23 April 2009

Mr S Hardwicke Carruthers

Via email ([FOI #9530 email])

Our ref: CS/09/041/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 Mr Hardwicke Carruthers

Request for information

In your email of 19 March you asked for a copy of any updated appendix 3 to CLA 531 that was considered at the Commission meeting in on 18 July 1995. I attach Guidance to staff on delegation as issued by the then Chairman, Edward Osmotherly, on 26 September 1995. The permanent scheme of delegation came into effect from 1 October 1995. We have no record of this guidance note being revised after this date. The only thing that has been revised is the individual schedules signed by the Ombudsmen, and I have sent you these previously.

You asked what sanctions the CLAE imposed on Ombudsmen who had already delegated decision making to staff. There had been an interim scheme of delegation in place before the permanent scheme came in, so sanctions were not needed. In any case, the Commission cannot, as a body, impose sanctions on individual Ombudsmen.

The Commission did not identify complaints as being `ruby', `tawny' and `vintage' - this was an arrangement in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's office.

As noted above, the guidance I am sending with this letter is the only guidance issued by the Commission to its staff.

That concludes my response and I apologise for the delay. 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.

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Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook

Hilary Pook (Ms)

Communications and Records Manager

LGO 01 (03/08)