To ask the Prime Minister what expenses he has authorised to decorate, refurbish or enhance office accommodation (a) in Whitehall and (b) in official homes within his gift. [2860]
Decoration and other such work undertaken on office accommodation in Whitehall is the responsibility of individual departments. Within No. 10, two offices have been redecorated at a cost of about £1,500, out of a minor works and general maintenance budget for 1997–98 of £25,000.Some offices in the Cabinet Office have been refurbished—principally to accommodate the Constitution Secretariat—at a total cost in the region of £80,000, out of a minor works and general maintenance budget for 1997–98 of £397,010.Redecoration or refurbishment of official homes within my gift is a matter for the individual board of trustees or departments.
| Discharged by judge1 | Directed acquittal2 | |||||
| Year | Custody | Bail | Total | Custody | Bail | Total |
| 1992 | 671 | 5,970 | 6,641 | 497 | 3,129 | 3,626 |
| 1993 | 676 | 5,574 | 6,250 | 386 | 2,619 | 3,005 |
| 1994 | 871 | 6,615 | 7,486 | 402 | 2,659 | 3,061 |
| 1995 | 896 | 7,047 | 7,943 | 481 | 2,799 | 3,280 |
| 1996 | 789 | 5,698 | 6,487 | 424 | 2,505 | 2,929 |
| 1 Judge orders an acquittal, no jury sworn in. | ||||||
| 2 Judge directs the jury to find the defendant not guilty on a count to which the defendant pleaded not guilty. | ||||||
To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the assessments provided to him by the Minister without Portfolio of the performance of other Ministers. [5416]
[holding answer 25 June 1997]: There are no such assessments.
To ask the Prime Minister what system of monitoring of the performance of the Minister without Portfolio he has put in place; and if he will publish the results. [5426]
[holding answer 25 June 1997]: The Minister without Portfolio is subject to the normal conventions on accountability.