Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 31
31
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 99
Whilst the Committee discharges its scrutiny role by examining the overall administration of the PHSO...
Conclusion
Whilst the Committee discharges its scrutiny role by examining the overall administration of the PHSO and its Annual Report and Accounts on a regular basis, it should be for departmental Select Committees to scrutinise the relevant thematic PHSO reports laid before Parliament that relate to their subject areas.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the Ombudsman's work and the challenges it faces, including dealing with backlogs and increasing service demand, while noting the committee's request for robust plans for further efficiencies.
Paragraph Reference:
99
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government is supportive of the Ombudsman and its contribution to the improvement of public service delivery. We are therefore pleased to see that the organisation is working hard to deal with the backlog created during the pandemic, improve its capability and increase awareness of, and access to, its services. The Government notes that there are also a number of challenges facing the organisation and that your committee has asked to see robust plans to deliver further efficiencies. The report highlights that the PHSO must simultaneously ensure a positive experience for service users, continue to work through the backlogs created by the pandemic - where there has been good progress - and ensure it is able to deal with the potential for increased service demand caused by measures to improve awareness and accessibility.