Call for evidence: Work of the Local Government Ombudsman

The Committee intends to take oral evidence from the Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England (the Local Government Ombudsman) on:

• the issues identified in the Committee's 2012 report, The work of the Local Government Ombudsman;
• the LGO's response to the Committee's 2012 report;
• the LGO's activities and operation, including restructuring, since July 2012
• whether the Ombudsman and the Government have addressed the concerns identified in the Committee's report
• whether the Ombudsman has improved its systems since the Committee's report
• whether the public now has greater confidence in the Ombudsman
• the 2012 LGO staff survey
• the LGO's 2012-13 annual report
• the 2013 independent external evaluation of the LGO

The Committee recently invited the LGO to comment on its work to address the recommendations made in the Committee's 2012 report. LGO response dated 1 October 2013.

The Committee therefore invites submissions from interested parties, including professionals and academics with an interest in the scrutiny and operation of local government, on the work and activities of the Local Government Ombudsman in England. Committee particularly welcomes any evidence from local authority scrutiny bodies such as scrutiny committee reports on the work and performance of the LGO.

In undertaking this inquiry the Committee does not intend to investigate, review or reopen individual cases considered by, or currently before, the LGO or its handling of particular cases. Nor does it plan to review the LGO's operations before July 2012.

Deadline

The Committee asks for written submissions in accordance with the guidelines below by midday on Friday 1 November. As a guideline submissions should be no longer than 3000 words.

Please note

Written submissions for this inquiry should be sent via the Communities and Local Government web portal. Please click the link here for guidance and to upload your evidence:

Upload written evidence for this inquiry

Please note submissions should not be submitted as pdfs. If you have any problems with the web portal please contact Emma McIntosh, Senior Committee Assistant on 0207 219 4972.

Submissions should be uploaded via the Committee website no later than midday on Friday, 1 November 2013.