§ 14. Mr. Peter L. Pike (Burnley)What extensions in the power and scope of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration his Department is proposing. [75370]
§ The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Dr. Jack Cunningham)As I announced to the House on 10 February, the Government are seeking to extend the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to an additional 158 non-departmental public bodies. An order amending the list of bodies within the commissioner's jurisdiction was laid before the House on 22 February and came into force on 15 March.
§ Mr. PikeI thank my right hon. Friend for that answer, which indicates that the Government's commitment to be more fully accountable to the people has been honoured by that move. However, one of the problems with many of the ombudsman schemes is that the screening process seems to prevent many genuine cases from being examined. Do we need to consider that point and ensure that the ombudsmen take up more of the cases submitted to them?
§ Dr. CunninghamI am sympathetic to that point. We are determined to ensure that non-departmental bodies are open and accountable, and that they are as effective as we can possibly make them. It would be a natural extension of our determination to have more openness if we were to ensure that the ombudsman's work was as effective as possible, in the interests of consumers.