§ Mr. Russell BrownTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration will be extended to cover all executive non-departmental public bodies and those advisory non-departmental public bodies which have significant dealings with members of the public. [70943]
§ Mr. KilfoyleHer Majesty in Council has today approved an Order extending the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to an additional one hundred and eleven executive non-departmental public bodies and to forty-seven advisory non-departmental public bodies which have direct dealings with members of the public. This fulfils the commitment that the Government gave in "Quangos: Opening the Doors"—published on 29 June 1988—and will substantially increase the avenues of redress available to members of the public who wish to complain about their treatment by a non-departmental public body. It is another example of this Government's determination to ensure that all non-departmental public bodies are properly and fully accountable to both Parliament and the public for their actions.
The Order will be laid before Parliament on Monday 22 February. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Order will come into force on Monday 15 March.