Widoiv loses pension rights - a healthy man dies in his prison cell - war heroes fight for German compensation - Government buys farmer's land for £40 per acre, sells for over £400 - taxpayer defended against tax inspector. Magnus Magnusson presents these cases and puts questions about his job to Sir Edmund Compton Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration Almost three years ago-on 1 April 1967-the British Ombudsman began work. Has the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (as he is officially known) measured up to the expectations of ordinary people who want their complaints taken to him, of mps to whom he is responsible, or of the experts who campaigned for the appointment? Only about 1,000 complaints go forward from mps each year-many less than the 7,000. expected. Of these more than half are outside the Parliamentary Commissioner's jurisdiction, and in only about 10 per cent of the cases investigated has he found ' elements of maladministration which had led to some measure of injustice.' Is this worth £140,000 a year? Is the Ombudsman our champion against bureaucracy? Studio director PETER CHAFER Producer ANTHONY MONCRIEFF
