Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds today (Friday 7 March) met chiefs for Fujitsu in Tokyo to begin talks over the cost of redress for victims of the Horizon Scandal.
As part of a two-day visit to Japan, the Business Secretary met the company’s Chief Executive Takahito Tokita and Paul Patterson, Director of Fujitsu Services Ltd, and welcomed their commitments on compensation.
The meeting comes as new statistics published today show £768 million has been paid to over 5,100 claimants across all redress schemes, representing a more than tripling of the total amount of redress paid to victims by government since the end of June 2024.
Speaking after the meeting, Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:
Today’s meeting with Fujitsu in Tokyo was productive and encouraging. I welcome their agreement to begin talks on compensation ahead of the Williams inquiry’s conclusion, and that they join the UK Government in our commitment to tackling this grave injustice.
We must never forget the lives ruined by the Horizon scandal and no amount of redress can take away that pain. But justice can and must be done. This government is determined to hold those responsible to account, and will continue to make rapid progress on compensation and redress.
Since we took office, we have more than tripled the total amount of redress paid to victims, and today we took another significant step towards justice.
Joint Statement by UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Paul Patterson (Director, Fujitsu Services Ltd):
The Rt. Hon. Jonathan Reynolds MP (UK Secretary of State, Business and Trade), Takahito Tokita (CEO, Fujitsu Limited) and Paul Patterson (Director, Fujitsu Services Limited) held a positive and constructive meeting in Japan today.
The UK Government welcomes Fujitsu’s repeated commitment to its moral obligation to contribute to the Government’s compensation for the victims of the Post Office scandal. Ahead of the completion of Sir Wyn Williams’ Horizon IT Inquiry, the Secretary of State and Mr Patterson agreed to progress discussions regarding Fujitsu’s contribution, acknowledging many parties are involved.
Officials from the Department for Business and Trade will continue to engage with Fujitsu representatives in full. The UK Government will not make a running commentary on these discussions but welcomes them and is grateful for Fujitsu’s engagement with Sir Wyn Williams’ Inquiry and its continued focus on delivering its public services commitments in the UK.
