, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Fair enough. If you were prioritising your wish list of investment, what would you prioritise?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
If you wanted to break that contract and just get out without somebody else, what are the implications for that?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
And with regard to office costs—I know Chris is leading on that work—how receptive has the landlord been? Have you had initial conversations with the landlord?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
And the impact then on the Welsh public?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
And then would it be shelving any improvements to websites and systems? Are there any knock-on costs that would happen? You were talking about renegotiating your contracts and that sort of thing. I'm just trying to get to an understanding. Depending on our…
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
If we, for example, hypothetically—I haven't discussed this with my colleagues—were to say, 'Well, what's plan B if we find that we wouldn't be able to agree what you've asked for?' Could you talk us through what the consequences of that are and what the…
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
We obviously look at all the directly funded bodies. They come here and make their pitch, the same as you have. We recently have been talking to others as well, and there's a 4.1 per cent pay increase in one of those budgets. How would we justify giving you…
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Thank you. When you brought your supplementary budget to us, we were talking about an increase of £35,000, I think, for the national insurance uplift. Obviously, in the last month, we've heard that that levy is being reduced. So, could you talk us through…
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Rhianon, if I may, if you change the front door, as it were, of the website, have you modelled any thoughts about efficiencies that would come off the back of that, or have you given any thought to the return on investment and how long it would take to pay it…
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Thank you. Rhianon.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Peter.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Thank you, Mike.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
I think Rhianon just wanted to come in.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Okay, thank you. Mike, sorry to cut in there.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Mike, if I may, I'm going to jump in on a question that maybe Peter had later. There's a special payment in your accounts for £29,000. Is that related to somebody leaving the organisation, and could you give us any further detail on that?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Thank you very much. Mike.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
That would be great. Thank you. Finally from me: under the new powers, you received 221 oral complaints—that's up from 63 last year—and conducted three extended and own investigations. To what extent are you seeing the benefits of the new powers under the…
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Mike.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
And at that point, you'll be able to let us know.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
And then maybe if you could let us know—. Obviously, we had a snapshot as it was then; has that moved on any further, or can you give us any more detail on that?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Based on that, there's a code of conduct case where leave to appeal is being sought. Did that go through that process initially, then?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
In the papers, you've said that you were unable to undertake as many quality assurance reviews as you wanted to, and that a new service quality officer has been appointed. What are the expectations of that, going forward?
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Thank you. I'll bring Rhianon in briefly, and then I think we'll have to move on, and maybe keep our answers and our questions short.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
I think Peter wanted to come in on something.
, Finance Committee
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales—Scrutiny of Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, and Estimate 2023-24: Evidence session
Okay. Thank you very much. Did you want to come in? No. Sorry. Great. Thank you very much. Obviously, getting into a new role and getting up to speed takes a little bit of time, as I know from experience; becoming finance Chair in my first term as a Member…
