Background to Network Transformation Scheme

On 8 April 2025, the Post Office Minister, Mr Gareth Thomas MP, announced to Parliament the government’s intention to hold an Inquiry into the Post Office‘s Network Transformation Scheme (“NTS”). The Minister stated:

During my engagement with the National Federation of Subpostmasters, concerns have been raised that the Post Office may have acted improperly in the course of the network transformation programme during the 2010s. There are claims that the Post Office and its representatives put undue pressure on postmasters, and may have given unregulated financial advice to encourage them to move on to contracts that were ultimately not in their best interests. Those allegations must be taken seriously. I am therefore commissioning an independent review of the conduct of the programme to establish whether there was any improper or coercive behaviour, and I will update the House on the scope and timing of the review in due course.

This announcement comes as a result of the work of Howe+Co solicitors in support of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters (“NFSP”) since 2024, urging for a review of the Network Transformation Scheme.

In summary, the Network Transformation Scheme was introduced by the Conservative/Liberal coalition Government in 2011. It was said that Sub Postmasters would benefit from an increase in government work, so long as they moved to new contracts. The new government work never materialised, in fact it decreased by 90%, and the contracts Sub Postmasters were moved onto left them significantly worse off. Many other Sub Postmasters were forced to leave the network.

The Minister Responds to Representations by NFSP and Howe+Co

As a result of repeated representations prepared by Howe+Co and submitted to the Minister on this issue, Howe+Co and the NFSP met with the Minister on 5 March 2025 to push for a full independent Statutory Public Inquiry.

On 8 April 2025, and following that meeting, the Minister announced that there will be an Inquiry into the Post Office’s conduct during the Network Transformation Scheme. A subsequent meeting was had with the Minister on 10 April 2025 to further argue the need for a statutory Public Inquiry.

Next Steps if you are you affected by the NTS

The NFSP in conjunction with Howe+Co are continuing to robustly argue that this latest Post Office scandal demands nothing less than a full independent statutory Public Inquiry. Any such Public Inquiry has to be on a statutory basis in order that it has the powers under the Inquiries Act 2005, including the ability to compel witnesses to give evidence and the production of evidence. Such powers to compel are not available in a non-statutory Inquiry.

As part of our continuing fight for a full independent statutory Public Inquiry, we are, in conjunction with the NFSP, taking instructions from those that have been affected by the NTS scandal.

If you have been affected by the NTS, please click the link below and complete the questionnaire. Howe+Co will then contact you regarding your experiences with the NTS. Alternatively, you can send an email to NTS@howe.co.uk