Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the running costs of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in the first full year of operation following its establishment; what were the annual running costs for the latest year for which figures are available; and what has been the total cost since its inception.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government does not hold information on the running costs of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration which was established in 1967 and was superseded by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) in 1973. Information on the running costs of the PHSO are set out in its published annual reports and accounts. The running costs for the years for which the PHSO holds information are as follows:

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many ombudsman bodies exist in the United Kingdom; and who is responsible for their funding.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office is responsible for a subset of public bodies administratively classified as Arm's-Length Bodies, which include Executive Agencies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, and Non-Ministerial Departments.

There is no statutory definition of "ombudsman" in government, and bodies with varying functions can be labelled as ombudsman

Data on which ALBs are ombudsman bodies, or how they are funded, is not held centrally.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage on 17 September (HL Deb col 2288) that there are provisions for paying a fair price for compulsory purchases, what are those provisions.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to his Question UIN HL10400 on 23 September 2025. In addition to the open market value of the acquired land in the absence of the scheme, owners and tenants are entitled to loss payment compensation for the distress and inconvenience of having to move from their property at a time not of their choosing and to claim compensation for disturbance (i.e. losses unconnected to the value of property such as professional fees).