§ Dr. IddonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the administrative charges to be levied by the Financial Services Ombudsman for the handling of complaints; and what steps he is taking to ensure that charges will not be substantially greater than the sums likely to be dealt with in relation to complaints about low cost healthcare cash plans offered by not-for-profit organisations. [143678]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) published a joint consultation paper on funding the Ombudsman in November 2000.
Both the FSA and FOS are mindful of the particular circumstances of small firms, and the need for charges to be proportionate to the nature and size of complaints. That is why the consultation proposes special arrangements for small firms, under which, once a minimum levy has been paid, case fees would not apply.