Top civil servant signed off Paula Vennells’ CBE despite missing crucial meeting

Chisholm said that Ms Vennells was not a ‘personal recommendation’ – CHRISTOPHER PLEDGER

A senior civil servant has said he “undoubtedly” signed off Paula Vennells’ nomination for a CBE, but admitted he missed the meeting where it was approved.

Sir Alex Chisholm told MPs that the nomination for a CBE, which the former Post Office boss has now handed back, “undoubtedly would’ve come across my desk”.

But he insisted he was not present at a committee meeting where the controversial final decision was made to go ahead and award her the honour.

He also said that Ms Vennells was not a “personal recommendation” and suggested that it was the Post Office which put her forward for the CBE.

Ms Vennells was granted her honour in December 2018 despite her having run the Post Office at a time when it was embroiled in the Horizon scandal.

A year earlier hundreds of subpostmasters had launched legal action against convictions which were based on evidence from faulty accounting software.

The victims had their reputations ruined and lost their livelihoods as a result, with many left bankrupt and some even being wrongly sent to prison.

Paula Vennells was made a CBE despite having run the Post Office during the Horizon scandal

Sir Alex, who is now Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, was the most senior civil servant in the Department for Business (BEIS) when Ms Vennells was awarded her CBE.

He was asked during an appearance before the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee whether he had signed off on the nomination.

“Certainly that recommendation would have come through my department at that time, no question,” he told MPs.

“I didn’t recall the discussion at the economy and honours committee, and when I asked the secretariat they said that’s because you weren’t there.

“So I missed that particular meeting, so I can’t help the committee with understanding that final process.”

Pressed further on whether he had put Ms Vennells’ name forward, he added: “Not a personal recommendation but undoubtedly Post Office Ltd, as a body under BEIS, would have come forward with the recommendation of the sponsoring department.

“It would’ve been on a list of names, a large list of names, and undoubtedly would’ve come across my desk at that time.”

At the time of the decision a list of nominees would have been drawn up by officials at BEIS and handed to the permanent secretary, which was Sir Alex.

After being approved by him it would then have gone to an honours committee, made up of senior civil servants and independent members, for scrutiny.

Ms Vennells has apologised for her role in the Horizon scandal and agreed to forfeit her CBE following demands from subpostmasters for her to do so.

The King formally stripped her of the honour last Friday.

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