million of that sum was allocated to reimburse tuition costs for students who attended Studio 4 between 2014 and 2017. In a 2018 L.A. Times article, in which the Franco allegations were first reported, LaBella told the outlet that students were often told smaller roles in Franco's projects were reserved exclusively for Studio 4 students, but often those roles required extra work or nudity. 'I didn't have agency representation at the time, so I thought, 'Well, I'm not going to be able to get into good auditions, so this might be my opportunity,'' LaBella was quoted as saying. LaBella added that she and other classmates uploaded their auditions to a website, but nobody she knew ever heard back. It's unclear how much LaBella recouped from the class action. But LaBella's attorney denied Singer's claims that her client has a negative reputation in Hollywood. 'She has a glowing track record of consistent professional work, even on Costner's set,' said Geoghegan. 'She reported the incident within 24 hours of it happening and asserted her legal claims within a month of the production wrapping. She has been pursuing these claims consistently ever since and has not wavered in her resolve to have this matter addressed.'
Leader Live
5 hours ago
- Leader Live
Trade strategy will protect UK firms from ‘harm' amid global shift
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it was the UK's first Trade Strategy to be published since Brexit. It follows the publication of an industrial strategy earlier this week which set out plans to back UK industries which the Government thinks have the potential to grow. The trade plan aims to make the UK the best-connected country in the world to do business, helping to loosen regulation and expand opportunities for exporters. As part of the plan, the DBT pledged to introduce new tools and safeguards to help protect UK firms against the threat of a shifting global trade environment. This is understood to mean expanding its ability to respond to unfair trade practices, guarding sectors such as steel, and potential powers to respond to deliberate economic pressures against the UK. The decision to strengthen trade defences comes at a time of heightened uncertainty following Mr Trump's tariff announcements in April, which have hiked charges on most US imports and raised concerns over the future of global trade arrangements. The strategy nonetheless follows a trio of major deals struck between the UK and India, the US and the EU in recent months. The agreement with the US is set to implement quotas that will effectively eliminate the tariff on British steel and reduce the rate on UK vehicles to 10%. Meanwhile, the deal with India opened up trade between the two countries by lowering tariffs on exports like gin and whisky. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the trade strategy was a 'promise to British business: helping firms to sell more, grow faster, and compete globally'. Jonathan Reynolds, the Government's Business and Trade Secretary, said: 'The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest. 'Our Trade Strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm, while also relentlessly pursuing every opportunity to sell to more markets under better terms than before.' Trade minister Douglas Alexander said the Government was taking 'every step necessary to safeguard British businesses from the increasingly protectionist mood in much of the world by sharpening our defensive toolkit'. Meanwhile, the newly created Ricardo Fund aims to set aside funding to tackle complex regulatory issues and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad – which the DBT said could unlock £5 billion worth of opportunities. It is also expanding the capacity of UK Export Finance – the country's export credit agency – by £20 billion to total £80 billion. The body provides Government-backed loans, guarantees and insurance to help companies trade overseas. Separate to the trade strategy, the DBT said it was calling for views across the steel industry about how future trade measures and protections should be shaped. Steel producers and businesses across the supply chain will be invited to submit feedback over a six-week 'call for evidence' period. Current safeguarding measures – which include tariff-free quotas on steel imports to limit sudden surges – expire in June next year. Mr Reynolds said the Government would 'not sit by idly while cheap imports threaten to undercut UK industry'.
