A $20,000-plus trip by Government to a major UK/Caribbean conference in London was poor value for money, Shadow Finance Minister Grant Gibbons said last night.

He said: "This represented more than $20,000 to the taxpayer and we really have to ask if value for money was received here.

"All we got from the conference was a report essentially pulled off the Internet and we still don't have a sense of how it related to Bermuda and what was said on behalf of Bermuda.'' Dr. Gibbons was speaking after getting written answers to questions on the cost of the forum.

Topping the bill for the five-strong delegation led by Premier Jennifer Smith was her Chief of Staff Lt. Col. David Burch.

Col. Burch notched a whopping $6,014 bill for the four-day stay -- with nearly $2,500 spent on hotel costs and communications alone.

Then-Financial Secretary Peter Hardy's bill totalled $4,838, with $1,072 spent on hotel bills and communications.

The written answers revealed that the Premier was given a total $600 allowance for four days, as was Minister of Education Milton Scott.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox and Lt. Col. Burch did not receive allowances, while Mr. Hardy got $1,080 covering four days.

The rest of the total bill for the trip was made up of airfares for the Premier, Mr. Cox and Mr. Scott.

Ms Smith took a hammering last week after she read out almost word-for-word a joint communique from the conference -- days after it was available on the Internet.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon branded the statement "a direct lift'' and an insult to the people of Bermuda.

She added that the statement -- while informative -- gave no information on Bermuda's stance during the forum, or the issues raised by the delegation.

In a later TV interview, Ms Smith noted that Ms Gordon, while Premier, was told by the UK Government not to discuss issues raised at a meeting of the UK Government and Overseas Territories.

Ms Gordon did in fact discuss the issues discussed in broad terms -- but said she had to respect Britain's request that much of the conference, called to discuss a crackdown on dodgy offshore jurisdictions, remain secret.

But at the first UK/Caribbean Forum, held two years ago in Nassau, Ms Gordon, then Premier, provided the media with daily interviews on conference issues.