Cost of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.041884

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. The total spend to date (by year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 if available), and
2. The total budget for 2025 and any years ahead for Operation Olympos, the criminal investigation into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.
3. If it is not possible to provide the total budget and spend across all forces, please provide the figures for the Met only.

I am requesting this information from the Met as the Met is the coordinating force for this investigation.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - The total spend to date (by year 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 if available)

The MPS does not hold the overall spend for Operation Olympos from the inception of the investigation in January 2020 to the 31 December 2024. The requested information cannot accordingly be provided, as it is not held by the MPS.

It should be noted that up to January 2023, Operation Olympos was funded out of the Met’s budget with no distinct cost code outside of that held by the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Command. Please note that within the MPS, cost codes are used by the Met’s Finance Team to record the cost of the particular activity, operation or investigation.

In financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, Operation Olympus received part funding via a Home Office grant, with the investigation being expanded in July 2024 to encompass all UK forces (with fiscal responsibility sitting with individual forces). As of the date of this notice, funding from the Home Office and costs nationally have not been reconciled and/or finalised.

Q2 - The total budget for 2025 and any years ahead for Operation Olympos, the criminal investigation into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.

Please refer to the answer provided to the first part of your request for information. The budget for Operation Olympos is dependent on individual force contributions balanced against the grant provided by the Home Office. This is decided on a year by year basis and is not finalised until the end of quarter 1 of each financial year. As of the date of this notice, the budget for Operation Olympos for 2025 and the following years is not held by the MPS.

Q3 - If it is not possible to provide the total budget and spend across all forces, please provide the figures for the Met only.

Within the MPS, cost codes are used by the Met’s Finance Team to record the cost of the particular activity, operation or investigation. The figures below provide the costs recorded in respect of Operation Olympos. Forecasts, where recorded, have also been provided.  

Further information about Operation Olympos can be found below.

NPCC Website - Operation Olympos: Update: 11 December 2024
NPCC | Our ongoing goal is the pursuit of justicee

Police.UK Website - Operation Olympos
Police.UK | Operation Olympos