Question reference: S6W-26188
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 18 March 2024
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Current status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 April 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, which aims to exonerate people who were wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported issues with the Post Office accounting system, Horizon, not applying to Scotland, what action it will take to ensure that the exoneration of anyone wrongly convicted in Scotland will not be delayed and will not take longer to be effected than in England and Wales.
Answer
The Scottish Government has repeatedly made it clear to the UK Government that the best way to ensure that there is a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected sub-postmasters is for a UK-wide Bill. It is not too late for the UK Government to change their position, and we will continue to press for a UK-wide solution as the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill progresses through the Westminster Parliament.
If the scope of the UK Bill is not extended we will do everything in our power to work as quickly as possible to introduce Scottish legislation that delivers justice for all those affected. Any such legislation can however only be passed after the UK Bill has been passed, to allow account to be taken of any amendments made during passage at Westminster. This is required to ensure full compatibility with UK legislation and the UK compensation scheme, in which the Scottish Government has no locus.