Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a complaint about how public money has been spent. This is because the complaint is about a matter that affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area, placing the complaint outside of our jurisdiction.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will call Mr X, complains about how the Council dealt with his complaint about how the Fire Authority had spent £250,000 of public funds for recruitment.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate something that affects all or most of the people in a council’s area. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(7), as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

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

Back to top

My assessment

6. Mr X’s complaint concerns how public money has been spent. We cannot investigate such complaints because this affects all council taxpayers, which is most people in the Council or Fire Authorities area.
7. I will not investigate how the Council dealt with Mr X’s complaint about the matter. This is because it is not a good use of public resources to look at council’s complaint handling when we are not going to look at the substantive issue complained about.

Back to top

Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the matter he complains about affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman