Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council refused to allow his question to be placed before its assembly. There is not enough injustice to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council refused to allow him to put his question to its Assembly as it was classed as frivolous. He states his alleged injustice is that he pays a lot of Council Tax.

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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 any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement (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.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X was unhappy with the response a Council committee provided to a question he asked. As a result, he submitted a public question to be asked at the Council’s Assembly.
6. We will not investigate this complaint. Mr X may be frustrated that he could not submit his question to the Assembly. However, that is not a significant enough injustice to warrant the costs of an investigation. And the fact he pays Council Tax, at whatever level, is not of relevance.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough injustice to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman