Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to share the personal details of a family member. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to deal with this complaint.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council failed to provide him with information about a family member who he has lost touch with.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is another body better placed to consider this complaint. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X asked the Council to either provide him with details of how to contact a member of his family, or to pass his details onto the family member.
6. The Council responded and said it was unable to do so as it did not have the family member’s consent to do so.
7. We will not investigate this complaint. The Council has explained why it cannot provide Mr X with his relation’s contact details. If Mr X is unhappy with this decision, the Information Commissioner Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider this complaint.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman