'Take PO out of redress scheme'

THE Post Office needs to be “taken out” of its role in administering redress schemes for victims of the Horizon scandal, Labour MP Liam Byrne has said, as the “legal bill appears to be racking up all the time” on compensation.

The Commons Business and Trade Committee said compensation for victims is still not being paid quickly enough and the Government should face financial penalties if the process does not speed up.

In a report published on Wednesday, one year to the day since the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office brought the scandal to widespread public attention, the Committee said although there had been improvements, redress schemes were still “poorly designed” and payment was still “not fast enough”.