28 March 2008
MPs have urged the government to introduce a 'one-stop shop' to help the public with complaints against departments and government bodies.
A public administration select committee report, When citizens complain, published on March 24, suggests that the new complaints body could provide a single point of contact for impartial information on where to make a complaint.
It says such an organisation – which it calls Public Services Direct – would direct people unsure of how or where to lodge an initial complaint. The committee also suggests a far more systematic approach to the monitoring of complaints.
The report highlights figures from the National Audit Office for 2003/04, during which just under 1.4 million complaints were received across departments and processed by more than 9,000 staff. The complaints system cost £510m, of which £132m was spent on dealing with complaints, £366m on appeals and tribunals and £12m on compensation.
PASC chair Tony Wright said: 'When citizens complain, they want their concerns taken seriously and matters put right. People also need to be given the necessary help and support to make their complaint in the first place. Public Services Direct would provide a one-stop shop for the information that citizens need.'
He added: 'Complaints provide valuable feedback on how public services are running. Government bodies should be using the information they get from monitoring complaints in a much more systematic way to improve how services are delivered.'
The report further recommends that the proportion of complaints upheld by the ombudsman should constitute a performance indicator for departments.
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