TNAG-0214-FCO40-250-Proposals-for-appointment-of-a-ombudsman-in-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 90

:

*10

37

4

the

the following public organisations and authorities National Aid Board (one case), the Guyana Airways Corporation (one case), Local Authorities (three cases) the Guyana Electricity Corporation (one case) and the Rice Marketing Board (one case).

The article referred to under this head, together with the First Schedule to the Constitution, appears as Appendix A.

(b) Cases fully investigated

Of the 41 cases in which I had jurisdiction to investi- gate,

31 were fully investigated,

9 were determined to be justified.

2

All but I were rectified by the departments concerned.

Appendix B contains a schedule of complaints into which an investigation was undertaken showing the department con- cerned, the subject matter of the complaint and the result of the investigation.

Summaries of some of the cases investigated are set out in Appendix C of the Report.

Of the 9 cases considered to be justified, 7 concerned complaints of delay., Delays were attributed to transition- al problems arising from the introduction of a new compu- terised system in one case, the transfer of Ministerial responsibilities in another and in a great number of cases to a build up of work due to shortages of staff. In all the cases but one it was possible for the department con- cerned to take remedial action, and in the majority of cases this was promptly done when I referred the matter to the department. In one case in which my investigation be- came prolonged I was far from satisfied with the length of time taken to remedy the injustice which I found the com- plainants had suffered. A careful study of the department- al file showed that the contributory causes of the delay complained of could be traced to a number of defects in working methods and administrative arrangements in the Ministry and its department. Taking into account the presence of the United Nations Advisers on Public Adminis- tration in particular the Senior Public Administrative Adviser and the Adviser on Methods and Manuals at present assisting the Public Service Ministry in its tremendous task in relation to the re-organisation of the Public

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