Jarrow MP calls out Government contracts for Fujitsu following Post Office scandal
Kate Osborne MP has raised that Fujitsu are still making billions from Government contracts despite the Post Office Scandal.
Kate Osborne, the Member of Parliament for Jarrow and Gateshead East, raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday, July 8, following the statement on the Publication of Volume 1 of the report of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
The Horizon IT scandal involved the Post Office pursuing thousands of sub-postmasters for financial shortfalls that were ultimately caused by faults in Horizon, which is an accounting software that is developed by Fujitsu.
The MP highlighted the issue that the Fujitsu is still benefitting from Government contracts yet her constituent, Christopher Head, is yet to receive any compensation, despite being caught up in the scandal.
Over the last two decades, many like him had been accused of fraud and theft, with some losing their homes, going to prison and even tragically taking their own lives.
Despite only experiencing minor losses for the first seven years, in September 2014, Chris discovered that till was around £40,000 down - with the shortfall reaching £88,098 by that November.
From February 2015, Chris was questioned three times by the Post Office and his home was searched as part of the investigation.
After five months, the case against him was dropped but his bosses still insisted that he needed to pay the outstanding £88,098 - leading to Chris campaigning tirelessly for the Government to clear the victims and fully compensate those affected by it.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Osborne said: “Sir Wyn rightly highlights the role Fujitsu must play in restorative justice.
“Madam Deputy Speaker, I asked the previous Government to pause and review all Fujitsu contracts, something they refused to do.
“Does the Minister agree with me and Sir Wyn that it is time that they contributed to the compensation and that it is also time we stopped the Billions of pounds of Government Contracts Fujitsu continue to be awarded - including their bid for HMRC’s Trader Support Service (TSS), that is worth £355 million alone.
“I look forward to the response from the Minister's office to the letter I sent to him highlighting this yesterday.”
Following the session in the Commons, the Jarrow MP stated that she will continue to call on the Government to ‘impose a moratorium on all contracts’ concerning Fujitsu.
She commented: “It is frankly perverse that people like my constituent Chris Head have still not received any compensation, yet Fujitsu are raking in billions of pounds from Government contracts.
“Despite their central role in one of the most devastating corporate failures in our history, Fujitsu continues to pursue and gain government contracts.
“This is absolutely perverse.
“My constituent Chris Head, like far too many others, is still waiting for compensation for the loss he has suffered as a result of the Horizon Scandal and Fujitsu’s failures.
“I called on the previous Government to pause and review all existing contacts with Fujitsu - which they refused to do - and I will continue to call on our Government to do the same and impose a moratorium on all contracts.
“As well as asking a question to the Minister, I have written to Ministers urging them to urgently act and review these contracts and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this matter further.”
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