To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in his Department. [36828]

The Northern Ireland ombudsman has, subject to the conditions of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 and the Commissioner for Complaints Act (Northern Ireland) 1969, jurisdiction to investigate complaints from members of the public about the way they have been treated by Government Departments, other public sector bodies engaged in the work of central government, and those acting on their behalf. The ombudsman can investigate complaints about projects or services funded through the private finance initiative if they are carried out by, or on behalf, of a Department or public body within his jurisdiction, that is those bodies which are listed in schedules 1 and 2 respectively, to the above Acts.