Such a system of surcharge and disqualification from office existed in local government

Such a system of surcharge and disqualification from office existed in local government and, though rarely used, it acted as a powerful deterrent.
It might seem odd to ministers, or indeed MPs, that they might face a fine and disqualification. They argued that all holders of public office, possibly including government ministers, should be liable to fines for serious misconduct. Take yesterday: it was the turn of the chairman and the controller of the Audit Commission to give evidence. Yet if you listen to the committee hearings it is clear that just such a rethink is taking place. When the Government set up the Nolan Committee, its aim was to counter the allegations of “sleaze”. It little thought that once a committee started to look at the behaviour of politicians, the process might unleash a radical rethink of the whole nature of politics: what is expected of politicians not just in their personal finances, but in the whole conduct of their jobs. We can start by supporting governors and teachers in any action they think appropriate.

After all, what is a little disruption now compared with a blight on state education for a generation?Yours faithfully, M L Jenkins Abingdon, Oxfordshire 8 February. This is no help to my children, who will have to endure increased class sizes and reduced choices.I am not a radical, but for too long now I and others like me have stood meekly by while the fabric of our society is steadily dismantled Now is the time for parents to stand up and be counted. What I got in reply, however, were bland assurances and a crude attempt using misleading statistics to pass the blame back to the county council.Yesterday, I read that the Government is to “defy” governors who intend to set deficit budgets, and go ahead with the cuts. I told them that all the parents I knew were totally opposed to these cuts, and were prepared to pay higher council taxes to see them reversed.
I suppose that I imagined that reasoned arguments might influence the final decision.

They may have to shed six to eight teachers, equivalent to about 10 per cent of their staff, or an entire year group. I wrote to my MP, John Patten, and to John Gummer and Gillian Shephard, to express my dismay at this prospect. Sir: I am a parent with two children in a local comprehensive school that is facing a budget cut of about £100,000 this year. This means that shareholders can act as owners as well as investors.
We could thus be spared the unedifying spectacle of Messrs Wallis, Vallance and Brown defending their pay to the media without justifying it to their shareholders.We remain, Sir, yours etc, GEORGE FREEMAN PATRICK GREEN London, SW7. Like Cadbury Remuneration Committees, they can therefore control pay.

But Turnbull’s Senates are elected with one vote per shareholder. There is a conflict of interest, over which shareholders have no direct control

It can be done differently. In Australia, the economist Shann Turnbull has successfully introduced “Corporate Senates”, which give shareholders a veto over some directors’ decisions. It also published detailed proposals about the setting up and running of high dependency units in hospitals.It is now clear that no progress has been made by Health Authorities and NHS Trusts in any of these areas.Yours faithfully, John Searle Consultant Anaesthetist Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust Exeter 8 February. Sir: Why are shareholders of public utilities unable to control the pay of their senior executives? Because directors fix their own pay.

Only 23 per cent of hospitals had a high dependency unit as well as an intensive care unit. The result was that high dependency patients were often admitted to intensive care units.This is not only an inappropriate use of expensive resources but also prevents or delays the admission of other patients to intensive care units.The association put forward recommendations about the nursing and medical staffing levels required to deliver safe and effective intensive care, as well as about the rationalisation of intensive care services within Health Regions. The number of nursing staff was inadequate in 32 per cent of units. Few units had enough consultant medical cover, and almost one in five had a bed occupancy of more than 80 per cent.
It has been recognised for over 20 years that many patients require a level of care that is midway between intensive care and an acute hospital ward – that is, they need high dependency care. It is a worsening of a serious situation that has been known about for severa l years. In 1988, the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland published the results of an extensive survey of intensive care units in the UK. Our job is to highlight the plight of all victims of human rights abuses.