§ 2.47 p.m.
§ The Marquess of AilesburyMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the staff of the parliamentary ombudsman is currently up to its allotted strength.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)My Lords, the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration is combined with the office of the Health Service Commissioners for England, Wales and Scotland. I understand that at 1st April 1987, the combined number of staff in post was 84 against an agreed complement of 85, the shortfall being on the Health Service Commissioners' side.
§ The Marquess of AilesburyMy Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that when I wished to place a fairly simple matter before the parliamentary ombudsman, the advice that I received was that it would be a total waste of time as it would take from three to five months to obtain an opinion. Now that the Minister is aware of that, does it not seem to him that a quite admirable concept is being rendered far from admirable in practice through being starved of the necessary resources?
§ Lord BelsteadMy Lords, with respect to the noble Marquess, I believe that the resources are sufficient. The reason investigations take some time is that they are detailed. The stages through which they need to pass were set out in the parliamentary commissioner's 1985 annual report.
§ Lord Elwyn-JonesMy Lords, is it not important that reasonable speed should be maintained in order to enable the citizen to have access to Parliament and to the ombudsman? That was an important innovation, introduced, if I am not mistaken, by a former Labour Government. Is it not important that such access should be rendered effective in view of the fact that this service is of great help to Members of Parliament and the public?
§ Lord BelsteadMy Lords, I agree with the noble and learned Lord. The parliamentary commissioner has reduced by about one month the time that investigations have taken during 1986. The parliamentary commissioner has said publicly that it is his intention to try to knock another two months off the average investigation time.