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Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Recommendation 16

First Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2020–21 Published 20 May 2022 Paragraph 70

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 reiterates its call for the Government to introduce legislation to reform the PHSO and start consulting with relevant stakeholders and the public, on a cross-party basis, to ensure the Bill be brought forward as soon as possible. It is now six years since the publication of the Draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill and we are still no further forward. This situation is as unacceptable as it is untenable in the long term. A Private Member’s Bill might also be considered as a vehicle for reform.

From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, First Report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2020–21 (HC 213), paragraph 70, 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.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error