Urgency plea on Post Office staff injustice

MSPs may face being recalled to Holyrood during the summer break to deal with legislation to exonerate Scots wrongly convicted in the Post Office Horizon scandal, Humza Yousaf has said.

The first minister said that is because the Scottish Government will have to look at the final form of the Bill that is passed by the UK Parliament, before completing its own legislation.

The UK Government’s Bill is not due to be completed before the end of July, and Mr Yousaf warned that may mean Holyrood has to be recalled to ensure those in Scotland who were wrongly convicted can get “timely and expedited access” to the UK compensation scheme.

Audrey Nicoll, convener of Holyrood’s criminal justice committee, had asked the first minister if there will be enough time in the process for “robust” scrutiny of the Scottish Bill – and crucially for “those affected by the scandal to have their voices heard”.

More than 700 Post Office managers across the UK were convicted after the faulty Horizon accounting software made it appear as if money was missing from branches.

The Scottish Government will need to bring in its own legislation to help those wrongly convicted as the UK Government has ruled its Bill will only apply in England and Wales.

Appearing before the group of Holyrood’s committee conveners yesterday, Mr Yousaf said: “The trouble with the timetabling of all of this is that the UK Bill might well not conclude until the end of July.

“Of course this Parliament would be in recess at that point, and therefore we may have to

consider, it would be for the Parliament to consider a recall.

“The government, of course, would be happy to be involved in any recall, but it may be we have to consider that Bill in the course of the parliamentary recess.”

The UK Bill has been introduced to exonerate those convicted in England

and Wales on the basis of the faulty Horizon accounting software – with those whose convictions are overturned then having the option of taking a fixed and final offer of £600,000, according to Number 10.

Mr Yousaf continued to insist it would be better if the UK Government legislation applied to all four nations of the UK.

UNIFORMITY: Humza Yousaf favours this UK legislation applying to all four nations.