hailed a success.

But by late last week, details of the two-day seminar run by Commonwealth Secretariat experts were thin on the ground.

A press release from Cabinet Office said: "The Premier said the retreat provided the perfect setting for Ministers and senior civil servants to review the progress made in the past 15 months of the new administration, to take note of the ways in which the working relationship between the two groups could be enhanced and to devise strategies for the future.'' And questions put through Government Information Services to Premier Jennifer Smith Thursday night remained unanswered.

These were: What progress has been made in the last 15 months? What ways are being considered to improve the working relationships between the two groups? and; What strategies have been devised for the future? Cabinet Secretary Leo Mills was reluctant to expand on the official release on the seminar, held in the wake of the Progressive Labour Party's first victory at the polls in 1998.

Mr. Mills said: "I do not want to say there have been major problems. Even within the context of Ministers from the same political party, Ministers have different personalities and it's part of the challenge to make sure the chemistry is right so a good working relationship develops.'' He added: "What I can say is that, obviously, with a change of Government, there is bound to be, and indeed often is, a change in both tone and emphasis, policies and the way things are done.

"Part of the exercise was to examine some of those processes to determine whether or not they are still serving the purpose for which they were originally created.'' And Mr. Mills said: "One of the other things which emerged was the experiences which were shared by the Commonwealth Secretariat facilitators indicated quite clearly that some of the challenges that surfaced as a result of the change in administration were not dissimilar to what has occurred in other jurisdictions.

"There is a period of adjustment as new Ministers settle into their role and the Civil Service settle into theirs.'' The two-day seminar at the Hamilton Princess sparked controversy when The Royal Gazette revealed that around 25 of the participants -- many of whom live within easy travelling distance -- had been checked into the hotel at a cost in the region of $3700 for accomdation alone.

Acting Shadow Finance Minister John Barritt condemned the sleepover as a waste of taxpayers' money.

A Government spokeswoman, however, said the delegates had got a special winter rate and -- because meetings began at 8 a.m. -- it was "deemed effective and more conducive to starting and finishing on time if they stayed the night.''