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WQ.276/2025
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY M.B. ANDREWS OF ST. HELIER NORTH QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 16th JUNE 2025 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 23rd JUNE 2025
Question
"Further to the response to Oral Question 54/2024, will the Chief Minister expand on his reasons for undertaking a review of the current complaints system, notwithstanding the adoption of P.32/2018, as amended, in relation to the appointment of an Ombudsman to determine complaints of maladministration; and will he update the Assembly on what progress has been made in establishing an Ombudsman and the associated timeline?"
Answer
P.32/2018 requested the Chief Minister to commission research into the costs of introducing a Public Ombudsman and to consult widely regarding the design of a Public Ombudsman Scheme, including with members of the Complaints Board, in order that the best elements of the Complaints Panel scheme are retained within the new system'.
In October last year the Chief Minister commissioned the Assistant Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Scott , to lead the next phase of the project to deliver a final stage complaints handling mechanism or combination of mechanisms. This includes examining the case for establishing a Public Services Ombudsman, as set out in the terms of reference (ToR) for the project (Public Services Ombudsman: Terms of Reference).
The rationale for undertaking this project is in the ToR, as follows:
"To date, government work has focused on establishing a new complaints handling body in the form of a [Jersey Public Services Ombudsman] JPSO and, prior to 2024, steps had not been taken either to develop or expand the scope of the existing Complaints Panel or to consider how new complaints handling arrangements might work in conjunction with the Panel.
The Law Commission's 2024 report Keeping the Complaints Panel or creating the Ombudsperson' highlighted matters for consideration by the government should it wish to continue with the Panel in any way. This is necessary to ensure that comprehensive research has been conducted – as demanded by the States decision in P.32/2018 – to ensure an Ombudsperson scheme may be implemented economically, effectively and efficiently."
Deputy Scott plans to present final proposals according to the timetable published in the ToR, by July 2025. These proposals will be informed by the outcome of a public consultation on public service complaints handling which took place between 10 March and 6 May 2025 (Feedback on Public Services consultation) and further research which Deputy Scott has conducted into the merits of both the current system and public services ombudsman schemes.