§ Mr. BayleyTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he intends to set up a task force to advise on setting up and improving complaints systems in the public services.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI set up the citizens charter complaints task force in June 1993, for a two-year period.
486WIts role is to review public services' complaints systems; and to advise on their effectiveness, and on any further measures necessary to improve the ways in which public services respond to complaints. The task force is chaired by Lady Wilcox, chairman of the National Consumer Council, with six other members drawn from the public and private sectors.
In October 1993, the task force published its booklet, "Effective Complaints Systems: Principles and Checklist", which offers all public service organisations an opportunity to test the effectiveness of their own complaints systems. The booklet is available from the House of Commons Library.
The task force will shortly publish an interim report to Ministers, which will also be distributed widely to public services and other interested organisations.