Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what consideration his Department has given to the potential merits of establishing a single statutory supervisory body for voluntary ombudsman and ADR schemes.

The Government recognises the important role that ombudsman services and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes play in resolving disputes without the need for court proceedings.

The Ministry of Justice keeps the dispute resolution landscape under review and engages regularly with relevant stakeholders to understand the effectiveness of existing mechanisms. However, the Government does not currently intend to establish a single statutory supervisory body for voluntary ombudsman and ADR schemes.