§ Mr. BettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in his Department. [36837]
§ Mr. ArbuthnotThe parliamentary ombudsman has, subject to the conditions of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967, jurisdiction to investigate complaints from members of the public about the way they have been treated by Government Departments, other public sector bodies engaged in the work of central Government, and those acting on their behalf. The ombudsman can investigate complaints about projects or services funded through the private finance initiative if they are carried out by or on behalf of a Department or public body within their jurisdiction, that is those bodies which are listed in schedule 2 of the 1967 Act.