§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals the Government have to strengthen and extend the role of the parliamentary ombudsman.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAs proposed in the White Paper "Open Government" (Cm 2290), there will be a major extension to the responsibilities of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration as from April 1994, when complaints may be referred to him in connection with the code of practice on access to Government information.
The Government are also giving support to the private Member's Bill of the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Malone), which had its Second Reading in the House on 11 March, to extend the jurisdiction of the PCA to the administrative actions by the administrative staff in certain tribunals not already within his remit.
Finally, the Government are considering the proposals in the first report of the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, Session 1993–94, on the powers, work and jurisdiction of the ombudsman, and will respond in due course.