Dec 1974. Sir Idwal Pugh was a great Permanent Secretary. He was always keenly aware of the limitations of his own staff, and worked hard to protect them against exposure, like a Commander with a weak platoon. Let me give you an example. At one stage, I had persuaded Tony Crosland of the need to communicate more effectively with local councillors by publishing a DoE newspaper. Our Councillors were Labour’s front-line troops, I had argued, and we should get our messages through more effectively – and Crosland agreed. But the Permanent Secretaries fought tooth-and-nail to prevent that happening. I did produce a single trial-copy, with the help of the DoE Information Department, and Crosland was enthusiastic. But he reckoned without the Permanent Secretaries – particularly Sir Idwal. They were suspicious that such a newspaper would become too political, and cross the divide between good administration and Party politics.

But it was Sir Idwal who produced the killer argument. His Marsham Street civil servants simply did not know enough about local government, he argued, for them to generate a running commentary on the work of experienced local government officers – they would inevitably make too many mistakes, invite ridicule, and undermine the authority of the new Department. It was a sophisticated and telling argument, and it won the day – much to Crosland’s regret.

1 April 1976 Sir Idwal Pugh became the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

SIR IDWAL VAUGHAN PUGH , KCB (1972, CB 1967) [Sir Idwal Pugh KCB, 5 Murray Court, 80 Banbury Rd, Oxford OX2 6LQ]; born 10 Feb 1918; educated Cowbridge GS and St John's College Oxford (Hon Fell 1979); Army ...

Last week's speaker (March 2005) was the grandson of Sir Idwal Pugh who came to live in Taicynhaeaf after his retirement from a distinguished career in the Civil Service culminating in the post of Parliamentary Ombudsman. He was Toby Driver, who has worked in Aberystwyth for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales since 1995 and his subject was "The archaeology of Meirionydd from the air".