Background
1. The Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill contains
provisions to establish an Office of the Public Services Ombudsman
for Wales. The Bill will bring together the separate offices of
the Commission for Local Administration in Wales (which includes
the Local Commissioner), the Health Service Commissioner for Wales,
the Welsh Administration Ombudsman and, when established, the
Social Housing Ombudsman for Wales into a unified office led by
a single individual - the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
(PSOW).[1]
2. The Bill was presented to the House of Lords on
24 November 2004, and had its Second Reading on 16 December 2004.[2]
The Bill received its Committee stage on 25 January 2005[3]
and its Report Stage on 10 February 2005.[4]
We expect the Bill to come to the House of Commons before the
end of February.
Scrutiny of the Draft Bill
3. In the last session of Parliament, the House of
Commons and the National Assembly for Wales passed changes to
their procedures to allow the Welsh Affairs Committee and Committees
of the National Assembly for Wales to undertake formal joint working
on matters of mutual interest.[5]
We took advantage of those powers to meet formally with the Local
Government and Public Services Committee to scrutinise the Public
Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill. The first evidence session was
held under the Local Government and Public Services Committee's
procedures at the National Assembly for Wales on Thursday 13 January.[6]
The second evidence session was held under our procedures on Monday
17 January.[7]
4. We understand that the Local Government and Public
Services Committee of the National Assembly will also be publishing
a report on the Bill. Our understanding is that its recommendations
will be along similar lines to the recommendations in this report.
5. We thank our colleagues from the National Assembly
and our witnesses for their co-operation in the joint scrutiny
of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Bill.
1 Ev 33 Back
2
HL Deb, 16 December 2004, Session 2004-05, col 1429-1443. Back
3
HL Deb, 25 January 2005, Session 2004-05, col GC365-422. Back
4
HL Deb, 10 February 2005, Session 2004-05, col 906-927. Back
5
For further information see the First Report of the Welsh Affairs
Committee, Work of the Committee in 2004, HC 256 of Session 2004-05. Back
6
Qq1-85 Back
7
Qq86-176 Back
