Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry
OngoingPost Office Horizon Inquiry
Public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, examining how more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted based on faulty Fujitsu software between 1999 and 2015.
5 years
Duration (ongoing)
£74.7m
Total Cost
114
Witnesses
96
Hearing Days
303
Statements
Parliamentary Activity 34 Click to expand
2 debates
26 questions
since Jan 2022
11 Nov 2025
13 Oct 2025
13 Oct 2025
Hansard Debate
Post Office Horizon Inquiry: Volume 1
17 Jul 2025
14 Jul 2025
View all 34 mentions →
Reports (2) Click to expand
| Title | Volume | Publication Date | Tracked recs | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Interim Report: Compensation | - | 17 Jul 2023 | 8 | |
| Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Final Report | 1 | 08 Jul 2025 | 19 |
Timeline (8) Click to expand
01 Sep 2020
Chair Appointed
Sir Wyn Williams appointed as Chair.
01 Jun 2021
Converted to Statutory
Inquiry converted to statutory public inquiry with power to compel witnesses.
14 Feb 2022
Hearings Begin
Human impact hearings commenced.
15 May 2023
Phase 4 Hearings
Phase 4 examining Fujitsu's role began.
08 Jan 2024
Phase 6 Hearings
Phase 6 examining Post Office Ltd began.
13 May 2024
Phase 7 Hearings
Phase 7 examining Government, UKGI and Royal Mail Group.
Costs Click to expand
Total Inquiry Cost (Cumulative)
£74,726,556
to Mar 2025
Cumulative Total FY20-21 to FY24-25
Cost Breakdown (to Mar 2025)
Inquiry Legal Costs
£24,455,048
Panel remuneration & Counsel to the Inquiry
Core Participant Legal Costs
£15,904,255
Legal funding for core participants
Staff
£4,915,306
Accommodation
£8,851,979
Technology
£4,092,512
Other
£16,507,456
Total inquiry cost £74.73 million (to March 2025). Inquiry ongoing - report expected 2025. Category breakdown: inquiry_legal_costs = Chairman/Chair + Legal team + Counsel; staff_costs = Secretariat; accommodation_costs = Venue hire; technology_costs = Audio visual + Software/IT; other_costs = External document review lawyers + Expert witnesses + Other operational expenses.
Cost History
Recommendations (1)
Close HSS Dispute Resolution Procedure when HSSA opens
Recommendation
The current Dispute Resolution Procedure in HSS should be closed once all claimants currently within the Procedure have either (a) settled their claims or (b) transferred to HSSA. No claimant who is not in the Dispute Resolution Procedure when HSSA …
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Published evidence summary
- The recommendation called for the HSS Dispute Resolution Procedure to be closed once current claimants had settled or transferred to HSSA.
- The Department for Business and Trade rejected this recommendation on 9 October 2025, stating it conflicted with the principle of "full and fair" redress and that postmasters should retain the choice between dispute resolution and the appeals process (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1), DBT, 9 October 2025).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee noted the rejection, and the committee report HC 1598 did not challenge it directly but concluded the broader HSS scheme remained in need of reform (Business and Trade Committee, HC 1598, March 2026).
- The Department for Business and Trade rejected this recommendation on 9 October 2025, stating it conflicted with the principle of "full and fair" redress and that postmasters should retain the choice between dispute resolution and the appeals process (Government response to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry report (volume 1), DBT, 9 October 2025).
- The Business and Trade Select Committee noted the rejection, and the committee report HC 1598 did not challenge it directly but concluded the broader HSS scheme remained in need of reform (Business and Trade Committee, HC 1598, March 2026).
Department for Business and Trade
(Primary)
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