Local Government: Complaints
Communities and Local Government
Stewart Jackson (- Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; Peterborough, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints have been (a) submitted to and (b) upheld by in whole or in part the Local Government Ombudsman in each year since 1996.
Rosie Winterton (Minister of State (Yorkshire and the Humber), Department for Communities and Local Government; Doncaster Central, Labour)
The following table shows the number of complaints submitted each year and the number of complaints in each year on which either a local settlement was reached or the Ombudsman issued a report finding maladministration.
| Complaints submitted | Complaint settled locally or reported on by Ombudsman | |
| 1996-97 | 15,322 | 2,752 |
| 1997-98 | 14,969 | 2,694 |
| 1998-99 | 15,869 | 2,624 |
| 1999-2000 | 17,555 | 3,060 |
| 2000-01 | 19,179 | 3,945 |
| 2001-02 | 18,309 | 4,331 |
| 2002-03 | 17,610 | 3,857 |
| 2003-04 | 18,982 | 3,363 |
| 2004-05 | 18,698 | 3,042 |
| 2005-06 | 18,626 | 2,962 |
| 2006-07 | 18,320 | 3,088 |
| 2007-08 | 17,628 | 3,057 |
| 2008-09 | 21,012 | 2,885 |
Annotations
Trevor Nunn
Posted on 26 Mar 2010 11:24 am (Report this annotation)
Local Settlements are not complaints upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman. They are complaints that have been settled before a full and proper investigation has taken place. Local Settlements are agreed between the Local Government Ombudsman and the Authority concerned the complainant has no say in the matter.
The only complaints upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman are those which result in a formal report of maladministration. Authorities do not consider a Local Settlement as a complaint upheld against them.
A truthful answer to the question would have been less than 1% of all complaints submitted to the Local Government Ombudsman are upheld in full or in part. Whilst a further 15% or so are buried as local settlements to save the Local Government Ombudsman work and the Authority from the embarrassment of having a complaint against them upheld.
Government minister should not resort to smoke and mirrors to cover up the in effectiveness of the Local Government Ombudsman.
Ann Johnson
Posted on 27 Mar 2010 11:27 pm (Report this annotation)
Why can't MPs answer a question without resorting to spin?
LGO Reporter
Posted on 4 Apr 2010 11:19 pm (Report this annotation)
The Local Government Ombudsman is well versed in methods of deceit, and fiddling statistics is their forte.
In the year ending 31 March 2008, the Local Government Ombudsman issued reports of maladministration in 1.09% of investigated cases.
26.8% of investigated cases were determined by the Local Government Ombudsman to be a local settlement. The Local Government Ombudsman use a local settlement to conceal complaints of maladministration from the public and councillors.
Further details:
http://local-government-ombudsman-lgo.blogspot.com/2010/03/l...
http://local-government-ombudsman-lgo.blogspot.com/