'We are delighted that the Public Administration
Select Committee (PASC) recognise that there need to be fundamental changes in
the law to create a simpler more straightforward Ombudsman service. We strongly
welcome their report, Time for a People’s Ombudsman
Service.
'We have been calling for changes in our legislation
to allow us to modernise and meet the expectations of today’s consumer.
When things go wrong in public services they can have a devastating impact on
individuals and their families. We want people to be able to bring their
complaints about government services to us without the need for an MP referral.
We want to be able to investigate areas of concern without having to receive a
complaint, so that we can use our powers to help the most vulnerable.
PASC’s recommendations will help ensure we have an Ombudsman service fit
for the future.
'We have changed our approach to complaints so we
could help more people by investigating more complaints, following feedback
from our staff, Parliament, organisations and customers. In 2013/14 we
completed 2,199 investigations, compared to 384 in 2012/13.
'We agree with PASC, that we need to move towards a
unified Public Ombudsman service for England and look forward to working with
the Cabinet Office review team on how best to organise future Ombudsman
Services for England and UK non-devolved services.'