A committee of MPs has attacked "systematic" faults in the way that government departments handle complaints from the public.

The Commons public administration committee said in a new report on Monday that standards of complaint handling within Whitehall were poor.

Chairman Tony Wright called for ministries to review and learn lessons from the feedback they get.

He said it was "extraordinary that there are departments and agencies that seem not to be monitoring or learning from the complaints they receive".

The report expressed hope that the new Public Services Direct complaints body would provide "a single point of contact for
impartial information on where to make a complaint or seek redress".

Wright said: "When citizens complain, they want their concerns taken seriously and matters put right.

"People also need to be given the necessary help and support to make their complaint in the first place.

"Public Services Direct would provide a one-stop shop for the information that citizens need."