Governance and accountability arrangements for the Offices of the Ombudsman in other legislatures

Synopsis: This briefing paper provides information in response to the Committee’s request regarding the comparative governance and accountability arrangements for the offices of the Ombudsman in the other jurisdictions. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have unified public service ombudsmen covering devolved public services. In England, there are a number of ombudsmen covering these services. Most relevant to the Committee’s query are the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman which, respectively, carry out similar roles.

Date: 27 November 2020