Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 4
First Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2020–21
Published 20 May 2022
Paragraph 26
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2020-21 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Committee notes that the PHSO has again struggled to reverse the trend of weaker feedback scores on some elements of its Service Charter performance areas. The Committee however also notes the need to clarify the wording of its Service Charter questions by providing additional context to PHSO users so that they can better understand what the relevant scores mean in terms of service delivery.
From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, First Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2020–21 (HC 213), paragraph 26, 20 May 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 26 July 2022 (deadline 20 July 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government says it "agree[s] that Ombudsman reform is an important matter" but states that wide-scale reform is not currently in its legislative programme, and it does not set out the legislative timetable the Committee asked for.
- The Government says it "continues to consider options for Ombudsman reform".
- It notes that the Queen's Speech announced a Victims Bill and that the consultation sets out an intention to remove the requirement for victims of crime to raise a complaint through an MP, via primary legislation.
- The Victims Bill will be introduced to Parliament "in due course"; no date is given.
- If it wishes to make proposals for wider Ombudsman reform, the minister says he will engage with the Committee.