22 November 2007
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to implement Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield’s 1995 recommendations and abolish Local Government Ombudsmen."
Details of Petition:
"Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield recommended abolition of the LGO because they were an unnecessary institution whose work could best be carried out by other bodies. His report was subverted by the interference of the then LGO and its allies. Since then the LGO has demonstrably failed to improve the system, and continues to exclude the public interest from their remit. Irrefutable evidence of its dishonesty and bias has been gathered by LGOWatch since 2003. The LGO is counter-productive to effective management in local government and a blight on the human rights of citizens looking to this publicly funded institution to act in good faith. On the rare occasions when it is found, the intervention of the LGO tends to entrench maladministration rather than put a stop to it. The continuance of this office is not in the public interest."
Read the Government’s response
The Government believes that the Local Government Ombudsman service has an important continuing role to play in contributing to the improvement of local public services, by providing an effective and proportionate means of redress for the citizen where maladministration occurs, as well as through its work in promulgating good practice advice and providing training to local authorities on maintaining efficient systems for handling complaints.
The Government recognises that certain provisions in the Local Government Act 1974, which set out the operational framework of the Ombudsman, require updating.
Provisions in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill therefore aim to bring the Ombudsman’s operations in step with modern means of service delivery. The provisions were informed by consultation with local government and citizens advice services, and feedback from those who have submitted complaints to the Ombudsman.
The Bill provisions support and reinforce the Ombudsman’s role as an independent and impartial arbiter of disputes about standards of local authority services. They will help to provide a clearer, more effective and accessible service for complainants.