An order seeking to include four public bodies - the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Civil Aid Service, the Consumer Council and the Estate Agents Authority - to schedule one of the Ombudsman Ordinance has been gazetted. It will be tabled at the Legislative Council November 11.

The Ombudsman is empowered under the ordinance to investigate any action taken by or on behalf of an organisation specified in part one of schedule one in the exercise of its administrative functions.

At present the Ombudsman has jurisdiction over nearly all government departments and agencies, except those set out in part two of schedule one, including Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, over which the Ombudsman only has jurisdiction on matters relating to the exercise of their administrative functions in relation to the Code on Access to Information.

The effective date of the amendment order will be appointed by the Director of Administration in the gazette. The Government will further liaise on the implementation date.