Dear Cabinet Office,

Dear CO,
1.How many times in the last 3 years has the CO received a letter of complaint addressed to the PHSO Ombudsman and beginning ‘Dear Parliamentary Commissioner.. I wish to complain about the Treasury Solicitor..’ that's been diverted by an MP from its intended recipient, the Ombudsman,... to the CO?

2. When this has happened, how many times has the CO decided to send the letter not to the Ombudsman … but to the department of the person complained about (The Treasury Solicitor’s Dpt, the Government Legal department)?

3. When the CO has sent such a letter to the GLD (who've passed it immediately to the Treasury Solicitor) has the justification for their action been that they “believed the subject area falls within the responsibilities of the GLD’s responsibilities” and that “the issue falls within the GLD’s remit”?

4. Is it therefore standard practice for any letter of complaint diverted by an MP from its intended recipient (the Ombudsman) containing a complaint about the Treasury Solicitor, and mentioning “the GLD”, improper behaviour by the GLD/Treasury Solicitor, to be transferred as soon as possible to the “Government Legal Department” so that they can “prepare a response, as the issue clearly falls within their remit”.

5. I know that this has happened on AT LEAST one occasion in the last 3 years. I want to know if it's happened on other occasions. In the period between 8-27 September 2021), for example, Theresa May ‘diverted’ a letter of complaint about the Treasury Solicitor that – by law – she should have forwarded to the PHSO Ombudsman, and passed it instead to the Cabinet Office.

I believe the CO Minister at the time was Stephen Barclay since he was appointed on 15 September 2021 - please confirm this is correct. Was Stephen Barclay made aware (then or later) of the practice of passing on letters of complaint addressed to the Ombudsman that contained references to the GLD/ the TS, and “any issue whose subject matter suggested that fell within the remit of the Government Legal Department”, to that Department?

6. If this has happened on other occasions, has the Cabinet Office Minister been made aware of – and approved – this practice and the justification of ‘the subject matter fell within the remit of the GLD? Has, for example, the new Cabinet Minister, Kit Malthouse, been made aware of a practice that many people, particularly those concerned with jurisprudence, the law, and justice, may find bizarre and alarming?

Yours faithfully,

Dudley Jones

Dear Cabinet Office,
You should BY LAW have responded to this FOI Request by the 17 August 2022. You haven't complied with your lawful obligations. Could you please do so as a matter of urgency.

Yours faithfully,

Dudley Jones