Public Administration Select Committee: PASC, Parliament and PHSO

UKParliament

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) can publish special reports to Parliament to raise matters of special importance and in cases where there remains significant injustice.

The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) also receives reports of PHSO and provides a forum for PHSO to communicate with Parliament and the public.

PASC also holds PHSO to account. The Committee holds a pre-appointment hearing with the recommended candidate for PHSO, and scrutinises the office through an annual appearance in front of the Committee.


We are interested in knowing:

1. From your experience, how can Parliament best work with PHSO to hold Government to account?

2. What more does Parliament and PASC need to do to scrutinise the work of PHSO?


Please quote the question you are referring to in your response.

We ask that you refrain from going into detail about your specific complaint on this forum. What we are looking for are the wider lessons that can be learned based on your experience of dealing with the Ombudsman.

Please be aware that the Committee cannot investigate or comment on specific complaints and does not intervene in, or reconsider, cases considered by the Ombudsman.

To find out more about The Public Administration Select Committee’s inquiry into Parliament’s Ombudsman Service please visit Public Administration Select Committee: Have your say on the complaints process.

oneye14

From your experience, how can Parliament best work with PHSO to hold Government to account?

It cannot and never will whilst:
- You have a 'PHSO' which operates in secrecy with the Government Department she is asked to investigate
- You have a Speaker of the House which supports such behaviour
- There are Members of the House, in particular the RH Ed Miliband who will do nothing about it

see thread Parliament-Remote and Out of Touch for further details

oneye14

What more does Parliament and PASC need to do to scrutinise the work of PHSO?

See my comment in:
Public Administration Select Committee: Complaints and you

and answer the point raised:-

- Where were Bernard Jenkin MP and other members of the Public Administration Select Committee when approached, in early summer to Petition Parliament regarding the behaviour of the PHSO ??