Schemes aimed to compensate former post office operators, who were affected by Horizon IT scandal, are “a patchwork quilt” with “holes in it”, the chair of the inquiry into the scandal has said, forecasting that they are likely to miss the deadline to pay up.
On Monday (17), the inquiry’s chair, Sir Wyn Williams, called for legislative change to resolve issues for the compensation schemes that were put in place to recompense those affected by the scandal.
“There are three schemes in existence by which compensation can be delivered to eligible applicants. They came into existence at different times, and are responses to very different sets of circumstances as they unfolded. What has emerged is a patchwork quilt of compensation schemes. And, unfortunately, it is a patchwork quilt with some holes in it," The Guardian quoted Williams as saying.
So far almost £100 million has been paid out so far by the Post Office and the government but Williams said it was his “strongly held view” that administrators would be “unable to deliver compensation payments to all applicants” by the deadline of Aug 7 next year, saying it would mean that 550 claims would have to be heard within 20 months.
"I am left with the distinct impression that the most complex cases have not been addressed as speedily as might have been the case."
He has sent a report setting out his recommendations to business minister Kevin Hollinrake in an attempt to ensure “full and fair” compensation is paid to those affected by the scandal.
“The evidence upon me hasn’t changed. It hasn’t lessened to a degree. Many hundreds of people suffered disastrous consequences by reason of the misuse of data from Horizon, and thousands more suffered very significantly.”
Williams said he had “been of the view for some months that we are too far down the road with each scheme to contemplate abandoning them in favour of one comprehensive scheme”.
Despite it being more than a year since Sir Wyn closed the "human impact evidence" portion of the inquiry, he said "the effect of the evidence upon me hasn't changed".
"It hasn't lessened to a degree," he said.
More than 700 people were prosecuted for theft and false accounting between 2000 and 2014 after the Post Office’s flawed Horizon IT system incorrectly suggested there were financial shortfalls. A high court judge ruled in 2019 that the system contained a number of “bugs, errors and defects” and many of the criminal convictions were overturned.
The Post Office had paid out more than £80m across the historical shortfall scheme and the overturned historical convictions scheme by the end of April 2023. The government also paid out an additional £19m in interim compensation under the group litigation scheme in the same period.
January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, shows industry report released today (11).
According to retail body British Retail Consortium (BRC), UK total retail sales increased by 2.6 per cent year on year in January, against a growth of 1.2 per cent in January 2024. This was above the 3-month average growth of 1.1 per cent and above the 12-month average growth of 0.8 per cent.
Food sales increased by 2.8 per cent year on year in January, against a growth of 6.1 per cent in January 2024. This was above the 3-month average growth of 2.3 per cent and below the 12-month average growth of 3 per cent, shows BRC report.
Commenting on the figures, Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, “January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, albeit on a weak comparable.
"Consumers headed to the shops to refresh their homes for the year ahead, taking advantage of big discounts on furniture, bedding and other home accessories.
"With growth across nearly all categories, only toys and baby equipment remained in decline. While the bouts of stormy weather put a temporary dampener on demand, sales growth held up well throughout the rest of the month. This was also helped by the earlier start of the reporting period, adding a few more post-Christmas shopping days into the mix.
“Whether this strong performance can hold out for the coming months is yet to be seen. Inflationary pressures are rising, compounded by £7bn of new costs facing retailers, including higher employer national insurance contributions, higher National Living Wage, and a new packaging levy.
"Many businesses will be left with little choice but to increase prices, and cut investment in jobs and stores. Government can mitigate this by ensuring its proposed business rates reforms do not result in any shop paying more in business rates.”
Commenting on food and drink sector performance, Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, said, "The current climate of economic uncertainty is reflected in IGD’s January shopper confidence index, which has declined by 3 points.
"With unemployment at 4.4 per cent (+0.4 per cent vs this time last year), shoppers have responded by employing strategies to control their spend.
"The notable increase in volume over value sales suggests a shift towards private label products and a change in purchasing categories, as shoppers anticipate further price rises for food and drink.”
KASH Retail, operator of Nisa Local Fenby Avenue in Darlington, has generously donated £1,000 through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) Pride Pot to support this year’s Darlington Pride Festival.
The donation, inspired by store team member Gavin Morrison, who performs as drag queen Georgina Sparks, will provide a valuable boost to the event, helping organisers deliver an inclusive and vibrant celebration for the local community.
Darlington Pride Festival, taking place from Saturday 9 to Monday 11 August, is a key event in the town’s cultural calendar. The festival showcases performances, parades, and community activities, promoting diversity and inclusivity.
It is supported by numerous local businesses and organisations, including primary sponsor Cummins Inc. and the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner.
Cllr James Coe, Darlington Borough Council’s LGBT+ Champion, welcomed the donation, saying, “We’re very grateful to Nisa Local for offering £1,000 to support plans for this year’s event.
"The funds will be added to the council’s budget for the event and help make Pride 2025 extra special. “
The events team deliver a varied programme of free public events and welcome the opportunity to work with sponsors to make fun, exciting things happen in the town centre.."
KASH Retail was able to make this generous donation thanks to funds from MADL’s Pride Pot. The fund, created in 2023, allows Nisa retailers to support LGBTQ+ community groups and charities with £1,000 donations.
Nisa retailers are able to utilise the funding pot all year round.
Kevin Polley, Operations Manager for Nisa Local, highlighted the importance of customer support in making these donations possible: “Every time a customer buys one of our own-brand products, a penny from that sale is added to our Make a Difference fund.
"This donation is out of the MADL Pride Pot - we’re delighted to be supporting such a popular and inclusive event, right on our doorstep!”
Kate Carroll, Nisa’s Head of Charity, praised the initiative, stating: “We are incredibly proud to see Nisa retailers using MADL funding to support causes that matter to their local communities.
"The Pride Pot was created to help make a difference to LGBTQ+ events, and it is fantastic to see KASH Retail supporting Darlington Pride Festival in such a meaningful way.”
With the help of contributions like this, Darlington Pride Festival continues to grow, offering a welcoming and inclusive space for all to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.
Mevalco, the Bristol-based Spanish distributor which includes some of the UK’s most talented high-profile chefs and fine dining establishments amongst its customers, has announced a collaboration with The MAZI Project – the Bristol youth-led charity, which was founded in 2019 and nourishes vulnerable 16–25-year-olds through food.
The MAZI Project supports care leavers, and young asylum seekers, as well as young people recovering from homelessness or who may be fleeing domestic violence. Not only does The MAZI Project educate the next generation in food culture and health, but it empowers young people by helping them learn the trade and find job opportunities within the catering industry.
Mevalco is supporting the hard work of The MAZI Project volunteers by supplying some quality Spanish food ingredients to help spread the love of good food and good cooking.
Chef & Development Manager, Sam Sohn-Rethel is heading the collaboration for Mevalco and is a volunteer supporting The MAZI Project workshops and demonstrations. Sam emphasises the importance the work that The MAZI Project volunteers undertake and how food can support a fulfilling life – especially for young people:
“The MAZI Project is an incredibly worthwhile and inspirational charity, I am humbled by the work and commitment that this amazing team of volunteers gives to The Project. It truly does make a real difference to people’s lives.
“Food is very much our business – it’s something we feel passionately about. And we know that the love of food is a powerful ‘force for good’ when used to help guide young people who may be looking for new career opportunities. To learn new skills can be truly life changing.
“We are delighted to help through joining a fantastic team of volunteers and giving our time alongside some food ingredients to support The MAZI Project which we know is a lifeline to many young people in the city who have been struggling to find their way”.
Founder and CEO of The MAZI Project, Melanie Vaxevanakis, says:“The MAZI Project is all about nourishing vulnerable young people through food. Through our weekly recipe boxes, cooking classes, and talks with industry professionals, we are using food as a tool for social mobility, advocacy and a cure to the public health crisis.
“We use the dinner table and notion of ‘breaking bread’ to help reduce isolation, build confidence, and make those in need feel cared for and extraordinary.”
“We’re delighted to welcome Mevalco as a valued partner and look forward to the year ahead and the support we can collectively bring to those in need”.
Mevalco is one of the UK’s fastest growing wholesalers specialising in premium Spanish Foods which it sells into the Hospitality Industry as well as Retail markets. Voted the Best Small Wholesaler of the Year in 2019, it works closely with many of Bristol’s premier restaurants and hotel groups.
Deployment of an AI-enabled age identifying tool can prevent underage vaping to a great extent thus avoiding conflicting situations as well, a recent report has shown, highlighting the scale of minors vaping in the UK and the role of that such solutions can play to deter underage sales in a busy store.
According to new data from Privately SA, the deployments of AgeAI solution in UK vape stores prevent on average eight minor customers per store per day from purchasing vapes.
The six months’ field data was gathered from UK stores using AgeAI devices and showed that each device scanned an average of 92 customers per store daily, identifying up to eight as underage.
With fines exceeding £1,500 for underage sales, the findings underscore the need for more effective and automated solutions.
AgeAI removes subjectivity from age verification by providing instant and highly accurate facial age estimation. It is fully anonymous, with no images transmitted or stored, ensuring full GDPR (UK) compliance.
By automating checks, AgeAI helps stores prevent fines and reduces friction between staff and customers.
“Asking for age ID can be a major source of conflict and automation is a hugely effective way of addressing this,” said Ankush Panwar, AgeAI product manager, Privately SA.
"Age estimation removes the potential for friction and allows store owners and managers to make smart and AI-based decisions. They want to do their best to operate responsibly and not sell to minors, and AgeAI makes this seamless for all parties.”
AgeAI is the brainchild of SafetyTech company Privately SA, which has performed more than one million age checks in retail stores. Business owners with multiple stores can use the data from AgeAI to identify which are likely to have a higher incidence of minors trying to buy vapes and put more robust checks in place.
A unique feature of AgeAI is its automated "refusals register," which digitally records instances where purchases are denied due to age restrictions. This simplifies compliance for retailers, ensures accurate reporting, and enhances staff accountability.
“It’s a challenging environment for retailers and anything that can reduce conflict is hugely welcome,” continued Panwar.
“Using AI and automation for this purpose is a triple win – it’s frictionless for customers, store owners can mitigate the risk of sales to minors and the subsequent fines, and it shows the vape industry is serious about preventing underage sales.
“Furthermore, our automated refusals register is transformative. It can be challenging for stores to understand how refusals are being maintained, but automating the process means streamlined tracking for improved accuracy and efficiency, centralised metrics for compliance management and actionable feedback to enhance staff training and ensure accountability.
“As the UK tightens enforcement on underage vape sales, solutions such as AgeAI provide a scalable, accurate and privacy-conscious way to ensure compliance while reducing in-store tensions.”
Booker has launched a brand-new ordering platform exclusively for its symbol group retailers to help them deliver local groceries to their customers’ doors, in as little as 30 minutes.
The new ordering platform, Scoot, connects shoppers with their local participating independent retailer enabling them to order food, drinks and household essentials from a curated list of products chosen by the retailer.
Scoot facilitates the processes of ordering, payment, and picking processes, leaving the retailers solely responsible for organising the delivery, whether they handle it in-house or use third party.
Scoot is currently piloting in Budgens Abridge with the aim to pilot another three stores in February and March. The platform will be phased out more widely to Booker symbol group retailers – across Budgens, Premier, Londis and Family Shopper from April 2025.
The low-cost ordering platform builds on Booker’s commitment to support independent retailers in growing their business – offering the convenience of home delivery allows these retailers to reach new customers within their local community and help them increase sales opportunities.
Retailers also benefit from being able to set their own delivery, service and minimum order charges, which can vary dependent on location.
Retailers within Booker’s symbol groups that sign up to Scoot will receive a launch support package worth over £2800 – including point of sale, digital assets and thermal delivery bags.
All stores can take advantage of upweighted marketing support including targeted social media adverts, and a contribution towards a full promotional wrap for their delivery vehicle.
Colm Johnson, Managing Director for Booker Retail said: “We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to help our customers grow their business, so we are incredibly proud to announce the launch of our new delivery platform, Scoot, to support them in doing just that.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our retailers to increase their basket spend, store sales and connect with new and existing shoppers in their local communities.
"The feedback from our pilot test has been really positive and we look forward to welcoming more retailers to the P over the next few months.”
Goran Raven, Director for Budgens Abridge said, "I am thrilled to be partnering with Booker who are enabling me to offer a new service to my customers.
"It is not only appealing to my existing customer base, but it will also help me recruit new customers. This is a fantastic opportunity and a big win for me.”