§ Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions his Department was the subject of investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner during the last 12 months for which figures are available; on how many occasions a completed investigation showed maladministration; and on how many occasions the Department has still to rectify a complaint which the Parliamentary Commissioner had accepted as having some basis of maladministration.
§ Mr. LuardThe Parliamentary Commissioner referred four cases to the792W Foreign and Commonwealth Office for investigation during 1976. He found no maladministration but he criticised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in two of the cases. In one case an apology was conveyed to the complainant through the Parliamentary Commissioner; in the other, at the Parliamentary Commissioner's request, the wording of a leaflet issued to members of the public has since been clarified to avoid future misunderstanding. In one other case my right hon. Friend issued a certificate that the matter concerned relations between Her Majesty's Government and another Government and could not, therefore, be investigated under Schedule 3 (1) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967. In the other case, full information about the matter complained of was given to the Parliamentary Commissioner and he decided not to pursue an investigation.