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The article discusses the concepts of accountability and responsibility in British government and public bodies as of 2001. The article examines the political climate in Great Britain at the end of the 20th century in the British House of Commons and in British town halls. The author examines ways in which the British system of government could become more democratic and discusses the concept of accountability as a form of what the author calls customer relations with active citizens who are participate in the political process.

Two very serious prison escape attempts in 1994-5 prompted the Home Secretary, Michael Howard, to dismiss the Prison Service head, Derek Lewis (a contracted businssman) who successfully sued for full compensation and costs. This sacking and law suit were unprecedented events which highlighted familiar tensions about the 'policy' and 'administrative' ('operational') distinction and what passes for the theory of individual ministerial responsibility to Parliament. This article reviews four serious prison security failures in England and Northern Ireland since 1983 and the standard ministerial posture blaming operational error rather than their own policy framework. Drawing on interviews with relevant senior figures, the exceptionally politically sensitive case of executive agency status for the Prison Service of England and Wales is considered. The 'Lewis vs. Howard' affair is placed in its context of the increasingly managerial ambitions of both 'incomer' and career civil servants which conflict with traditionally comprehensive, but symbolic ministerial responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most influential and apparently enduring models of the political-bureaucratic relations has been the 'Whitehall model' derived from British practices. Yet the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians in Britain, often poorly understood in the past, has changed in recent years to such an extent that the continued existence of the 'Whitehall model' can be doubted. This article draws on published sources and, for background, interviews conducted since 1989 with higher (Grade III and above) civil servants and current or former ministers to explore how and why the Whitehall model is threatened with extinction. The wider implications of this development for British policy making and for the study of the relations between bureaucrats and politicians are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the very considerable research problems facing any attempt at the logical definition, systematic classification and coding of the many varieties of political scandal. When political corruption or other forms of scandal are discussed, it is usual to refer to lifting a large, flat stone to reveal the various insects which scatter in several directions to escape the sudden and unwelcome light. The standard clich´ of the embarrassed government spokesman confronted by scandal revelations is, indeed, that no stone will remain unturned in the effort to bring all those responsible to justice and thus end the scourge of public graft or other outrage, recently revealed. The main purpose of the present study is to offer an original classification framework of scandals as applied to a large number of cases. This is in order to assess the very considerable practical problems which face any attempt at logical definition, systematic classification and coding of the many varieties of political scandal. The cases for this analysis are taken from a major recent source of political scandal data.

The brief of the Nuffield Foundation Study, chaired by Lord Flowers was broad:The "assumptions and purposes", "past and present performance and proper role in the future" of British land-use planning were to be reviewed. But they did sniff around the wider field of environmental issues, taking views and perspectives of land-use planning from experts in such fields as environment and ecology, housing, land economy, compensation and betterment. Their report is more broadly based than is apparent. On major inquiries, for example, the group informed itself on current events and issues via an expert conference, arranged between the Foundation and the Constitutional Reform Centre, which published its own report.

Examines the reasons for requesting radiographs in an accident and emergency department in Great Britain. Examination on the cases of patients to determine the reasons; List of reasons for requesting radiography and x-ray examination; Increase in the number of x-ray examinations in accident and emergency departments.