Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the South Yorkshire area at the time of their nomination for an honour in the 2026 Birthday Honours list.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of all 1182 recipients for the 2026 Birthday Honours List can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 16 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the 2026 Birthday Honours List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 3 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 7 individuals received an award above MBE level.
53 recipients of honours in the 2026 Birthday Honours List have received honours in previous lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Region | BEM | BEM% | MBE | MBE% | OBE | OBE% | CBE & Higher | CBE & higher% | Total | % of the total BD26 list living in each region | % of UK population |
East | 23 | 7.5% | 46 | 9.2% | 15 | 6.3% | 12 | 9.3% | 96 | 8.1% | 9.3% |
East Midlands | 10 | 2.8% | 15 | 3.0% | 14 | 5.8% | 6 | 4.7% | 45 | 3.8% | 7.2% |
London | 35 | 11.4% | 76 | 15.2% | 54 | 22.5% | 45 | 34.9% | 210 | 17.7% | 13.4% |
North East | 8 | 2.6% | 10 | 2.0% | 8 | 3.3% | 4 | 3.1% | 30 | 2.5% | 4.0% |
North West | 32 | 10.5% | 35 | 7.0% | 19 | 7.9% | 8 | 6.2% | 94 | 7.9% | 11.0% |
Northern Ireland | 29 | 9.5% | 40 | 8.0% | 9 | 3.8% | 3 | 2.3% | 81 | 6.9% | 2.8% |
Scotland | 29 | 9.5% | 44 | 8.8% | 21 | 8.8% | 8 | 6.2% | 102 | 8.6% | 8.2% |
South East | 39 | 12.7% | 93 | 18.6% | 44 | 18.3% | 27 | 20.9% | 203 | 16.9% | 13.7% |
South West | 29 | 9.5% | 32 | 6.4% | 19 | 7.9% | 6 | 4.7% | 86 | 7.3% | 8.4% |
Wales | 19 | 6.2% | 32 | 6.4% | 10 | 4.2% | 5 | 3.9% | 66 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
West Midlands | 25 | 8.2% | 43 | 8.6% | 11 | 4.6% | 5 | 3.9% | 84 | 7.1% | 8.9% |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 28 | 9.2% | 35 | 7.0% | 15 | 6.3% | 5 | 3.9% | 83 | 7% | 8.2% |
Living abroad | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.8% | 1 | 0.8% | 3 | - | - |
Total | 306 | 100% | 501 | 100% | 240 | 100% | 129 | 100% | 1182 | 100% | - |
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours, by each award level, were received in each region or nation of the UK in the 2026 Birthday Honours; and what percentage of the population of each such region or nation that number represents.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of all 1182 recipients for the 2026 Birthday Honours List can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 16 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the 2026 Birthday Honours List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 3 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 7 individuals received an award above MBE level.
53 recipients of honours in the 2026 Birthday Honours List have received honours in previous lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Region | BEM | BEM% | MBE | MBE% | OBE | OBE% | CBE & Higher | CBE & higher% | Total | % of the total BD26 list living in each region | % of UK population |
East | 23 | 7.5% | 46 | 9.2% | 15 | 6.3% | 12 | 9.3% | 96 | 8.1% | 9.3% |
East Midlands | 10 | 2.8% | 15 | 3.0% | 14 | 5.8% | 6 | 4.7% | 45 | 3.8% | 7.2% |
London | 35 | 11.4% | 76 | 15.2% | 54 | 22.5% | 45 | 34.9% | 210 | 17.7% | 13.4% |
North East | 8 | 2.6% | 10 | 2.0% | 8 | 3.3% | 4 | 3.1% | 30 | 2.5% | 4.0% |
North West | 32 | 10.5% | 35 | 7.0% | 19 | 7.9% | 8 | 6.2% | 94 | 7.9% | 11.0% |
Northern Ireland | 29 | 9.5% | 40 | 8.0% | 9 | 3.8% | 3 | 2.3% | 81 | 6.9% | 2.8% |
Scotland | 29 | 9.5% | 44 | 8.8% | 21 | 8.8% | 8 | 6.2% | 102 | 8.6% | 8.2% |
South East | 39 | 12.7% | 93 | 18.6% | 44 | 18.3% | 27 | 20.9% | 203 | 16.9% | 13.7% |
South West | 29 | 9.5% | 32 | 6.4% | 19 | 7.9% | 6 | 4.7% | 86 | 7.3% | 8.4% |
Wales | 19 | 6.2% | 32 | 6.4% | 10 | 4.2% | 5 | 3.9% | 66 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
West Midlands | 25 | 8.2% | 43 | 8.6% | 11 | 4.6% | 5 | 3.9% | 84 | 7.1% | 8.9% |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 28 | 9.2% | 35 | 7.0% | 15 | 6.3% | 5 | 3.9% | 83 | 7% | 8.2% |
Living abroad | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.8% | 1 | 0.8% | 3 | - | - |
Total | 306 | 100% | 501 | 100% | 240 | 100% | 129 | 100% | 1182 | 100% | - |
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many honours above OBE level were awarded to people who were (1) living in, or (2) working or providing service to, the Sheffield City Region at the time of their nomination for an honour in the 2026 Birthday Honours list.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of all 1182 recipients for the 2026 Birthday Honours List can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 16 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the 2026 Birthday Honours List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 3 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 7 individuals received an award above MBE level.
53 recipients of honours in the 2026 Birthday Honours List have received honours in previous lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Region | BEM | BEM% | MBE | MBE% | OBE | OBE% | CBE & Higher | CBE & higher% | Total | % of the total BD26 list living in each region | % of UK population |
East | 23 | 7.5% | 46 | 9.2% | 15 | 6.3% | 12 | 9.3% | 96 | 8.1% | 9.3% |
East Midlands | 10 | 2.8% | 15 | 3.0% | 14 | 5.8% | 6 | 4.7% | 45 | 3.8% | 7.2% |
London | 35 | 11.4% | 76 | 15.2% | 54 | 22.5% | 45 | 34.9% | 210 | 17.7% | 13.4% |
North East | 8 | 2.6% | 10 | 2.0% | 8 | 3.3% | 4 | 3.1% | 30 | 2.5% | 4.0% |
North West | 32 | 10.5% | 35 | 7.0% | 19 | 7.9% | 8 | 6.2% | 94 | 7.9% | 11.0% |
Northern Ireland | 29 | 9.5% | 40 | 8.0% | 9 | 3.8% | 3 | 2.3% | 81 | 6.9% | 2.8% |
Scotland | 29 | 9.5% | 44 | 8.8% | 21 | 8.8% | 8 | 6.2% | 102 | 8.6% | 8.2% |
South East | 39 | 12.7% | 93 | 18.6% | 44 | 18.3% | 27 | 20.9% | 203 | 16.9% | 13.7% |
South West | 29 | 9.5% | 32 | 6.4% | 19 | 7.9% | 6 | 4.7% | 86 | 7.3% | 8.4% |
Wales | 19 | 6.2% | 32 | 6.4% | 10 | 4.2% | 5 | 3.9% | 66 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
West Midlands | 25 | 8.2% | 43 | 8.6% | 11 | 4.6% | 5 | 3.9% | 84 | 7.1% | 8.9% |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 28 | 9.2% | 35 | 7.0% | 15 | 6.3% | 5 | 3.9% | 83 | 7% | 8.2% |
Living abroad | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.8% | 1 | 0.8% | 3 | - | - |
Total | 306 | 100% | 501 | 100% | 240 | 100% | 129 | 100% | 1182 | 100% | - |
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many residents in the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority received an award above the level of MBE in the 2026 Birthday Honours.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of all 1182 recipients for the 2026 Birthday Honours List can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 16 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the 2026 Birthday Honours List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 3 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 7 individuals received an award above MBE level.
53 recipients of honours in the 2026 Birthday Honours List have received honours in previous lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Region | BEM | BEM% | MBE | MBE% | OBE | OBE% | CBE & Higher | CBE & higher% | Total | % of the total BD26 list living in each region | % of UK population |
East | 23 | 7.5% | 46 | 9.2% | 15 | 6.3% | 12 | 9.3% | 96 | 8.1% | 9.3% |
East Midlands | 10 | 2.8% | 15 | 3.0% | 14 | 5.8% | 6 | 4.7% | 45 | 3.8% | 7.2% |
London | 35 | 11.4% | 76 | 15.2% | 54 | 22.5% | 45 | 34.9% | 210 | 17.7% | 13.4% |
North East | 8 | 2.6% | 10 | 2.0% | 8 | 3.3% | 4 | 3.1% | 30 | 2.5% | 4.0% |
North West | 32 | 10.5% | 35 | 7.0% | 19 | 7.9% | 8 | 6.2% | 94 | 7.9% | 11.0% |
Northern Ireland | 29 | 9.5% | 40 | 8.0% | 9 | 3.8% | 3 | 2.3% | 81 | 6.9% | 2.8% |
Scotland | 29 | 9.5% | 44 | 8.8% | 21 | 8.8% | 8 | 6.2% | 102 | 8.6% | 8.2% |
South East | 39 | 12.7% | 93 | 18.6% | 44 | 18.3% | 27 | 20.9% | 203 | 16.9% | 13.7% |
South West | 29 | 9.5% | 32 | 6.4% | 19 | 7.9% | 6 | 4.7% | 86 | 7.3% | 8.4% |
Wales | 19 | 6.2% | 32 | 6.4% | 10 | 4.2% | 5 | 3.9% | 66 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
West Midlands | 25 | 8.2% | 43 | 8.6% | 11 | 4.6% | 5 | 3.9% | 84 | 7.1% | 8.9% |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 28 | 9.2% | 35 | 7.0% | 15 | 6.3% | 5 | 3.9% | 83 | 7% | 8.2% |
Living abroad | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.8% | 1 | 0.8% | 3 | - | - |
Total | 306 | 100% | 501 | 100% | 240 | 100% | 129 | 100% | 1182 | 100% | - |
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many recipients of honours in the 2026 Birthday Honours have received recognition in previous honours lists.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Statistical information held in relation to the regional breakdown of all 1182 recipients for the 2026 Birthday Honours List can be found below. Percentages are rounded to 1 decimal point. Data for CBE and higher levels has been aggregated and is also included below. Data reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients.
Data is collected using city/town and county, then aggregated into regional figures at the time that the recipients were sounded for an award, not when they were originally nominated. There were 16 individuals who noted their location as South Yorkshire in the 2026 Birthday Honours List, 3 of which were above OBE level. There were 3 individuals who noted their location as Sheffield.
Information on the number of nominations by mayoral authority in South Yorkshire is not captured, as we are unable to break down the data in that way. However, of those who listed their location as South Yorkshire, 7 individuals received an award above MBE level.
53 recipients of honours in the 2026 Birthday Honours List have received honours in previous lists.
This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office.
Transparency data for the list by county, the level of award received and the service for which each recipient has been recognised, as well as information on recipients recognised in previous honours lists, is publicly available on gov.uk.
Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK, including South Yorkshire, in future honours lists.
Region | BEM | BEM% | MBE | MBE% | OBE | OBE% | CBE & Higher | CBE & higher% | Total | % of the total BD26 list living in each region | % of UK population |
East | 23 | 7.5% | 46 | 9.2% | 15 | 6.3% | 12 | 9.3% | 96 | 8.1% | 9.3% |
East Midlands | 10 | 2.8% | 15 | 3.0% | 14 | 5.8% | 6 | 4.7% | 45 | 3.8% | 7.2% |
London | 35 | 11.4% | 76 | 15.2% | 54 | 22.5% | 45 | 34.9% | 210 | 17.7% | 13.4% |
North East | 8 | 2.6% | 10 | 2.0% | 8 | 3.3% | 4 | 3.1% | 30 | 2.5% | 4.0% |
North West | 32 | 10.5% | 35 | 7.0% | 19 | 7.9% | 8 | 6.2% | 94 | 7.9% | 11.0% |
Northern Ireland | 29 | 9.5% | 40 | 8.0% | 9 | 3.8% | 3 | 2.3% | 81 | 6.9% | 2.8% |
Scotland | 29 | 9.5% | 44 | 8.8% | 21 | 8.8% | 8 | 6.2% | 102 | 8.6% | 8.2% |
South East | 39 | 12.7% | 93 | 18.6% | 44 | 18.3% | 27 | 20.9% | 203 | 16.9% | 13.7% |
South West | 29 | 9.5% | 32 | 6.4% | 19 | 7.9% | 6 | 4.7% | 86 | 7.3% | 8.4% |
Wales | 19 | 6.2% | 32 | 6.4% | 10 | 4.2% | 5 | 3.9% | 66 | 5.6% | 4.7% |
West Midlands | 25 | 8.2% | 43 | 8.6% | 11 | 4.6% | 5 | 3.9% | 84 | 7.1% | 8.9% |
Yorkshire & Humberside | 28 | 9.2% | 35 | 7.0% | 15 | 6.3% | 5 | 3.9% | 83 | 7% | 8.2% |
Living abroad | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.8% | 1 | 0.8% | 3 | - | - |
Total | 306 | 100% | 501 | 100% | 240 | 100% | 129 | 100% | 1182 | 100% | - |
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Disability Confident scheme in improving employment outcomes for blind and partially sighted people.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Disability Confident scheme provides employers with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to attract, recruit, retain and develop disabled people and people with health conditions in the workplace. It is a voluntary scheme, developed in partnership with disabled people, employers, and disabled people’s representatives.
The government announced reforms in January 2026 to strengthen the scheme and support continuous improvement for employers. Proposals include speeding up progression between levels, encouraging more small and medium‑sized businesses to participate, better enabling employers to learn from one another, and making sure disabled people’s lived experience shapes how the scheme works.
There are a range of factors which can influence employment outcomes for disabled people, including for those who are blind or partially sighted.
Previous research on the Disability Confident scheme focused on employer experiences. More research is planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the reforms and this will include research with disabled employees.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce formal service standards for Access to Work, including maximum waiting times for decisions and a fast track for cases in which an individual's job is at risk.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The current productivity standard for Access to Work (AtW) caseworkers is based on a 2021 work study and is now recognised as outdated and unrealistic within today’s operational environment (sections 3.9–3.13 of the National Audit Office report). Since 2021, the nature of the work has changed significantly. Post‑COVID operating conditions have resulted in a different mix and complexity of case types, with a marked increase in applications involving multiple adjustments, fluctuating conditions, and support for customers with neurodiverse needs. As a result, the original productivity benchmark no longer reflects the true handling effort required of caseworkers.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) have now been introduced to improve consistent decisions, strengthen quality checks, and enhance Case Manager calls with customers and employers. Early results show 93% customer contact within three calls. Outcomes are positive with further expansion planned. It is important that this SOP is fully embedded in day‑to‑day operations before the new work study is conducted, so that the study accurately reflects the future steady‑state environment in which caseworkers will be operating.
We have committed to recruiting and training an additional 480 staff to process the higher volume of applications, that is a 72.5% increase to the existing 658 staff already working on Access to Work. Recruitment has already begun, and new case managers will receive extensive training to handle complex applications with confidence. This is to ensure disabled people, and people with health conditions can receive timely support to secure and remain in employment. We are keen to ensure Access to Work remains fair and sustainable.
To protect employment opportunities, case managers prioritise AtW applications where the customer is due to start a job within four weeks, as well as new job starts and grant renewals. In 2025, we allocated c. 96% of applications starting work within 4 weeks in 28 days. We will draw on the outcomes of the Green Paper consultation, the Collaboration Committees, and the upcoming work on the Independent Disability Advisory Panel to inform and help shape the future direction of Access to Work. We are continuing to refine policy options, and ministers will announce next steps when the policy, evidence, and delivery plans are fully developed.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the announcement by the Home Secretary on 2 March that refugee protection is to be reviewed every 30 months, whether earned settlement will still exist for those with a legitimate right to be in the UK, seeking continuing leave to remain and a pathway to naturalisation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
From 2 March 2026, adults and accompanied children who qualify for refugee status and humanitarian protection will be granted Core Protection for 30 months, which can be renewed as necessary. Those who remain on Core Protection can apply for settlement after 20 years.
However, refugees will be encouraged, where possible, to switch into a new, bespoke protection work and study route which will enable them to access settlement rights sooner. Settlement remains the normal route to naturalisation as a British citizen, which will continue to be available to those who meet the statutory requirements set out in the British Nationality Act 1981.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 4 February (HL14044), whether the definition of “complex needs” will align with the definition to be used in the Schools White Paper.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our 10-Year Health Plan will ensure that people with complex needs are supported to be active participants in their own care. As part of this, 95% of people with complex needs or long-term conditions will have an agreed personalised care plan by 2027. Care plans will be a feature of the developing Neighbourhood Health Service, which will deliver more care in local communities and move away from a one-size-fits-all approach, giving people more power and choice over the care they receive.
Work is currently underway to determine the definition of “complex needs” in the context of this target, and how care plans will be delivered in the future, including who will be best placed to coordinate and support delivery of care plans. This includes whether individuals who require Education, Health and Care Plans will be encompassed.
Asked by: Lord Blunkett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that an appeal against a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman decision not to investigate a case is not reviewed by the same person who made the original decision.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman operates independently of central Government. Decisions about how complaints are investigated and reviewed fall solely within the Ombudsman’s statutory powers. This independence rightly keeps ministers at arm’s length from the complaints service the Ombudsman provides; a service that is an important element of the overarching accountability system for local government.
The Government has no plans to take any steps to dictate how the Ombudsman investigates or reviews individual cases.