Fujitsu will not bid for Government contracts whilst an inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal is ongoing, Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart has said.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Burghart said the Japanese technology company has written to the Cabinet Office to say it is “voluntarily” undertaking not to bid for Government contracts during that time, unless asked.
It comes amid calls for the company to be blocked from bidding for future contracts.
Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly convicted of stealing after the defective Horizon accounting system, developed by Fujitsu’s ICL business, made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.
The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is currently ongoing.
Mr Burghart told the Commons on Thursday: “This morning (the) Cabinet Office received a letter from Fujitsu voluntarily undertaking not to bid for Government contracts whilst the inquiry is ongoing, unless of course the Government ask them to.”
He was responding to Conservative former cabinet minister Sir David Davis, who called for companies like Fujitsu to be blocked from bidding for future Government contracts on the basis of having “terrible track records”.
Sir David told the Commons: “This week it’s been reported the Government tried to block Fujitsu from bidding for future contracts on the basis of woeful performance in previous contracts.
“Government lawyers advised this could not be done. They are wrong. So, will the Government give further serious thought to blocking large companies like Fujitsu with terrible track records from bidding for future contracts, and if absolutely necessary legislate accordingly?”
Mr Burghart also told Sir David: “There are clearly defined circumstances in which the Government can exclude companies from bidding for contracts.”
