Complaints against States hit five-year high in 2017

Complaints against States hit five-year high in 2017

A total of 18 new formal complaints were raised last year, according to the States Complaints Board annual report, with a third of them made against the Planning Department and a further three each lodged against the Education and Infrastructure Departments.

By comparison, a total of 16 complaints were received in 2016, 13 in 2015, nine in 2014 and eight in 2013.

A total of three complaints were brought forward from 2016 and resolved last year, while 11 inquiries were made into the conduct of States departments but were not progressed formally.

Of the 18 new complaints received during 2017, ten were brought to conclusion before the year’s end.

During 2017, two cases resulted in board hearings – a complaint against the States Employment Board for not granting ill-health retirement to a school lab technician and another from aggrieved parents who felt their son should have received a larger student grant.

Complaints made against the planning department involved grievances with planning applications, a claim that the Environment Minister Steve Luce dismissed recommendations by a planning inspector and a grievance that ‘relevant parties’ had been excluded from a consultation on the development of the new hospital.

Other complaints were made against Infrastructure Minister Eddie Noel’s decision to change taxi fares – the complaint was dismissed – and the Social Security Department because an individual continued making pension payments after his 65th birthday, which resulted in the full amounts he paid being refunded.

The chairman’s report, written by Geoffrey Crill, says that the complaints received in 2017 related to decisions made by a ‘wide variety of ministers’.

It adds: ‘The majority of complaints received were considered not to relate to matters of maladministration, and therefore had not justified a hearing being convened.’

The States Complaints Board deals with any grievances where an Islander feels that a minister or civil servant has not acted properly, fairly or has provided poor service.

A public hearing is held when other avenues to resolve a grievance have been exhausted.

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