How many of the complaints it received were referred to stage 3 of its complaints handling procedure in each year since 2021.

The following figures show the number of complaints that were considered by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) after being processed under the Scottish Government’s Complaints Handling Procedure for each of the specified years.YearTotal number of complaints considered by the SPSOTotal number of SG complaints% of SG complaints considered by the SPSO2021127017%202254411%202375413%202476211%20255806%The figure for 2025 may increase further as complainants usually have 12 months to raise their complaint with the SPSO. This period is counted from when the complainant becomes aware of the issue about which they are complaining.The reduction in complaints reaching the SPSO demonstrates the Scottish Government’s increased emphasis on rigorous complaint handling and its renewed drive to ensure issues are resolved promptly and effectively at stage 1 and stage 2.