THE NEED FOR an effective body policing the slowly unfolding disaster of the new local government structure is pressingly important. It is therefore welcome that the Select Committee of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is todayhearing evidence on the effectiveness of the Local Government Ombudsman.
The Local Government Act 2000 “reforms” destroyed the distinction between local government officers and councillors. Officers used to be paid but had limited decisionmaking powers. Councillors were unpaid elected representatives. Now they are all paid and officers have greater authority.
Our defence against the misuse of this power is the ombudsman, who investigates “maladministration” leading to “injustice”, a term that he defines.
Of 11,600 complaints sent to the LGO for England in 2003-04, only 180 cases, that is