§ Lord NAPIER and ETTRICKasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will state what reasons there are why Members of the House of Lords (as Members of the United Kingdom Legislature) should not be empowered to refer matters for investigation to the Parliamentary Commissioner.
§ The LORD PRIVY SEAL (Lord Shepherd)The Office of Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration was established to assist Members of the House of Commons in discharging their duties as the elected representatives of individual citizens by investigating on their behalf complaints of maladministration by those Departments and other authorities listed in Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967. The Act accordingly provides for complaints of maladministration to be made only through a Member of Parliament. It is generally accepted that Members of the House of Lords do not concern themselves with constituency matters, which are the responsibility of Members of Parliament.