What monitoring is in place with regard to the operation of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman was established under The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002. Paragraph 2(2) of schedule 1 of this act provides that the ombudsman, in the exercise of her functions is not subject to the direction or control of any member of Parliament, any member of the Scottish Executive or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
Separate provision does, however, require the ombudsman to lay an annual report before Parliament and the Parliament may give directions as to the form and content of an annual report. Copies of the annual report are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The ombudsman must also keep accounts and prepare annual accounts for each financial year in accordance with such directions as Scottish ministers may give.
In terms of the Act, the SPCB has to pay any expenses incurred by the ombudsman in the exercise of her functions. As part of this process, the SPCB invites the ombudsman on an annual basis to prepare a budget submission which is scrutinised by the SPCB and which scrutiny may include discussions between the SPCB and the Ombudsman prior to the bid being reported to the Finance Committee as part of the SPCB’s overall budget submission.