Sir, If Peter Riddell’s sentiment (“This could be one blunder too many”, April 26) was reality, I fear that few failing managers would be forced to resign, and professional accountability would become a thing of the past.

I would agree, however, that no manager can know all the details of his department’s operations, whether government or private sector. However, I disagree that the manager ultimately responsible for that area of government or business should not resign unless the cause can be traced back to him personally. A manager’s responsibility is to charge his direct reporting lines to impose secure and reliable processes that will deliver the required results for his department.

And provided his managers are clear on the objectives, and are given the resources to execute the initiatives, this should occur. If it does not, the departmental manager has to be made accountable for the resultant failures. Surely that is why he is usually the more talented and better rewarded.

In the case of foreign prisoners not being deported after their release, Mr Clarke should have implemented the correct procedures immediately upon taking office; this is clearly not an insignificant element of the Home Office’s responsibilities. It appears this was not done, even after Mr Clarke was made aware of it some ten months ago. And while I am sure there were failures of some subordinates, not to mention systems, I believe the top man must be made accountable; much the same way as the public has the opportunity ultimately to make the Government responsible for its apparent failings at the next general election.

MICHAEL GUY
London SW19

Sir, We do not elect people to Parliament because they know how to manage large complex organisations with critical but diverse aims and objectives. Such people do not stand. Our system appoints people with no serious organisational or managerial experience to run ministries more complex than most global corporations, with budgets in billions of pounds. They try to manage delivery of vital public services through Civil Service structures whose key staff skills and experience are policy formulation, not implementation. Everybody is responsible — but no one is to blame.

We elect people who talk a good game with a talent for writing, interpreting and enforcing rules: a cup final with no players or coach — just a referee and 22 linesmen. Efforts to resolve these contradictions such as parachuting in individuals with top managerial experience to shake things up, or buying into private sector management theories, have shown up the limitations of management by objectives. There are too many civil servants, but the key is that they are in the wrong place, too distant from results.

Bridge the competence gap: bring in senior expertise across the board — doctors, nurses, teachers, transport managers, police, etc. Buy, from their existing organisations, one or two-year “sunset sabbaticals” for the best people in all areas. Employers have the right to compensation but not refusal. Bring back the best early retirers whose experience is going to waste. Attach these trouble-shooters to an Audit Commission which regularly produces the best analyses of our problems but has no authority to ensure implementation.

KEITH FARMAN
St Albans

Sir, The £750 million deficit in the NHS, which represents a small proportion of the total expenditure, has provoked an extreme reaction of redundancies and reductions in services. Revenue & Customs has overpaid £4 billion in tax credits, of which some £1 billion is unlikely to be recovered. This seems to have produced no noticeable reaction from the Government. What is going on?

ELIZABETH WALKER
King’s Lynn, Norfolk

Sir, If someone becomes a victim of crime because of foreign ex-convicts being released into the community and not deported, is that person entitled to sue the Government for negligence?

BRIAN J. WATT
Lytham, Lancs

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