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3.7 Deputy M.R. Higgins of the Chief Minister regarding complaints from the public considered by the States Employment Board: [9743]
Will the Chief Minister advise Members how many complaints from members of the public, if any, are currently being heard by the States Employment Board and summarise the nature of those complaints?
Senator A.K.F. Green (Assistant Chief Minister - rapporteur):
The States Employment Board is currently dealing with one complaint from a member of the public. It is a matter of potential litigation hence it is not appropriate to make further comment.
- Deputy M.R. Higgins:
Can the Assistant Chief Minister tell the Assembly how many complaints have not formally got on to the agenda but have been delayed? In other words, not formally been recorded by the States Employment Board. I, on behalf of one constituent, have forwarded a complaint and it was delayed. In fact at one point it was suspected that a lawyer may be involved and it was delayed even further. Now that a lawyer is not involved, I have spoken with the chief executive and it has still not been dealt with. Can the Assistant Chief Minister tell us how many people are waiting to get on the complaints list?
Senator A.K.F. Green:
I cannot, but what I can say it is very rare. There is not a "waiting" list as such. What happens is that departments deal with their own complaints. It is only when things go terribly wrong or there is a failure to agree that it might ... if it involves a member of staff might end up with the States Employment Board.
- Deputy M.R. Higgins:
Will the Assistant Chief Minister agree to perhaps creating a complaints register so it is online so the people can see how many complaints are being heard either by the States Employment Board or by any department in which the public have made complaints by?
[10:15]
So we can see how long it takes for the departments to deal with those complaints. Senator A.K.F. Green:
The States Employment Board, as I said, get very few complaints. They are a board that deal with employment matters. Departments do get complaints from time to time and some of them are of an extremely sensitive and personal nature, particularly when you are talking about social services and social security or health, or even education. So it would not be appropriate to start publishing people's details on a register; so the answer is no.