Local Government and Regeneration Committee
Meeting date: Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Official Report
438KB pdf
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (Annual Report)
Good morning and welcome to the 30th meeting in 2013 of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee. I ask everyone to ensure that they have switched off their mobile phones and other electronic equipment.
Before we move to our first item in public, I want to look ahead to a future evidence session. Members agreed a new approach to our forthcoming session with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, scheduled for 11 December, which included a call for questions to be sent in. The time for submission of questions has now expired and a reasonable number have been received. I propose that the clerks separate the questions that fall into the criteria that we set from those that relate to individual complaints or exceed the maximum length that we stipulated. We will see all the questions submitted, but work by the clerks should assist us in deciding which, if any, we ask orally and which we can send later for written answers. In addition, I suggest that we ask the clerks to summarise the questions that contain extraneous comment and to remove unnecessary and unhelpful statements.
Are members content for the clerks to pull together all the questions in one document for us and undertake some minor editing of the questions?
Members indicated agreement.
Thank you very much. If we can move—
Before we move on, convener, I suggest that the clerks notify the individuals who have submitted questions about any proposed changes to ensure that they are clear about why the clerks have decided to make those amendments.
That is an extremely sensible suggestion. I am sure that the clerks will do so.