March 2015
JFSA Update 3rd March 2015
Those of you who attended the Kineton JFSA meeting in January will remember that everyone voted to would stay engaged with the Initial Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme (ICRAMS) but also begin to prepare for taking forward a legal action should ICRAMS fail. It was decided that after the length of time it has taken to get this far we wouldn’t to want to waste anymore.
JFSA update 7th March 2015
Invitations to Mediation meetings
A regular request from individuals in the group is to enquire as to whether or not you should attend mediation meetings. The simple answer is that it is your decision. However we are aware that some meetings are taking place, and we only hear back from a percentage of those who have attended and those comments are mainly about how disastrous the meetings have been.
What we do recommend is that anyone who is invited to mediation and has the opportunity to delay their decision until the Second Sight revised Part Two report is available, should certainly do so.
JFSA update 12th March 2015
As of the time of writing, the current situation which all of you should now be aware of is that Post Office has taken the decision to close down the Working Group of the Initial Complaint Review & Mediation Scheme. It has also, as those of you who saw Prime Ministers’ Questions in the Commons yesterday (11th March) would have seen, sacked Second Sight, the independent investigators.
When Post Office first notified us of their decision on Tuesday morning (10th March), I wrote the following email to the Minister, and as yet have not received a reply.
This morning I have been informed by Post Office that it has closed the Initial Complaint Review & Mediation Scheme, a copy of their press release is attached, and much of what is stated in it is incorrect.
I understand that Post Office this morning has also terminated the Second Sight contract and placed a ban on them speaking with JFSA.
I remind you of your assurance to me in your letter dated 22nd September 2013 when JFSA raised concerns about Second Sight being contracted to Post Office. In your letter you stated:-
“I have noted your concerns about the Mediation Scheme and the work of Second Sight being funded by POL and the potential, therefore, for their independence to be questioned. But it is important to be clear that Second Sight are not employed by POL.”
JFSA took you at your word, and engaged with the process, so how can Post Office terminate the Second Sight contract if they, as you state, “are not employed by POL”. JFSA has always understood that Second Sight works for the Working Group and as such, if their services were no longer required, it was a Working Group decision to make and not just POL’s. Similarly if a decision was to be made to close the Working Group as its work was complete, then that too was a decision for the Working Group, not POL to make by itself.
JFSA pointed out to you at the start of the Scheme that it was a mistake for POL to be holding the purse strings in this matter, as it uses this as a lever in order to try to cover up the years of incompetence that led to the need for this Scheme in the first place.
Presumably you are aware that the first draft of the Second Sight Part Two report was due out tomorrow, ready for discussion at what was to be the next Working Group meeting on 24th March 2015. Post Office’s actions today has attempted to gag Second Sight and stop this report from being published. Furthermore, there are numerous outstanding questions that Post Office has yet to answer, and large quantities of documentation yet to be provided by them, but in POL’s eyes the Scheme is now closed, as they now want to bury everything.
Minister, were you aware of Post Office’s actions today? Did you approve beforehand their decision to close the Scheme?
I look forward to your response.
If ever I receive a response from the Minister, I will ensure that you are all informed of its content.
Those of you who attended the Kineton JFSA meeting in January will remember that everyone voted to would stay engaged with the Initial Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme (ICRAMS) but also begin to prepare for taking forward a legal action should ICRAMS fail. It was decided that after the length of time it has taken to get this far we wouldn’t to want to waste anymore.
JFSA update 7th March 2015
Invitations to Mediation meetings
A regular request from individuals in the group is to enquire as to whether or not you should attend mediation meetings. The simple answer is that it is your decision. However we are aware that some meetings are taking place, and we only hear back from a percentage of those who have attended and those comments are mainly about how disastrous the meetings have been.
What we do recommend is that anyone who is invited to mediation and has the opportunity to delay their decision until the Second Sight revised Part Two report is available, should certainly do so.
JFSA update 12th March 2015
As of the time of writing, the current situation which all of you should now be aware of is that Post Office has taken the decision to close down the Working Group of the Initial Complaint Review & Mediation Scheme. It has also, as those of you who saw Prime Ministers’ Questions in the Commons yesterday (11th March) would have seen, sacked Second Sight, the independent investigators.
When Post Office first notified us of their decision on Tuesday morning (10th March), I wrote the following email to the Minister, and as yet have not received a reply.
This morning I have been informed by Post Office that it has closed the Initial Complaint Review & Mediation Scheme, a copy of their press release is attached, and much of what is stated in it is incorrect.
I understand that Post Office this morning has also terminated the Second Sight contract and placed a ban on them speaking with JFSA.
I remind you of your assurance to me in your letter dated 22nd September 2013 when JFSA raised concerns about Second Sight being contracted to Post Office. In your letter you stated:-
“I have noted your concerns about the Mediation Scheme and the work of Second Sight being funded by POL and the potential, therefore, for their independence to be questioned. But it is important to be clear that Second Sight are not employed by POL.”
JFSA took you at your word, and engaged with the process, so how can Post Office terminate the Second Sight contract if they, as you state, “are not employed by POL”. JFSA has always understood that Second Sight works for the Working Group and as such, if their services were no longer required, it was a Working Group decision to make and not just POL’s. Similarly if a decision was to be made to close the Working Group as its work was complete, then that too was a decision for the Working Group, not POL to make by itself.
JFSA pointed out to you at the start of the Scheme that it was a mistake for POL to be holding the purse strings in this matter, as it uses this as a lever in order to try to cover up the years of incompetence that led to the need for this Scheme in the first place.
Presumably you are aware that the first draft of the Second Sight Part Two report was due out tomorrow, ready for discussion at what was to be the next Working Group meeting on 24th March 2015. Post Office’s actions today has attempted to gag Second Sight and stop this report from being published. Furthermore, there are numerous outstanding questions that Post Office has yet to answer, and large quantities of documentation yet to be provided by them, but in POL’s eyes the Scheme is now closed, as they now want to bury everything.
Minister, were you aware of Post Office’s actions today? Did you approve beforehand their decision to close the Scheme?
I look forward to your response.
If ever I receive a response from the Minister, I will ensure that you are all informed of its content.