A Government Ministry has already approached Bermuda?s new Ombudsman to ask for help in setting up a complaints handling department, it emerged yesterday.

Arlene Brock, who was appointed to the post last August, would not say which Ministry was involved but told : ?One department has requested my assistance. They have recognised that it would be useful and that I could help them and give them some advice.?

Ms Brock, a former lawyer, spoke out as two leading experts on ombudsmen arrived on the Island to officially open Bermuda?s new Office of the Ombudsman, in Dundonald Street, Hamilton, today.

Professor Victor Ayeni, from the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, and Dr. Hayden Thomas, the Ombudsman of Antigua and Barbuda, will also give a public lecture this evening at 7 p.m. in North Hall.

Professor Ayeni said the approach from the Ministry to Ms Brock was a sign that those in power on the Island welcomed the Ombudsman, who deals with grievances from the public against the Government and its services.

?Within a short time, for a Government to have recognised that says a lot about the impact the Ombudsman has had.?

Professor Ayeni said Bermuda already had a head start on other countries introducing an ombudsman, because the initiative came from Government.

He was consulted on the process by Bermuda?s central policy unit long before Ms Brock was appointed.

?Here, the initiative came from Bermuda and what we do is facilitate. I think you have very good legislation here and you have the privilege of having resources. I have worked in institutions where they couldn?t even pay the ombudsman?s salary.?

He said it was too early to assess how the Island?s new Ombudsman was doing. The department received 54 complaints from September 1 to December 30 and an annual report on how they and other complaints have been dealt with will be given to Parliament later this year.

?The very fact that people know there is someone they can talk to is a good thing,? said Professor Ayeni. ?It?s very unhealthy for a country to have feelings pent up. It?s not an exaggeration to say that a democracy is incomplete without an ombudsman.

?It?s also time and cost-effective.?

Ms Brock?s department has a budget of about $360,000 in its first year. Next year?s budget will include the cost of a computer case management system for the department.

Ms Brock said that although she had looked at systems in Canada, Australia and the US, she was more likely to opt for a Bermudian system.