Month: January 2024

Reforms to ‘boost confidence in the BBC’s impartiality and complaints system’ 

Government recommends reforms to boost public trust in the BBC following a review at the mid-point of its 11 year Charter

  • Review recommends greater independent scrutiny of complaints handling, improving transparency for commercial media organisations, and extending Ofcom oversight over more BBC online services 
  • BBC urged to better reflect diverse views and opinions in decision-making and improve engagement with underserved audience groups, among other key recommendations 

The Westminster government has recommended major reforms to help boost audience confidence in the BBC’s  impartiality and complaints system, following the first Mid-Term Review published by the government today.

Launched at the halfway point of the BBC’s 11 year Royal Charter, the Mid-Term Review evaluates the effectiveness of the governance and regulatory arrangements introduced by the Charter in 2017, with recommendations to ensure the best outcome for audiences. 

Audiences will be given greater certainty that their complaints about BBC TV, radio and on demand content – including concerns about bias – are dealt with fairly, through greater scrutiny of its complaints process, which is to be made more independent from programme makers. A new legally binding responsibility on the BBC Board will require it to actively oversee the BBC’s complaints process to assure audiences that their concerns are being fairly considered. 

In recognition that audiences are increasingly getting their news and watching content online, Ofcom oversight will be extended to parts of the BBC’s online public services, including the BBC News website, to enable Ofcom to hold the BBC to account in a more robust way.

And Ofcom will be given a new legally binding responsibility to review more of the BBC’s complaints decisions, meaning audiences can have greater confidence that their complaints have been handled fairly.

The Mid-Term Review stresses the need for the BBC to clearly demonstrate how it will meet its obligations on distinctiveness over the remainder of this Charter period, and for the BBC to meaningfully engage with its competitors, such as radio stations and local newspapers, when it is considering a change to its services.

The government consulted the BBC and Ofcom closely on the recommendations and expects them to be implemented in a timely manner. The government has also identified some key issues as a result of the Mid-Term Review that need to be further considered at the next Charter Review before 2027. 

In particular, we will continue to place a strong emphasis on impartiality and complaints, including reviewing the effectiveness of the BBC’s new social media guidelines and whether the BBC First model – formally introduced by the Charter in 2017 – process remains the right model for complaints, as well as how distinctive BBC output and services are from those of commercial providers.

The Government has highlighted these priorities for the next Charter in correspondence with the BBC. 

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The Government wants to see a strong, independent BBC that can thrive in the years to come as a major contributor to the nation’s successful creative industries. 

“In a rapidly changing media landscape the BBC needs to adapt or risk losing the trust of the audiences it relies on. Following constructive conservations with the BBC and Ofcom, we have recommended reforms that I believe will improve accountability while boosting public confidence in the BBC’s ability to be impartial and respond to concerns raised by licence fee payers.

“These changes will better set up the BBC to ask difficult questions of itself, and make sure Ofcom can continue to hold the broadcaster to account. We all rely on the BBC being the best it can be and this review will help ensure that is what the British public gets.”

Complaints and impartiality 

The Mid-Term Review has concluded that the BBC’s complaints process introduced at the last Charter Review in 2017, known as BBC First – where audience complaints are normally addressed by the BBC before they can be escalated to Ofcom – allows licence fee payers to hold the BBC directly accountable. 

However, impartiality continues to be an ongoing issue for audiences, with concerns about the broadcaster’s objectivity making up the majority of complaints about the BBC’s editorial content. The review highlights a lack of public confidence in the way the BBC currently handles complaints.

Following challenging and constructive conversations with the government, the BBC will introduce reforms to enhance the independent scrutiny of its complaints handling and further improve the experience of viewers who make a complaint. 

The BBC Board previously had a responsibility to oversee only the establishment of a complaints handling process. We are now giving the entire Board the responsibility to oversee how that process is working in practice. Furthermore, the non-executive board directors and external advisors on the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee will be given greater powers to scrutinise and challenge how BBC senior management responds to complaints. 

The job role which has responsibility for complaints handling now reports directly to the Director General rather than the Director responsible for editorial policy, separating pre-broadcast editorial policy and post-broadcast complaints resolution.

Currently Ofcom regulates the BBC’s TV, radio and on demand output, but not other elements of its online content. The government has committed to extending Ofcom regulation to other elements of the BBC’s online public service material in order to give audiences confidence that the BBC is being held to greater account across its digital services. The government expects this to apply to BBC branded content on third party websites, applications and other online interfaces over which the BBC has editorial control – including the BBC News website and the BBC’s YouTube channel.

The review recommends the BBC materially improves the experience of audiences when lodging a complaint by giving clearer explanations of the process and the roles of the BBC and Ofcom, to ensure licence fee payers are not put off from sharing their views. The review also recommends Ofcom improves the transparency of its decision making when considering whether to open a formal investigation into content that the BBC has found has breached its own editorial standards. This will help audiences to better understand whether Ofcom is taking further regulatory action and why.

At Charter Review, the government is committing to examining whether BBC First remains the right complaints model to enable the BBC to deliver against its responsibility to serve all audiences.

To help the BBC go further to tackle perceptions of bias, the review also recommends that the BBC publishes more information about the work it is doing to strengthen the impartiality of its editorial content, including to illustrate the impact it’s having.

The BBC’s impact on the wider market 

Looking at the BBC’s impact on the UK media landscape, the review sets out that the BBC must clearly demonstrate how it effectively balances delivering for licence fee payers and supporting the UK’s wider creative industries when making decisions about how its services and output are distinctive. This is increasingly important given broader structural trends in some of the markets in which the BBC operates, such as online local news, and will be an important question for the Charter Review.

Meaningful engagement with competitors should be strengthened and the BBC must be more transparent when it seeks to make changes to its services. This higher standard of engagement and transparency should support other businesses operating in the same markets as the BBC, including commercial radio stations and local news publishers. The government has recommended that Ofcom publish an annual high-level view on the BBC’s position in the local news sector, as it does for other sectors, to provide further clarity.

The government has also recommended that the BBC develop a public strategy outlining how it will partner with others, and provide competitors with greater clarity on how it will make decisions on partnerships. 

While the government supports the BBC’s ambitious plans to grow its commercial revenue, and has found that the governance and regulation of its commercial activities works effectively, the impact of  any changes, such as the introduction of a BBC Commercial Board in 2022, needs to be closely monitored.

Diversity

As a national broadcaster, the BBC has a duty in its Charter to accurately reflect, represent and serve diverse communities across the UK, both on and off the screen. 

While the BBC has said it is committed to improving representation, the review recommends it considers how diversity of thought and opinion could be better reflected in its decision-making. Some audience groups, for example, disabled viewers and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, feel underrepresented by the BBC. We recommend that the BBC works to ensure engagement with these groups is sufficient to best understand their specific needs and concerns. 

Storm Isha: Scotland lashed by high winds

RED WEATHER WARNING ISSUED FOR NORTH EAST SCOTLAND

Storm Isha has brought high winds and heavy rain across Scotland, combining with snow melt and leading to the risk of flooding.

Janine Hensman, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said yesterday: “Snow melt and widespread bands of rain across the country are expected to cause localised flooding.

“Rivers are starting to respond to rainfall so we expect more localised flooding from rivers, sea and surface water.

“It’s likely to disrupt travel and transport, and potential flooding could hamper efforts to respond to wind damage from #StormIsha.

“Stay up to date with local warnings in force now for your area. Our three-day Scottish Flood Forecast shows the conditions that are expected further ahead. Follow Met Office updates for weather impacts.

“The strong winds combined with high tides and large waves may also result in wave overtopping and flooding of causeways, promenades, properties and roads along the southern and western coasts. Take care on exposed coasts.

“We have issued Regional Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings as our rivers respond to the heavy rain and snow earlier in the week. We continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7.

“People living, working and travelling in affected areas are advised to consider any steps they need to take now to be prepared and stay safe, and to take extra care if they need to travel.

“We advise people to sign up to Floodline to receive free updates for where they live, or travel through, directly to their phone. People can also check our flood updates for all the latest information and the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected further ahead.” 

Gusts of 74 miles per hour were recorded in Edinburgh during the night and Police Scotland is advising commuters to avoid all but essential travel:

“Due to the amount of debris caused by #StormIsha, short notice road closures, localised flooding and other issues are expected, in addition to the high winds. As a result, the police advice is to Avoid Travel = travel only if absolutely necessary.”

A Scotland-wide Yellow Warning remains in place until midday today.

Scotrail has suspended all train services until after this morning’s rush hour.

FLOODING

Be Prepared

  • Check the Scottish Flood Forecast - developed in partnership with the Met Office, it provides the earliest indication possible of when and where flooding is expected over the next three days, and whether the source is from rivers, surface water or the sea.    
  • Sign up to Floodline and receive free flood messages letting you know when the area where you live, work or travel through is at risk of flooding.  
  • Create a flood plan which includes knowing how to shut off your gas, water and electricity supplies.  
  • Consider installing flood protection at your home.

Stay safe

  • Follow the advice of emergency responders.
  • Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.    
  • Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.    
  • If you’re walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and small watercourses.    
  • Stay away from flooded promenades and crashing waves around the coast.
  • Consider deploying flooding protection products if required.

Stay informed

What’s the difference between a Flood Alert and a Flood Warning? 

  • We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.    
  • Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.    
  • Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.  

The winds will gradually ease through the day on Monday. Overnight into Tuesday will be a calmer interlude for most, with lighter winds and fewer showers in the north for a time.

This does not last for long, however, as low pressure brings further wet and windy weather from the west on Tuesday morning, spreading eastwards across the UK though the day.  

Two Weeks On: Have you seen Daniel?

POLICE are continuing to appeal for information to help trace missing man Daniel Fraser two weeks since he was last seen in Musselburgh.

Around 1.37am on Sunday, 7 January, the 35-year-old was seen outside The Old Golf Course reception building, Stables Pavilion, near the racecourse in the town.

Extensive enquires, including reviewing CCTV, are ongoing to trace Daniel who is from the Drylaw area. 

On the evening of Saturday, 20 January, officers were out and about in Musselburgh asking the public if they have seen Daniel or if they know where he might be.

They were asked to think back in case they remember seeing him in the area two weeks ago, when he was last seen.

He is described as white, around 5ft 8in tall, of slim build with short light brown hair. When last seen he was wearing a grey long-sleeved jumper with a white t-shirt underneath, dark-coloured jeans and black trainers with blue detailing.

Chief Inspector Neil Wilson said: “It has been two weeks since Daniel was last seen and we are becoming increasingly concerned. It is completely out of character for him not to keep in contact with his family and friends and this is a very upsetting time for them.

“Extensive searches and enquiries are continuing to trace him and a team of local officers have been assisted by specialist resources, including the Force helicopter, search teams and police dogs, in our efforts to find Daniel as soon as possible.

“I am appealing to anyone who was in the Musselburgh area, particularly near the Old Golf Course building to think back. Please get in touch if you think you may have seen anyone matching Daniel’s description.

“In addition, if you have private CCTV or dash-cam footage that could assist with our enquiries to find where he went then let us know. Any information, no matter how small, could help our enquiry.

“I urge anyone with information to contact 101 quoting incident number 3723 of 11 January.”

Letters: Take on the Challenge for the British Heart Foundation in 2024

Dear Editor, 

Did you know that a quarter of adults can’t think of something they’re truly proud of in the last 12 months? This statistic highlights the need for meaningful experiences that not only enrich our lives but also make a positive impact on the lives of others.  

As we step into the promising year of 2024, I’d like to encourage people to embark on a journey that not only fosters personal pride but also contributes to a noble cause. Participating in an event for the BHF provides the perfect opportunity to achieve both. 

The BHF is supporting more than 60 events across the country this year, including the Edinburgh Half Marathon. By choosing to take on an event like BHF’s iconic London to Brighton Bike Ride, Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim or one of the AJ Bell Great Run Series events, which the BHF are official charity partner for, you not only challenge yourself physically and mentally but also contribute to funding crucial research. 

Imagine the sense of accomplishment and pride you’ll feel as you cross that finish line, knowing that your efforts have made a difference to the 7.6 million lives affected by heart and circulatory diseases, in the UK each year. 

To learn more about BHF events or to register, visit the British Heart Foundation website; www.bhf.org.uk/events 

Sincerely, 

Dan Geneen,  

Head of Events Marketing at the British Heart Foundation 

Former SRU wellbeing coach announced as guest speaker at business anniversary event

Love Your Business networking club, which has welcomed 185 speakers and over 4000 attendees since it launched in 2018, celebrates its 6th anniversary with the announcement of this month’s speaker on the 25thJanuary as Ben Scott, former Scotland Men’s Rugby Wellbeing Coach, who worked with the team to help bridge the gap between wellbeing and performance.

The club, at Black Ivy in Edinburgh, was launched by Michelle Brown, founder of the eponymous PR agency which marks its 10th anniversary this year, to help businesses make connections and build relationships, exchange ideas, referrals and contacts, and hear from inspiring speakers every month, sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and business insights.

These include Chris van der Kuyl CBE, Chairman and Co-Founder of 4J Studios, developers of the multi-award-winning Minecraft Console editions, former co-founder of Social Bite and business coach, Alice Thompson, California based environmental entrepreneur Paul Tasner, founder of PulpWorks and Michael Welch, OBE and CEO at Tirebuyer.com.  

Also, Rachel Hanretty, founder of the award-winning Mademoiselle Macaron, which sells over 35,000 macarons a week, has a turnover of £1.2m and landed an order to send her meringue confections to the Barbie film set.

This month’s guest speaker, Ben Scott, specialises in health, wellbeing, performance and personal growth and was head-hunted to become Scotland’s Men’s Rugby Wellbeing Coach in 2021 to enhance the squads individual and collective wellbeing, on and off the field.

Having suffered from physical and mental challenges as a teenager, Ben embarked on a journey to discover the answers he needed to overcome them, which involved completing various courses, including a five-year master’s degree in Chiropractic, a three year postgraduate in Functional Neurology and a postgraduate diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy.

From January 2021 until April 2023, he worked with the team during a time that became one of their most successful performance periods, breaking many of their records, and seeing them rise two places in the World Rugby Rankings. 

Ben, who continues to coach elite athletes in person and online, and also helps patients at Morningside Chiropractic, will be sharing the story of his career journey and the ‘4 Pillars of Wellbeing’ to help business owners get 2024 off to a positive start, professionally and personally.

Michelle said: “I’m delighted to welcome the wellbeing coach, Ben Scott, as the speaker at Love Your Business this month, whose advice on ‘purpose, potential and performance’ will help business owners to get 2024 off to a flying start.

“For the past six years so many speakers have given up their time to share their inspiring stories with us and learnings along the way and provide valuable advice for businesses which always leaves everyone in the room inspired and motivated.”

Ben said: “Being asked to speak at the Love Your Business networking event this month is a great opportunity for me to share insights on how our wellbeing effects our performances, both personally and professionally, and to highlight ways we can overcome our challenges, so that we are better able to fulfil our potential and reach our goals.”

“I’m really looking forward to celebrating the 6th anniversary of a club which has brought so many people and businesses together to share their knowledge and experiences, in what is such a fantastic achievement for Michelle.”

Over the years the networking club, has also supported various charities and social enterprises, including Make 2nds Count, Support in Mind Scotland, Invisible Cities, Epilepsy Scotland and Fighting Against Cancer Edinburgh, FACE who have received proceeds from ticket sales and marketing support.

Love Your Business networking club runs on the last Thursday of every month, from 11am till 1pm. The first event of the year is on the 25th January.  

Tickets are £20 plus booking – https://rb.gy/e8vefk.

Scottish parents celebrate wider access to sport for kids

  • Over two fifths (41%) of Scottish parents think children have a wider choice of sports and facilities in the local community spaces and at school than they did as children.
  • Almost one in ten (9%) of women in Scotland surveyed have never played rugby but would like to give it a go
  • As Founding Partner of the first women’s Lions team, Royal London is championing women’s rugby by helping to level the playing field for future generations.

41% of Scottish parents of school aged children say that children have a wider choice of sports options and facilities both at school and in the local community than they did.  A similar number (42%) say that children can play any sport they want to, and 37% of parents thought children today have more access to sporting role models of all genders and sports than when they were younger.

The research, from Royal London, follows the announcement of the first ever Lions Women’s tour, set to take place in 2027 in New Zealand. As Founding Partner, Royal London is committed to championing and supporting women’s rugby, and to making a difference by helping to level the playing field for this and future generations.

Only 5% of women surveyed in Scotland aged 55 plus were offered the chance to play rugby at school versus 56% of men of the same age. For younger people, the disparity lesses, with 24% of women aged 18-34 in Scotland given the same opportunity at school, compared to 37% of men in the same age range.

The decreasing gender sports gap will be welcome news for many with 9% of women who haven’t played rugby stating they would like to try.  

Shaunagh Brown, rugby player and ambassador for Royal London, said: “In recent years there has been a significant increase in the visibility of women in sport, across the board.

“Undoubtedly, we still have a lot of work to do but the Lions Women’s tour is a great example of the progress being made. Increased accessibility at grassroots level, including a practical overhaul of facilities at grounds, coupled with visible role models for women and girls to look up to will help with this.

“Royal London’s meaningful commitment to coach and player pathways and grassroots funding is a significant boost to increasing access and interest in the sport, helping ensure a more diverse, bigger player and coach pool ahead of 2027.  

Susie Logan, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Royal London, said: “It’s positive to see access to traditionally ‘male’ sports improving for young girls. Access to rugby is improving for girls but there is more work to be done. It’s clear that there are people who would have liked the opportunity to play and didn’t get the chance.   

“This is why we’re so proud to be a founding partner of the first ever Lions Women’s rugby team and investing into the rugby programmes that will turn the dial even further at a grassroots level across the UK and Ireland.

“We are aiming to encourage more girls to participate in rugby by presenting more opportunities for them to get involved in a sport that they might not otherwise have considered.”

The partnership will also see Royal London invest in player development in each of The British & Irish Lions constituent Unions through the delivery of a special Pathways Funding grant.

The grants will support the women’s player and coach pathways in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England, to help Unions develop more players and coaches capable of being selected for the inaugural Lions Women’s Tour.

In addition, Royal London will also be investing in women’s and girls’ grassroots rugby across the UK and Ireland in the run-up to the Tour.

VIDEO: https://www.royallondon.com/about-us/our-purpose/partnerships/lions-womens-founding-partner/.

Free employability training course at Granton Hub

The Welcoming Edinburgh are providing a free course for parents to prepare New Scots (refugees and migrants) for working in the UK.

In this course, participants will learn how to search for jobs, write job applications and cover letters, improve interview skills, and learn about work culture in Scotland and UK employment rights.

The course takes place weekly every Thursday morning over 6 weeks and subsidies including childcare, and transport can be provided.

Classes start on Thursday 8th February at Granton Hub in Madelvic House and will run from 10:30am – 12:30pm.

Please book on Eventbrite on http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/798461207967

Graffiti summit brings together key voices from across the city

Key stakeholders from across Edinburgh have come together to address the issue of graffiti in the Capital.

The graffiti summit held on Thursday (18 January) was chaired by Council Leader Cammy Day and included representatives from Police Scotland, parliamentarians, business leaders, heritage organisations, residents’ groups and members of the street art community, as well as local elected members and the Council’s street cleansing team.

Participants in the round-table event discussed the current picture across the city and the Council’s role tackling graffiti on public land, though acknowledged that the vast majority of graffiti is on private property. Key to the debate was the difference between vandalism and street art, and how ‘tolerance zones’ and murals like Colinton Tunnel and Marine Parade could be part of the answer.

Potential solutions considered at the summit are the provision of a specialised graffiti removal service provided by the Council for city stakeholders and property owners, funded by the Council and private landowners, and sharing Council data with the police. Participants also discussed the impact of graffiti, and its removal, on historical buildings and structures.

Councillors and officers will now consider options for expanding the Council’s graffiti removal service in partnership with Police Scotland, heritage groups and community representatives before reconvening the wider group to discuss next steps.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “I’m really grateful to all the people who came along to the graffiti summit. It’s clear from our discussions that we all share the same aim – we want to be proud of the city we live in and for people who come here to love it as much as we do.

“It’s clear from speaking to people today that there’s a real spectrum of ‘graffiti’, from formal murals like Colinton Tunnel which have the consent and support of the community, through to offensive tags. I know many of the complaints we receive are about the latter.

“One of the key outcomes today was to work with both the private and public sector to solve this problem, whether that’s sharing data with the police to help them to identify the extent of the problem or working with stakeholders to provide an enhanced service.

“This adds to the £0.75m investment we’ve already made this year, which is allowing our excellent cleansing and graffiti teams to use specialist vehicles to focus on removing graffiti from public buildings and infrastructure, as well as power washing areas such as streets, pavements and steps which need it most.”

Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “I came along to the graffiti summit to find out more about what’s happening across the city and was really interested to learn about the differing perceptions of graffiti. There’s clearly a vast difference between graffiti as street art and as vandalism.

“When street art is approved and in an agreed space it’s an opportunity for young artists and I think harnessing that could potentially be a good way of reducing the incidence of vandalism and recognising young talent.

“Today I wanted to get a better understanding of how much of a problem this is for the city, the strategies in place and how the private sector can contribute. It’s very much a ‘Team Edinburgh’ approach. This isn’t something that can be solved overnight but we need outcomes that will support the visitor experience, support the private sector who are having to deal with this and understanding the value that creative street art can bring to the city as well.

Ross Blair, Founder and Creative Director of creative agency TrenchOne Industries, said: “We were really happy to be invited to the summit, and we welcomed the discussion with all the partners.

“I think there needs to be education across the board about what constitutes graffiti. People use graffiti as a catch-all term that covers vandalism, tags, murals and art on walls, but it’s more nuanced than that.

“We’re getting some great talent in the city and I think we should be celebrating that. We should focus on young people, educating them and encouraging them to become artists. It’s about having inclusive discussions, between all council areas, local groups, artists and other stakeholders to understand different points of view.”

The Council recently invested £0.75m to give the Capital a deeper clean and enhance its graffiti task force, all with the aim of improving the look and feel of Edinburgh’s streets.

The dedicated graffiti task force is on street daily, using specialist vehicles with fully trained operators to power wash landmarks such as the Scotsman Steps, closes in the Old Town and other priority areas across the city.

Granton Goes Greener: Free workshops

We are very excited to have an evening full of exciting FREE workshops including macrame projects and some woodwork at Granton Parish Church, next Friday-26/01 between 4 – 6pm💚💚💚.

We have managed to secure a small community grant-Creative Chest funded by Urban Union through the One City Trust, The City of Edinburgh Council and North Edinburgh Arts🙏🙏🙏

During the creative evening, you will be able to complete a small macrame project or make your own bird feeder or a spice rack.

Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Treasury Committee queries public sector organisations over use of Fujitsu

WESTMINSTER’s Treasury Committee has asked His Majesty’s Treasury, and all associated agencies and public bodies, to send them details of any contracts awarded by their organisation to Fujitsu Services Ltd, or any other Fujitsu Global-owned entities, since 2019.

The international technology corporation has faced renewed questions over its role in the Post Office Horizon Scandal in recent weeks.

The Committee aims to understand the extent to which the company has continued to be awarded government contracts with HM Treasury-affiliated organisations since the High Court ruling in 2019. 

Questions include whether the contracts went through a tendering process, the extent to which the company’s role in the scandal was considered as part of the due diligence process and whether they have considered terminating contracts with the company at any stage. 

Treasury Committee Chair, Harriett Baldwin, said: “The public outcry regarding the Post Office sub-postmaster scandal is entirely justified, and I know I speak for the whole Committee when I express my horror at the injustices the victims faced. 

“It’s clear that Fujitsu has questions to answer over its conduct. I think it’s important we can see the extent to which taxpayer money has been spent with Fujitsu since the High Court ruling as they are simultaneously assessed on their fitness to remain a government supplier.”