Question reference: S6W-25624
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 4 March 2024
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 March 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it will ensure that all sub-postmasters and mistresses whose wrongful convictions in Scotland were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system will be identified, and all such convictions quashed.
Answer
On 13 March 2024 the UK Government introduced the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill which, if passed, will automatically quash on coming into force any convictions which fall within the scope identified on the face of the Bill. Details of the UK Bill can be found on the UK Parliament website: Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament
The Scottish Government believes that the best way to deliver a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected sub-postmasters is through a UK-wide Bill, and will continue to press the UK Government to deliver a solution that provides this.
We will introduce Scottish legislation if necessary, but any such legislation cannot be passed in the Scottish Parliament until after the UK Bill has been passed to ensure full compatibility with both the UK legislation, and the UK compensation scheme in which the Scottish Government has no locus.