Nick Read gave evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry on 9 October 2024 and returned on 11 October. The official hearing-page summaries establish those dates and the subject of the inquiry phase, but they do not establish that Read was unprepared for a particular challenge. That judgment depends on the questions and answers in the hearing transcripts.
What Nick Read’s October evidence covered
Read appeared as Post Office Ltd’s chief executive during Phase 7 of the inquiry. The phase examined the Post Office’s current practice and procedure, compensation, and recommendations for the future. The inquiry’s 9 October hearing page links to a recording, transcript and four witness statements associated with his evidence.
Read returned to give further evidence two days later, on 11 October. The inquiry maintains a separate hearing page for that session; the two dates should not be treated as one continuous sitting.
Does the official record show he was unprepared?
The hearing-page summaries establish that Read testified, but do not describe a specific exchange as a challenge he was unprepared to answer. The available record here therefore does not substantiate “unprepared” as a factual conclusion. To assess that characterization fairly, a reader would need to examine the relevant transcript exchange: what counsel or a panel member asked, how Read answered, whether his answer addressed the question, and whether a contemporaneous document was cited.
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Without that exchange, it would be misleading to invent a quotation, attribute a judgment to a questioner, or claim that Read failed to answer a particular question. The inquiry’s public-hearings archive explains that videos and transcripts are available from the relevant hearing pages.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the January 2024 compensation hearing fits
Read also appeared at a Business and Trade Committee session on Post Office and Horizon compensation on 16 January 2024, alongside Fujitsu representative Paul Patterson. That was a separate parliamentary hearing, not part of his October inquiry testimony. The committee’s event record provides the session details.
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The inquiry’s evidence index dates Read’s first witness statement to 9 October 2024 and associates it with his Phase 7 hearing. It is available as Nick Read’s first witness statement.
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