Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

HL Deb 11 July 2001 vol 626 c82WA

Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will introduce a measure to enable the public to have direct access to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration; and, if not, why not. [HL202]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

The review of the public sector ombudsmen in England, including the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, proposed the creation of a new body to fulfil the responsibilities currently carried out by the different ombudsmen. The review also proposed that dissatisfied complainants should be able to approach the new body directly, and made various other recommendations concerning the working methods of the new body and the arrangements for ensuring its accountability. A consultation exercise on the review has been completed and, in light of the responses to this, we will set out our conclusions in due course.