Government has been accused of dodging questions over the $1.5 million cost to renovate the Premier?s new official residence at Clifton.

Only partial answers have been given to enquiries seeking a breakdown of exactly how much money has been spent on fittings, furnishings and appliances for the 200-year-old residence in Devonshire.

And a request to discern exactly how much over budget the project was in relation to initial estimates has also been skimmed over by Government after three written questions were presented to Works and Engineering and Housing Minister David Burch from UBP Sen. E.T. (Bob) Richards last week.

When the replies were presented yesterday they lacked the full answers that were asked for and Sen. Richards says he now intends to re-submit the questions in order to get the comprehensive response he says is required within Bermuda?s democratic process.

?I have been given incomplete answers to all three questions. It appears to be a deliberate attempt by Sen. Burch not to answer fully the questions. This is not good for the democratic process,? said Sen. Richards.

The renovation project to create an official residence for Premier Alex Scott, which the Government says will also be used by future Premiers, has cost a total of $1,582,753 ? just over $100,000 more than the budgeted costs acknowledged by Government last December.

But in his written response, Sen. Burch did not give a detailed breakdown of the cost of fittings and furnishings as requested by Sen. Richards.

Likewise, when asked to give the names of contractors who bid for the renovation project, the price they each bid and the name of the successful bidder, the official answer gave only the names of the nine initial bidders, namely; Bermuda Interiors, Patterson Construction, Gulf Stream Construction, GL Construction, Overnite Construction, Greymayne Construction, De Costa Construction, C10 Development and Walters Construction.

In his final question Sen. Richards wanted to now if a detailed quantity survey was requested by Government for the renovations and, if so, the name of the quantity surveyor, the firm and the projected costs of the renovations required for Clifton.

The answer returned read simply: ?Yes, a detailed quantity survey was commissioned for the construction works required at Clifton.?