Cameron must reveal secrets of bathroom 'makeover' - Sunday Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/8872345/Cameron-must-reveal-secrets-of-bathroom-makeover.html

Apparently - we are "Not All In It Together"

Cameron must reveal secrets of bathroom 'makeover'



David Cameron will be forced to reveal more details about the refurbishment of his flat in Downing Street after a ruling by the information watchdog.

David and Samantha Cameron Photo: PAUL GROVER
By Patrick Hennessy, Political Editor8:30PM GMT 05 Nov 2011 66 Comments
Details of work done on the flat's bathroom - including costs - must be made public as well as instructions given by Mr Cameron or his wife Samantha to architects, builders or anybody else involved with the project.
Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, has also admonished the Cabinet Office for delaying answers to questions about the refurbishment submitted by Tom Watson, the Labour MP, under the Freedom of Information Act.
Mr Watson called on the Prime Minister to "come clean" about his bathroom "makeover" and said taxpayers had the right to know how money was being spent doing up the flat, at No 11.
The ruling is the latest twist to the long running saga of improvements carried out to the four-bedroom flat carried out by the Camerons, who have three children, since they moved in after last year's general election.
The full £30,000 grant for the upkeep of the living accommodation, available to prime ministers annually, was used for a refit with the taxpayer-funded sum going on rewiring, plumbing and decorating.
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The Camerons personally funded items on top of this - such furniture, fittings and accessories.
In May it was revealed that the couple installed a second kitchen in the flat - described as "Notting Hill designer style" - in addition to the old 1970s style kitchen used by previous prime ministers and their families.
Now the focus will switch to the bathroom after the Information Commissioner found in favour of Mr Watson and against the Cabinet Office, which had objected to releasing information about the work carried out.
The ruling from Mr Graham's office made clear he "does not accept" the Cabinet Office's explanation.
It added: "In particular the Commissioner considers it unlikely than planning for refurbishment works at Downing street would take place without the involvement of the Cabinet Office as the relevant government department."
Mr Graham also found against the Cabinet Office in its efforts to block disclosure of directions given by the Camerons for the work carried out on the flat.
Officials must now provide the information within 35 days. If they do not, they risk contempt of court proceedings.
However, they do not have to release a detailed floor plan of No 10 after Mr Graham ruled it was exempt from disclosure for security reasons.
A number of other specific details of the refurbishment will still not be made public after the commissioner found in favour of the Cabinet Office's decision not to provide the information to Mr Watson
Mr Graham's report also highlighted "matters of concern" concerning the way the Cabinet Office responded to the requests for information.
It added: "The Commissioner is particularly concerned that the response to the Information Notice appeared top contradict the previous response from the public authority [the Cabinet Office] that no searches had been necessary, suggesting that no searches had been carried out.
"It is essential that in future cases the public authority responds more promptly. The public authority must also ensure that responses are factually accurate and appropriately thorough."
Mr Watson, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said last night: "Downing Street is a Grade One listed building and one of the jewels in the nation's crown.
"Taxpayers have a right to know what the temporary residents are doing to such a historic building.
"Council tenants up and down the country are seeing work programmes on their homes being cut. Yet David Cameron is trying to hide the cost of the refurbishment he is having done in his luxury apartment.
"He should come clean on the cost of the work and tell taxpayers how much is being spent giving his bathroom a makeover."
A No10 spokesman said: “We can confirm the ruling has been received from the Information Commssioner’s office.”

Hi Angelique, I posted this earlier on the Daily News thread but it didn2t have such a detailed account.

what could cost £30,000 for a Bathroom? It makes me sick when cuts are being made everywhere yet Cameron has no intention of playing his Part. He
will never be voted for a second term .....trouble is who of any stature has Britain got to rule Britain wisely and fairly?

£650,000 on a makeover for NO 10? Was it actually falling down then?

So it is no expense spared for PM Dave Cameron whilst the rest of us are suffering?

Panda - there is no one currently in politics that I trust one iota sadly (certainly not on the front benches of either side of the house).

All like pigs in the trough as far as I can tell.

Do as I say NOT as I DO....this is like the comment he made about turn the heating down and put a jumper on to keep warm to save money, yes just like you Dave cutting back on your £30K bathroom.......this fool is on borrowed time imo

Hi gillyspot, there"s an old saying " A Country only gets the Government it deserves", probably true when only 45 % vote at a General Election, the population is disenchanted with Politicians and we have a culture of credit, what"s in it for me, anarchists rule, etc . Britain suffered two world wars this Century, after which times were hard for years and it was make do and mend. today we live in a throwaway Society.

Panda

Sorry - didn't check - my apologies for taking "your thunder" - I am so impulsive espeacially when I see how unfair society in general is!

You also have to remember that this "refurbishment" takes place every time a new PM is elected, also Speaker"s have the same impulse as well, and not just when a new one is elected!

How could a refurb to the flat cost 650k and then another 30k for a bathroom? There has always been us and them, as in those who have and those who have not but imo this excess in doing up a place is an insult to the general public. It just cannot be explained can it? So are we to believe then that former PMs with families had to slum it. I think not.
Mind you the very same man has promised 3.5 million pounds for white paint

Angelique wrote:Panda

Sorry - didn't check - my apologies for taking "your thunder" - I am so impulsive espeacially when I see how unfair society in general is!

You also have to remember that this "refurbishment" takes place every time a new PM is elected, also Speaker"s have the same impulse as well, and not just when a new one is elected!

Angelique, no worries, yours was a more detailed report than mine anyway.

The Man"s a Pratt and if he lasts the full term he will have done well.!!!

This is why people march and people continue to demonstrate,because those who 'lead' us continue to treat us with contempt and bloat their boots with our tax.
One of the reasons anyway for those genuine 'activists' not the soap dodgers you understand !

Lioned wrote:This is why people march and people continue to demonstrate,because those who 'lead' us continue to treat us with contempt and bloat their boots with our tax.
One of the reasons anyway for those genuine 'activists' not the soap dodgers you understand !

Lioned I just posted on the EC thread that somone from the Treasury on the andrew Marr show this morning that there was £40 billion in a fund
specifically to lend to the IMF!!!!! 5 Billion could go a long way to open workshops for the unemployed to teach them a trade, lend to small Businesses
etc and Cameron was the first at the G20 to say Britain would help the IMF.

Panda

Thank you - you are very gracious - my mistakes seem to multiply by the hour!

Angelique wrote:Panda

Thank you - you are very gracious - my mistakes seem to multiply by the hour!

Morning Angelique.....I havn"t timed my mistakes , I just get told when Iv"e made them .

It really is disgraceful of Cameron to set aside £40 Billion to lend to the IMF when some of this money could have gone to set up workshops for
unemployed youngsters to learn a Trade.