public authorities

Public bodies publications

This collection, provided by the Cabinet Office brings together all documents relating to public bodies. This includes documents related to reform of public bodies, public bodies and guidance for departments. The reports provide data relating to each executive agency, non-departmental public body, and non-ministerial department. Includes annual editions of the annual publication (now ceased), Public Bodies, 1997 to 2015.

Commissioner for Public Appointments

The Commissioner for Public Appointments monitors and regulates government departmental procedures for ministerial appointments to public bodies. It acts to ensure independent scrutiny of proposed appointments, appointment on merit and openness of appointments. Its website contains information on the function and operation of the Commissioner, summaries of its recent reports, such as codes of practice for government appointments and basic statistics on the number and political affiliation of recent appointments to public bodies.

Adjudication Panel for Wales

Website of the Adjudication Panel for Wales an independent body established under Part III of the Local Government Act 2000. The role of the Adjudication Panel is to form tribunals to decide whether members of local authorities, police, fire and national park authorities in Wales have breached their statutory code of conduct. Details and decisions of previous tribunals are provided on the site along with annual reports and a list of Panel members.

Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland

Official website of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland whose role is to regulate the process by which many of the public appointments in Northern Ireland are made. The site makes available the code of practice and details of the bodies regulated by the Commissioner. Recent annual reports, guidance and other documentation can be downloaded along with investigations and complaints dealt with by the Commissioner.

Standards for England

Archived website of Standards for England (Standards Board for England), a non-departmental public body which was abolished in 2012. Standards for England was the strategic regulator with responsibility for promoting high standards of conduct amongst councillors and members of local public authorities in England. Its website includes reports of meetings and information on the Code of Conduct and local standards framework. Summaries of completed investigations can be browsed or searched on the site.

Independent Complaints Reviewer

The Independent Complaints Reviewer provides a complaints review service for the following public bodies: the Land Registry; the Audit Commission; the Charity Commission; the Homes and Communities Agency; the National Archives; the Northern Ireland Youth Justice Agency and the Children’s Commissioner for Wales. The site has guidance to making a complaint, background information on each organisation and copies of their annual reports. The Independent Complaints Reviewer will only investigate complaints once they have been exhausted by the organisation’s internal complaints procedures.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

Official website of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) the body with responsibility for handling complaints about public services in Scotland. This includes local government, the National Health Service, the Scottish Government, housing associations and colleges and universities. The SPSO looks at complaints that have already been through the formal complaints process of the organisation concerned. The site provides information on how to complain and full text investigation reports.

Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland

Website of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland (OCPAS) an independent body with responsibility for the regulation of appointments to Scotland’s public bodies. There is information on the appointments process and guidance for people thinking of applying to be a Board Member of a public body. Full text copies of the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments and OCPAS’s equality and diversity strategy can be viewed on the site.

Public Law Project

The Public Law Project (PLP) is a UK-based legal charity whose aim is to improve access to justice in public law matters. The site provides information about the PLP and its work, including research, casework and training. Background information is given about public law is and there are leaflets on topics such as judicial review and making a complaint to the Ombudsman. Research reports, articles and press releases can be downloaded from the site.

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