22 July 2008

Ms P Nunn

Via email ([FOI #1230 email])

Our ref: CS/08/0024/HJP

(Please quote our reference when contacting us)

If telephoning contact Hilary Pook on 020 7217 4734

or if using email send to: [email address]

Dear Ms Nunn

Request for information

You asked in your email of 19 July:

1. What was/is the longest period of time a complainant has had to wait for a remedy promised to an Ombudsman by a council, as a result of a finding of maladministration by the Ombudsman, to be implemented?

2. What was the reason for the delay?

3. Which Ombudsman/Ombudsmen were involved?

I am afraid the answer to question 1 is not information we hold. We only keep the paper files associated with complaints for 14 months and the computer records for 10 years after the cases are closed. As the Ombudsmen's service has been in operation since 1974, we no longer hold any records on a good proportion of the complaints ever put to the Ombudsmen. It is therefore impossible to determine the longest period of time a complainant has had to wait for a remedy. As I cannot answer question 1, it follows that I can't answer question 2-3 either.

That concludes my response and I hope you find the information useful. If you feel I have not dealt properly with your request, you have the right to appeal and, should you wish to do so, I can supply a copy our internal complaints procedure. You also have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner to determine whether your request has been properly dealt with. You should note however that the Commissioner will not consider any complaint where you have not first exhausted our internal complaints process or where there has been undue delay in contacting him. You will be able to obtain further details of the Information Commissioner's role from the website on www.ico.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook (Ms)

Communications and Records Manager

LGO 01 (03/08)