Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many cases accepted for investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman were classed as open in each month since January 2015.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of Government. It publishes information on staffing and its performance in its Annual Report and Resource Accounts which are laid before Parliament. Operational decisions on the location of PHSO offices are also matters for the Ombudsman and the Hon. Member should write to the Ombudsman on these matters.

The Government published the draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill in December 2016, setting out in detail its plans to introduce a new Public Service Ombudsman. The proposals contained in the draft Bill seek to bring together the responsibilities of the current Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman to create a new organisation with strengthened governance and accountability. The Government intends to introduce the Bill when parliamentary time allows. A copy of the draft Bill has been placed in the Library of the House and it can also be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-public-service-ombudsman-bill