Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the functions of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to ensure that it investigates a higher proportion of complaints received than is current practice.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is a crown servant that reports directly to Parliament. The Ombudsman is not responsible to the Government for its performance and sets its own standards for practice in how it handles complaints. I understand the Noble Lord is in contact with the Ombudsman who can explain in further detail the organisation's current practice in this area. Further to this the Noble Lord may wish to write to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee that acts as the primary accountability body for the Ombudsman.