Select committee: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Recommendation 2

Seventh report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2019–20 Published 25 Jan 2021 Paragraph 14

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2019-20 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Recommendation (the committee's words)

In May 2020, the PHSO reported to the Committee that it had experienced an increase of 13 per cent in demand compared to the previous financial year. Due to the introduction of a new digital casework management system, comparisons between years were not possible. This means that the 13 per cent figure cannot be evidenced. The PHSO made no effort to proactively correct the record. If witnesses provide evidence to select committees which is later demonstrated not to be evidence, those witnesses should correct the record. This responsibility is especially applicable for bodies that are scrutinised by those select committees.

From: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Seventh report - Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Scrutiny 2019–20 (HC 843), paragraph 14, 25 January 2021

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 20 April 2021 (deadline 25 March 2021).

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government's response addresses only the recommendation on legislative reform of the Ombudsman, stating that there are "no plans to reform the Ombudsman system up to and including 2023–24" while it will "carefully consider the committee's findings and any future opportunities".

The Government "appreciates the desire of PACAC to modernise Ombudsman standards and agrees that this is an important matter".
It gives the pressures on Government and the parliamentary timetable as the reason the 2016 Bill "has not progressed".
The Minister's letter covers only recommendation nine, which falls under Cabinet Office responsibility. The PHSO responds separately to the remaining recommendations.
The PHSO states that from the end of April 2021 it will start publishing casework decisions online.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error