Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the average time taken for a complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman to reach the Ombudsman after being referred to an hon. Member; if he will make it his policy to remove the requirement for complaints to that Ombudsman to be made through a hon. Member; and if he will make a statement.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of Government. Data is not collected about how long it takes for MPs to refer complaints they receive to the Ombudsman.

The Government published a draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill in December 2016, setting out in detail its plans to introduce a new Public Service Ombudsman. The draft Bill proposes removing the requirement that complaints to the Parliamentary Ombudsman must be made through an MP and allows complainants to refer a complaint directly, or through their local MP. The draft Bill will be progressed as and when a legislative opportunity arises.