Local Government Ombudsman
Deputy Prime Minister
Written answers and statements, 12 May 2003
Mr Bob Blizzard (Waveney, Labour)
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister by what means the Local Government Ombudsman is accountable to the public; and how his work is monitored.
Mr Christopher Leslie (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office; Shipley, Labour)
The Commission for Local Administration in England (Local Government Ombudsman) was established by the Local Government Act 1974. It is treated as a specified body for the purposes of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and receives funding as a deduction ('top slice') from Revenue Support Grant. The Commission is required under the Local Government Act 1974 to publish an annual report and submit the report to such persons as appear to the Commission to represent local authorities. The Commission makes this report publicly available, including via the Ombudsman's website. The report is available in the Library of the House.
The Ombudsman's investigations are wholly independent of the Government, and as regards matters of legality may be subject to judicial review.
Annotations
Trevor Nunn
Posted on 2 Nov 2005 12:29 am (Report this annotation)
The answer to the question is the Local Government Ombudsman is not accounatble to the public. The Local Government Ombudsman produce an annual report but because they are unaccountatble no one can do anything about the fact they stuff the complainant on a regular basis. In only 1.6% of their cases do the find maladministration. Other Ombudsmen find closer to 35%. Why? Because all the Local Government Ombudsmen are all ex Local Government Officers.
Eleanor Whitingale
Posted on 2 Nov 2005 11:37 pm (Report this annotation)
The LGO "submit the report to such persons as appear to the Commission to represent local authorities." ? ? ?
Is that to CEO's or council monitoring officers? Or just possibly elected councillors? Doesn't the Ombudsman exist to give the PUBLIC justice, not to serve council staff?
You were asked "how his work is monitored?" and didn't say. Are there performance criteria for the annual renewal of the LGO's funding? Did you know average compensation received by the few who get anywhere with the LGO is just £200? The only monitoring is done by http://ombudsmanwatch.org/ - so why not fund them too!
Peter Wright
Posted on 22 Oct 2006 5:53 pm (Report this annotation)
The answer given is sufficiently bland and intentionally undetailed so as to give the impression that information is openly disseminated while it is not.
Worse still, my experience of the 'Service' is such that the Ombudsman may not look into most areas which would cause complaint. In my case I was made to appear in Court for non-payment of Council Tax, when the Council's Accounts clerks and Chief Executive acknowedge in writing that they knew that they had recieved payment prior to issuing a summons. They withdrew the summons inside the Court proper, and could not answer charges of malicious prosection. The ombudsman cannot investigate any Court Actions, nor anything that affects all of, or most of, the Council's populace. It took the ombudsman months to even look at the letter of complaint.
In reality this means that the Service is entirely worthless and the whole of its staff an unecessary drain on resources. It also appears to be a cardboard policeman on Local Government which understands this clearly, while of course, the public believes they can rely upon it to redress bad behaviour and decisions.
LGO Reporter
Posted on 2 Jan 2008 2:42 pm (Report this annotation)
The Local Government Ombudsman is an unaccountable government funded organisation, rotten with corruption. The LGO propose to close an investigation when they have been given clear evidence of maladministration causing injustice. The Local Government Ombudsman does not act in the public interest. The LGO wilfully misrepresent facts, manipulate evidence in favour of the Council, fail to follow their published guidance, and conceal evidence so that they can cover up Council maladministration.
A complainant cannot challenge the decision of the Local Government Ombudsman. A complainant may seek a Judicial Review of the LGO's decision in the High Court, but the High Court cannot overturn the LGO's decision. The High Court can only require the Local Government Ombudsman to reconsider their decision, but the LGO is not obliged to change its initial decision. This ruse, and the cost of High Court action, is used by the LGO to conceal Council maladministration and injustice. The result is underreporting of cases of maladministration, and an injustice to the complainant.
See http://local-government-ombudsman-lgo.blogspot.com/