§ Sir Irvine PatnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment what plans he has to enhance the powers of the local government ombudsman to ensure that local authorities comply with the findings of the ombudsman; and if he will make a statement. 18916]
§ Mr. CurryIn his final report on the civil justice system in England and Wales, "Access to Justice", Lord Woolf proposed that the remedies recommended by ombudsmen should be enforceable through the courts. As I explained in the paper "Government Response to the Financial and Management and Policy Review of the Commission for Local Administration in England", which I announced in an answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough (Mr. Sykes) on 28 November 1996,Official Report, column 333, and placed in the Library, consideration of Lord Woolf's recommendations on ombudsmen is being postponed for the time being while my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor concentrates on implementing the major elements of Lord Woolf's proposals.