MLAs write to UK Government to raise concerns about Fujitsu contracts
The letter, which has been seen by Belfast Live, calls on the government to start an immediate review of Fujitsu's eligibility to bid for critical public services
A number of MLAs have written to the UK Government's Business Secretary to raise concerns about Fujitsu continuing to be awarded government contracts in the wake of the Post Office Horizon scandal.
The letter, signed by People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, Alliance's Paula Bradshaw, Stewart Dickson, Michelle Guy, Peter McReynolds, and Eóin Tennyson, and SDLP's Mark H Durkan and Cara Hunter, calls on the government to begin an immediate review of Fujitsu's eligibility to bid for critical public services in light of its conduct and the reputational risk it poses.
They also called for the requirement that any Government supplier involved in systemic failures, like Fujitsu, demonstrate meaningful remediation and cooperation with compensation processes as a condition of continued commercial engagement.
"Fujitsu's Horizon system led to the wrongful conviction of 1,000 sub-postmasters and ruined thousands more lives," the letter reads. "Yet, despite this national scandal and the English High Court ruling in 2019 that found its Horizon IT system caused accounting errors, Fujitsu has since held more than £3.4bn in live public contracts. To date, Fujitsu has provided no direct financial support to victims. Nevertheless, leaked communications revealed that up until April 2024, Fujitsu spent £27 million on external PR firms, consultants, and legal advisers under project 'Holly' - all to help the supplier through the Horizon scandal, in contrast, UK taxpayers have footed the entire bill for financial redress, paying approximately £1 billion to more than 7,900 victims so far, with further claims pending.
"Whilst Fujitsu has acknowledged its wrongdoing, with its European CEO, Paul Patterson, admitting to UK Parliament in 2024 that the company has a "moral obligation to contribute", this has not translated into tangible action.
"Fujitsu also promised it would cease bidding for UK government contracts in the wake of Horizon, yet in April 2025, Fujitsu was awarded a £125 million contract to build Northern Ireland's new land registry system. It is also now in live re-tender negotiations with HMRC for the Trader Support Service (TSS), another lucrative £370 million contract to support post-Brexit trading arrangements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
"As recent parliamentary interventions from elected representatives across the UK have illustrated, it is unclear what due diligence safeguards are in place to prevent companies, such as Fujitsu, with a record of significant failures, from continuing to secure major public contracts. This situation raises serious questions about the standards of fairness, accountability, and due diligence guiding public procurement. What message does it send when a company responsible for such harm is allowed to continue profiting from public money, unpenalised and unaccountable?
"As members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, we are responsible for maintaining trust in the institutions our residents rely on every day. Trust in government is a hard-won, fragile necessity, forged through decades of real progress. Allowing a company that has inflicted such harm to continue winning contracts without consequence undermines pubic confidence not just in Westminster but across the entirety of our nation."
Lead signatory Gerry Carroll MLA, who also sits on the Assembly’s Finance Committee, said: “It is completely unacceptable that, despite its central role in the Post Office Horizon scandal and the immense harm caused to thousands of innocent sub-postmasters, the Department of Finance forked over £125 million to Fujitsu to build a new land registry system.
"To add insult to injury, it looks like Fujitsu might be involved in the new Trader Support Service from HMRC. This company has admitted its wrongdoing, yet hasn't coughed up a single penny of direct financial support to its victims. By continuing to award these high-value contracts, the Executive and British Government are rewarding Fujitsu for its abominable behaviour. I'm proud to have signed this letter and to join this cross-party call for justice, transparency and accountability.”
In a statement to Belfast Live, a Fujitsu spokesperson said: “We have apologised for, and deeply regret, our role in sub-postmasters’ suffering. We continue to work with the UK Government to ensure we adhere to the voluntary restrictions we put in place regarding bidding for new contracts while the Post Office Inquiry is ongoing.”
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