THE PUBLIC Services Ombudsman for Wales, has been criticised for being slow to complete investigations into complaints made against Powys County Councillors.
At a meeting of the council’s Standards committee on Wednesday, June 18 councillors and lay members were given an update on eight referrals to the ombudsman from 2023 to this April.
Details of the complaints and the identity of councillors had been kept confidential.
The report said that one referral had been completed with “no evidence of a Code of Conduct breach being found” and one case would be referred to the committee.
Cllr Ian Harrison (Conservative) said: “There are two items (cases) in there that seem to be well past the 12 months due date.
“I wonder if there’s any known reason why the ombudsman has failed to complete their investigation within the 12 month period?”
Deputy monitoring officer Debby Jones said: “We have raised this concern with the ombudsman before.
“This has always been a difficult one for us as a local authority because I seek regular updates from the ombudsman and I generally receive the response that they are still under investigation.
“There can be lots of reasons for delay, they can be because they can’t get hold of witnesses or arrange a convenient time to meet or there’s illness or absences.
“It really isn’t in our control, once a matter has been referred to them.”
Committee chairman and lay member Stephan Hays said that he understood that the ombudsman had been “a bit short on personnel” capable of conducting the investigations and had only last year been allowed to recruit new members of staff.
Mr Hays said: “So it’s probably taking some time to catch up on things, in addition there has been a 30 per cent (national) increase in the number cases.
“Put all together it’s exacerbated the situation for them.”
Cllr Harrison stressed that he wanted the ombudsman to explain to the committee on whether the delays are down to their “capacity issues” or there are specific “difficulties” with the Powys related investigations.
Cllr Harrison said: “At least then we would have a feel for what’s causing the issue.”
Mr Hays said that he was attending a National Standards Forum meeting on Monday, June 24 which the ombudsman is due to attend.
Mr Hays said: “We could ask the question there.”
Lay member Jonathan Goolden asked the committee that copies of previous correspondence between the council and ombudsman be passed over to Cllr Harrison.
Mr Goolden said: “Just to demonstrate we have been alive to this issue previously.”
The committee agreed to this.
