The way the Press Complaints Commission handles complaints has come under scrutiny from the charter commissioner in his annual report.

Several improvements and changes to the way the Commission works have been brought in after analysis of his findings.

Commissioner Sir Brian Cubbon looks at complaints about the handling of complaints by the PCC. He does not review the substance of decisions, only the handling of the complaint.

His second annual report showed that 52 complaints were referred to him in 2005, with the Commission accepting all his recommendations.

In four cases the result was a substantial change in the outcome of the original complaint, after the editor concerned had taken or offered new action. In ten other cases the wording of the Commission’s decision was improved, with the Commission’s agreement.

Sir Brian is also part of the Charter Compliance Panel, which audits the standard of service given to complainants by the PCC and examined some 200 files in 2005, and made three reports to the Chairman of the Commission.

One of its concerns was that in a few cases complainants might have felt under pressure to resolve a complaint, and would prefer to see more adjudications.

The Panel made a number of recommendations which the Commission accepted:

There will be: