The president who leaves the defender of the financial people of Great Britain has been accused by parliamentarians of a “disrespectful” negative to face the scrutiny for the dismissal of its former executive director.
In a report published on Monday, the Committee of the Commons criticized Baroness Manzoor to decline to answer his questions about the expelled of Abby Thomas of his role in February.
The parliamentarians asked the couple and the president to explain why Mrs. Thomas had resigned from her role as executive director of the Financial Defender Service (FOS) and if any compensation package was agreed.
She refused to.
In a letter to the committee on February 19, Baroness Manzoor said that “as a member of the House of Lords, I cannot be forced to attend the committee or to answer their questions,” says the report.
In Monday's report, parliamentarians said that “although this argument was strictly true” because the common committees have no power to force the lords: “it was unnecessary and disrespectful.”
After the letter of Baroness Manzoor, the Committee ordered the FOS to present details of any compensation agreement or financial package and any confidentiality or non -dissemination agreement between the service and Mrs. Thomas.
Although the FOS complied with the order, the Committee has not published the details, claiming that its decision not to do so reflects “our awareness of the need to balance transparency against equity for people.”
In its report, the Committee summarizes the reason for the dismissal of Mrs. Thomas as a “collapse of trust” promoted by “fundamental disagreements” on the strategy and operations between the Board and the former executive director.
“This collapse in trust covered a wide range of problems and was not driven by a single event or theme,” he says.
“The trusted mutual collapse led the FOS Board to say goodbye to Abby Thomas.”
The president of the Treasury Committee, Dame Meg Hillier, said that the lack of scrutiny of the blocking service should send a “clear message” to others that seek to frustrate the process.
“I'm afraid that the management of this situation by the main leadership of the financial service of the Ombudsman has been deeply disappointing,” he said.
“The attempt to frustrate a committee from the Chamber of the Commons by scrutinizing the actions of a publicly responsible organization, finally it was not successful.
“I hope this sends a clear message to any organization considering a similar action in the future that the members of the Commons Chamber have answers to the questions they ask in the name of the British public, whether the senior officials try to block them or not.”
Baroness Manzoor said: “I value the select Treasury committee and the important role it plays by making the financial sector take into account.
“I am committed to providing open and transparent evidence to the committee, but there are rare cases in which that can be difficult, particularly when it relates to employment issues.
“I have always treated the committee with the maximum seriousness and respect, and I know that the financial service of the Ombudsman will continue to work closely with them in the future.”
