The creation of a human rights “ombudsperson” to hear complaints made against public officials is currently being considered by a House of Commons committee.
The term, a “woke” alternative to the word “ombudsman,” is believed to have been used for the first time in official parliamentary activity.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, as well as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen, will be among the witnesses the Joint Committee on Human Rights Committee hears from today as it examines the case for introducing such a person.
Labour MP Harriet Harman, who her conservative counterparts charged with pushing through the new term, serves as the committee’s chair.
‘Oh God. Of course, Ombudsper-child. One MP told MailOnline that “son is a male phrase.”
The truth about Harriet is that she has consistently supported the right causes since she was young. She really hasn’t changed that.
According to sources, the committee as a whole, not Ms. Harman individually, came to the conclusion that using the adjective “clunky” was OK.
We chose to use it as a neutral term, but it wasn’t a choice made by the chair, a committee spokeswoman told MailOnline.
Although an Ombudsperson has not yet been appointed, the committee is eager to adopt terminology that is more gender-neutral.
As we no longer use terms like “chairman,” we felt it was more suitable to use in this situation.
It wasn’t meant to be a huge gesture, though.
In an announcement for the meeting today, it was stated that “Ombudspersons handle complaints submitted by citizens against public officials.”
“They frequently have the authority to look into cases of bad administration, make recommendations for remedial action, and publish a report.”
They can identify systemic problems, offer redress for specific cases, and give criticism to help services get better.
The NHS, housing, social care, and financial services are just a few of the areas where ombudspersons currently serve in the UK.
The Committee will look at how a human rights ombudsperson might fit into the current ombuds framework and how it can enhance the protection of rights in the UK during this first meeting.
It will examine the possible authority they could have as well as the benefits and drawbacks of creating such a position.