Planning chief Trevor Leach last night hit back at claims his department is reluctant to serve the public, stating: "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Mr. Leach said that of thousands of planning applications, only a handful have attracted complaints that went to Ombudsman Arlene Brock.

Responding to Ms Brock's criticisms about a lack of transparency, Mr. Leach said the department was not averse to accepting "meaningful and reasonable suggestion" that improves its relationship with the public.

The Ombudsman had pointed out how the public had been left in the dark over Planning's decision-making, and when quizzed on its mistakes the department had responded by denying or justifying errors, or even wrongly blaming junior staff.

Mr. Leach added that staffing shortages blamed for increasing delays processing planning applications were now being addressed.

His e-mailed responses to our questions are included in full in today's Royal Gazette.

Also last night, the Ministry of Finance broke its silence over Ms Brock's criticisms of its unresponsiveness.

"The Ministry of Finance is keenly aware of the findings of the Ombudsman report and notes that the GEHI section has already taken action to improve section efficiency," said a statement.

"The report acknowledges that GEHI has already hired additional staff and reorganised processing procedures to reduce processing time.

"The GEHI section will address any limitations outlined in the report to ensure a more efficient delivery of services." The statement did not address questions regarding lengthy delays within the Department of Social Insurance's pensions scheme.

This newspaper's A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign is calling for Government to improve transparency by restoring public access to information (PATI) legislation to the top of its agenda.

What are your experiences, good or bad, of responsiveness within Government departments? E-mail us at arighttoknow@royalgazette.bm or call 278-0155 or 278-8359.