The Cabinet office is a ?paragon of prudent fiscal management?, announced yesterday as the first week of the Budget debate wound up.

He also revealed that the funds allocated so far to the exploration of sovereignty by the Bermuda Independence Commission total $30,000 to date.

An estimate of $100,000 has been set aside for the BIC?s budget, he said, adding however that ?if we need to review it we are so positioned to do so?.

The six percent increase in the Cabinet office?s budget in 2005/06 is mainly due to the BIC, the Premier declared.

That increase was offset by savings in the Departments of Statistics and Management Services, leaving the Cabinet office?s budget exactly where the Finance Minister wanted it ? a good thing, because ?we?re all afraid of the Finance Minister,? he said to laughter. The Department of Human Resources continues to serve for ways to improve, he said, while the diversity of experience found at the Central Policy Unit ensures that a variety of resources are available when the CPU is faced with tackling projects such as sustainable development.

The Premier also devoted significant time to detailing his travels over the past year in an attempt to stop the Opposition from griping about Government?s travel budget.

Two trips were taken for mandatory liaisons with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth office, while two were taken to Caricom meetings, he said.

The Premier also travelled several times to represent Bermuda at international business conferences such as RIMS, he said, pledging Government?s future support to international business. ?My only other trips were to salute the Bermuda Regiment,? he added, ?and I think that speaks for itself.?

The reason it appears that travel has increased under the PLP, he said, is because the PLP Government is so much more pro-active about informing the public of their travels.

Press officers from the Department of Communication and Information often travel with Ministers, he said, and press conferences are held and press releases sent out on their returns.

The end result, he argued, was that the PLP Government?s travel agenda was ?not much? different from the former UBP Government?s travel agenda ? an assertion which drew ire from.

Total travel across Government in the 1998/99 Budget was about $2.5 million, he said. In the 2005/06 Budget, that number has effectively doubled to $5.128 million. ?I think that?s a lot different.?

Dr. Gibbons also highlighted the monies set aside for the BIC, noting that a monthly BIC report tabled just that morning had noted the majority of travel would be taken from mid-February until April ? yet, despite having been in existence since last year, the BIC have already used up $30,000 of their estimated $100,000 budget, before the majority of travel had been taken.

In the meantime, the BIC?s budget could not account for the more than $600,000 set aside for the Department of Professional Services, he said.

Dr. Gibbons also noted that while money was shown in the Budget to be set aside for renovations at Camden, the Premier?s official residence, he could find no information pertaining to the amount of renovations at the Premier?s home of Clifton.

Yet he said he understood nearly half a million dollars has already been spent on extensive renovations to the home.

?Is it buried somewhere in the Works and Engineering budget?? he wondered.

The output measure listed for Cabinet are not quantitative and do not present an accurate picture of the work being done at the office, he complained.

However the Premier replied that work at Cabinet ?does not lend itself? to quantitative measures, saying ?it?s content that?s important?.

He also accused the Opposition of misleading the public regarding his travel budget as Premier before time in the debate ran out.

The Premier did not respond to media requests for a copy of the Government Budget brief on the Cabinet office yesterday.