The final decision on issues affecting a considerable section of society should be taken by a Parliamentary committee, Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino proposed yesterday.

He told a meeting of the House Business Committee that the Ombudsman was answerable to Parliament, and it should be one of Parliament's committees which should discuss the political aspect of a matter affecting a substantial number of people and decide on it.

Mr Justice Said Pullicino said that an Ombudsman's declaration of injustice should also be taken as fact. Although most of his recommendations were implemented, there were a few cases which were not, he said acknowledging that some decisions were not easy to implement.

The Ombudsman should be in a position to refer to parliament and not to the administration.

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg proposed that when an Ombudsman took a decision which a minister did not agree with, the minister should give a reason for the disagreement.

He referred to the Ombudsman's report, where Dr Said Pullicino proposed the centralisation of complaints and said that the government was committed to move to the Select Committee a Bill on these lines.

Dr Said Pullicino pointed out that there were cases which affected more than one entity and unless there was uniformity, major difficulties could arise.