The Government is considering recent reports of the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) into how complaints about public services are handled. As part of this, the Cabinet Office is working to investigate further how public services can make best use of complaints and also to take a wider look at the role and powers of the Public Sector Ombudsmen. The Government will respond to the PASC in due course. I am happy to discuss this matter further with my Hon. Friend.<\/p>
The annual reports and accounts of the public service ombudsmen in the UK provide details of their performance over the past 12 months including information about complaints received.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Horsham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Francis Maude"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "198659"} , {"_value" : "198660"} , {"_value" : "198690"} , {"_value" : "198691"} , {"_value" : "198692"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-11T07:32:07.3333964Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Sector: Ombudsman"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the benefits of future mergers of public service ombudsman services in England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4106", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Swindon"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Robert Buckland"} ], "uin" : "199679"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58251", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58251/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
<\/p>
Wherever possible, when responding to parliamentary questions for statistical data, the Electoral Commission aims to provide information that has not been previously published in full and in line with the Official Report's rules on the presentation of answers.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
Where information has previously been published, such as in response to a previous parliamentary question or within one of the Commission's reports, it takes a view on whether it republishes the information or provides a link to where it is already published, on a case by case basis taking into account whether, for example, it would be helpful for it to be seen in its full context. Consideration of whether information is deposited in the Library includes whether the answer is longer than four pages and does not already exist in a consolidated format on a website.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/234", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Gary Streeter"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Devon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Gary Streeter"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-10T16:53:31.7985184Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "36"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Written Questions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission follows in determining whether statistics in answers to parliamentary questions are (a) provided in full, (b) provided via a link to a website and (c) placed in the Library.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/534", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Ruane"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vale of Clwyd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Chris Ruane"} ], "uin" : "199268"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58260", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58260/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We have regular dialogue with South Africa on a range of issues, including regional interests, at both Ministerial and official level. The issue of political transition and that of successors to President Mugabe is a matter for the Zimbabwean people in line with the constitution of Zimbabwe. The UK remains keen to see a Zimbabwean government that delivers for its people and we will continue to do all we can to support a more democratic, stable and prosperous Zimbabwe.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1393", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Simmonds"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Boston and Skegness"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Simmonds"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-10T12:34:57.7321467Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Zimbabwe"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contacts and discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with the African National Congress regarding a possible successor to President Mugabe of Zimbabwe.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"} ], "uin" : "199309"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58261", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58261/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.<\/p>
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.<\/p>
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:<\/p>
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/76", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Green"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Green"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "199270"} , {"_value" : "199271"} , {"_value" : "199272"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-11T09:45:18.5141392Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prerogative of Mercy"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the people who have received the Royal Prerogative of Mercy by Letters Patent in the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"} ], "uin" : "199269"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58263", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58263/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.<\/p>
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.<\/p>
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:<\/p>
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/76", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Green"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Green"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "199269"} , {"_value" : "199270"} , {"_value" : "199272"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-11T09:45:18.8266327Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Letters Patent"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the (a) Crown Office and (b) Office of the Lord President of the Council maintains a list of all Letters Patent issued in the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"} ], "uin" : "199271"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58264", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58264/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
There has been no one who has received a pardon within England and Wales by Letters Patent in the last 20 years. Neither have any Letters Close (or Litterae Clausae) been issued by the Crown Office during the last 25 years.<\/p>
Letters Patent all pass under the Great Seal of the Realm and an entry for each is made in the Crown Office Docquet Book (a record which is designated for permanent preservation). A Patent Roll which sets out the text of the Letters Patent is also maintained by the Crown Office, The Patent Roll entries are sent annually to the National Archives for permanent preservation.<\/p>
With regard to the final question, the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent is governed by:<\/p>
An exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy is currently effected by means of Warrant under the Royal Sign Manual. A record is maintained of all such Warrants granted since the Lord Chancellor assumed responsibility for this remit from the Home Secretary and these records are transferred to the National Archives from time to time.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/76", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Green"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ashford"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Green"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-06-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "199269"} , {"_value" : "199270"} , {"_value" : "199271"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-06-11T09:45:18.9155677Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-06-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Letters Patent"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance notes used in his Department and in the Office of the Lord President of the Council regarding the wording, drafting, formatting, production, approval and processing of Letters Patent.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"} ], "uin" : "199272"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58271", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/58271/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The 2013 Civil Service-wide Capabilities Plan identified four priorities for capability building, one of which is digital capability. The report and the Government's Civil Service Reform plan noted that there was a long-standing weakness in digital capability. If action had begun under a previous administration to address this the digital capability of the civil service would have been far better at the time of the last General Election.<\/p>
The Cabinet Office publishes Quarterly Progress Reports against the Government Digital Strategy, which covers digital capability. This can be found at:<\/p>