UK Ombudsman Petitions

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Introduction: This is a summary of petitions submitted to the Governments E-petition website that may be of interest to Public Service and Local Government Ombudsman Watchers. Petitions have long been sent to the Prime Minister by post or delivered to the Number 10 door in person. You can now both create and sign petitions on the government's E-petitions website too, giving you the opportunity to reach a potentially wider audience and to deliver your petition directly to Downing Street. Read about E-petitions here, a step by step guide here and frequently asked questions here. If you submit a petition about a UK Ombudsman please let us know and we will add it to this page. You will also find a list of closed petitions and responses at the end of the list of current petitions. Please, sign as many petitions as you can and tell as many people as you can. Any petition that obtains 200 signatures is assured of a government response.

Please don't forget to tell your friends and relatives and then use these links to tell your MP, the Prime Minister and the Queen what you think about about the Ombudsman of your choice.

Wilma Wright: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make all Local Government Ombudsmen’s recommendations legally enforceable. An ever growing number of Local Authorities are now refusing to follow the recommendations of the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). This is not an unexpected development because Local Authorities can save a substantial amount of money through maladministration which can help keep local taxation down and local taxpayers happy. Using my case as an example, Trafford Council recently saved £100,000 through maladministration. The LGO found them guilty and recommended they pay my family the £100,000 they had saved through their actions. The Council refused to comply. Unfortunately, local taxpayers are reluctant to hold Trafford to account because of the direct correlation between the payment of compensation to us and an increase in their local taxes. This situation should not be allowed to continue. A Public Authority should not be able to profit from maladministration. They should administer correctly and effectively in the first place but when they fail to do so, and families like us suffer as a consequence, they should be forced to pay the compensation recommended by the LGO.

Charlotte Peters Rock: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to begin to build full accountability and the need for enforceable outcomes, into Tribunals, Ombudsmen, Information Commissioner, Healthcare Commission, and all complaints systems - no matter how badly they are currently run - under local government and national government control. No matter what any Ombudsman, Information Commissioner, Healthcare Commission say, they can be ignored, by those who have damaged people, (in the case of my father, killed people). They and all other local and national civil servants, need to be brought into line by being legally forced to act, with no corruption, in a way which will be legally enforceable. As an example: Local Authority Complaints systems are run, solely by the same Local Authority. Is it any wonder they don't work?

Graham Crane: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make the local government ombudsman truly independent and accountable by banning ex-council officials or anyone who has any contact with local government officials from making decisions about complaints, provide an independent of the LGO appeals process and make the LGO accountable to a government department and parliament.

Vicky Gray: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Change the Powers of the Local Government Ombudsman. I was bullied by a manager for over 12 months. I made a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman with regards to the way Liverpool City Council dealt with my Grievance and Appeal. I was informed that they were unable to investigate personnel matters. The Grievance was based on Bullying and Oppressive Behaviour the witness’ where not questioned on these matters. There are 34 County Councils and 238 District Councils in England, 32 in Scotland and 22 in Wales. How many employees have been subjected to Bullying and Oppressive Behaviour by managers who have in effect dealt with the matters internally and reached the required result the council wishes to achieve. Local councils investigate there own complaints, which I feel is a conflict of interest. I feel this matter needs addressing and the way to achieve this is through Legislation in the House of Commons, by introducing a Local Government Bill, or Parliament to extend the powers of the Local Government Ombudsman to include personnel issues. This is why I have started this petition. The law needs to be changed.

Trevor Nunn: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to to set up an Appeal Tribunal that can review the decisions of Public Service Ombudsmen (including Local Government Ombudsmen) should the Public Authority or Complainant concerned request such an appeal. The current system of administrative justice in England is causing significant injustice and hardship to many of this country’s citizens. The current system does not embrace the principles of natural justice and it is doubtful if it is even compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Currently the only option open to a Public Authority or a Complainant, should they disagree with an Ombudsman’s decision, is a judicial review. That option is severely limited in scope and in any event is well beyond the financial means of the average citizen. Introducing an Appeal Tribunal would guarantee a much fairer system of administrative justice in England.

Closed with 295 signatures. Click here to review this petition No Government response yet.

Keith Edmunds: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to remove the absolute exemptions from the Freedom of Information Act enjoyed by the Local Government Ombudsman under Articles 32 and 44 of the Local Government Act 1974. The statutory prohibitions referred to above are an anachronism that allows the Local Government Ombudsman to refuse the release of facts to complainants that have been obtained from Councils, during an investigation of a complaint. This is contrary to both natural law, and entitlement to full disclosure in the normal judicial process. Consequently refusal to provide information under these absolute exemptions, to a complainant, is a breach of the complainant's human rights. In any case, this information can be obtained from the Councils, as they have no absolute exemption whatsoever under the Freedom of Information Act. The Local Government Ombudsman's absolute exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act, therefore, are both anachronistic and redundant. The removal of these absolute exemptions would put a stop to the practices detailed below: ODPM: Local Government and the Regions Committee: The Role and effectiveness of the Local Government Ombudsman for England - Eleventh Report of session 2004-2005, published 7 April 2005. It would also promote open investigations with a consequent improvement in Council efficiency and service delivery.

Closed with 252 signatures. Click here to review this petition No Government response yet.

The Scottish Public Service Ombudsman

D W R Whittet QPR: Calling for the Scottish Parliament to set up an Appeal Tribunal to review final decisions by the Public Services Ombudsman where any complainer so requests.

Closed with 43 signatures. Click here to review this petition and the response and here for the Petition Committee meeting minutes.

Gregor Hamilton: Calling on the Scottish Parliament to invite Audit Scotland to conduct, without delay, an economy, efficiency and effectiveness audit of the office of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Closed with over 107 signatures. The petition is (provisionally) going before the committee on the 10th June.

You can watch the committee on Holyrood TV

If you would like your petition about a UK ombudsman included please send us details.

Please don't forget to tell your friends and relatives and then use these links to tell your MP, the Prime Minister and the Queen what you think about about the Ombudsman of your choice.

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