Justice for Sub-Postmasters and Sub-Postmistresses and Accountability of UK Government Ministers

That the Parliament understands that, between 2000 and 2014, more than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses across the UK were convicted based on information from the reportedly faulty accounting system, Horizon; further understands that 93 convictions have been overturned and more than £23 million has been paid in compensation; notes reports that the scandal has been described as one of the “biggest miscarriages of justice in British history”; expresses condolences following reports that four postmasters are believed to have taken their own lives after being harassed for cash that was never missing and that, sadly, postmasters have died without ever receiving justice; understands that the then Postal Affairs Minister, Sir Ed Davey, and other ministers, were reportedly repeatedly warned about accounting problems and issues with the software; calls, therefore, on the ongoing public inquiry into the reported Horizon IT scandal to summon Sir Ed Davey to account for the ministerial decisions that he made, which, it understands, have been described as “wicked” by postmasters, and further calls on Sir Ed Davey to issue an unreserved apology to all victims of the reported Horizon scandal.