The newly appointed Minister for Administrative Affairs, the Right Honourable James Hacker MP, finds even the corridors of power congested by the machinations of his Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey and his Civil Servant Cohorts

Open Government - The new Minister´s idealistic commitment faces it´s first hurdle.

The Official Visit - Hacker welcomes the visit of an African President until he turns out to be an old university chum.....

The Economy Drive - Jim plans to slim down the Civil Service. His own economy drive will set a personal example, won´t it?

Big Brother - A new National Integrated Database will give everyone access to their own files. Sound simple enough? Not to Sir Humphrey.

The Writing on the Wall - With his own department under threat, Hacker looks to the introduction of European Identity Cards to save them.

The Right to Know - For Sir Humphrey, the furore over a threatened badger colony proves there are some things it is better for a Minister not to know.

Jobs for the Boys - When Jim turns to a Banker to rescue a doomed project, he soon discovers it takes two to QUANGO.

Jim Hacker has been Minister of Administrative Affairs long enough now to know the unspoken rules of the game. He must come up with fresh ideas to show the electorate he is successful. His Permanent Secretary, the urbane Sir Humphrey is there to make sure they never come to fruition, while poor old Bernard (Private Secretary) must sit uneasily on the fence between them.

The compassionate Society - The brand new St Edwards Hospital has been open for 15 months with 350 administrators and 150 ancillary staff. As far as Sir Humphrey is concerned it is an efficient operation. So why is the Minister obsessed with the fact that the hospital has no patients?

Doing the Honours - “it´s the only hold we have over Civil Servants. I can´t stop their pay rises, I can´t prevent their promotions, don´t even write their reports - but I can withhold their honours” Jim´s plans to enforce budgets seems irresistible. But he hasn´t accounted for Humphrey´s old tie network......

The Death List - The Minister´s stance on covert surveillance during his opposition days comes back to bug him when he realises his department buys the phone tapping equipment. Then he discovers a terrorist group has him down as an assasination target.

The Greasy Pole - Plans for a new chemical factory hinge on the outcome of an independant report. But Jim discovers even science can be open to manipulation - when the PM takes an interest....

The Devil you know - A cabinet reshuffle co-incides with Hacker´s appointment in Brussels - “One day you´re out of the office, the next day you´re out of office....” Surely his job is safe, after all, he´s done `alright´, hasn´t he?

The Quality of Life - The snctity of the environment is Jim´s latest vote-winner. But the city farm he has vowed to keep open is being turned into a car park for Inland Revenue Inspectors. How come Sir Humphrey is so smug about the whole affair?

A Question of Loyalty - Sir Humphrey is pleased with his Minister. In a major speech Hacker has declared that the department has gone to war on waste and “could teach the world a lesson”. Then a select committee tests the Minister´s loyalty to his department.....

Equal Opportunities - “If you´re going to promote someone just because they´re the right person for the job you´re going to face a lot of resentment from the Civil Service”. Sir Humphrey doesn´t see eye to eye with the Minister´s plans for sexual equality.

The Challenge - Hacker has a crusade to make local authorities responsible for their expenditure. If it wasn´t for nuclear weapons and that Ludovic Kennedy interview..........

The Skeleton in the Cupboard - The 30-year-rule is about to receal the name of the young Civil Servant who made a complete mess of a defence contract. For some reason, Sir Humphrey seems nervous.

If you´d like to make any comments about this series, feel free to email me .