5 beginning of the year that there is no information on the existence of the NPM (or the Corrections Commission). This was immediately corrected. The prison folder now includes an information sheet with this information. • The NPM welcomes the fact that the prison officers regularly take part in training and further education events. • Praise is deserved for the fact that, at the suggestion of the NPM, four prison rooms have now been declared as non-smoking rooms and that old and dirty mattresses have been replaced with new ones. 2. Apart from these positive developments, individual areas within the penitentiary system continue to be in need of reform. These include facts and recommendations which have already been addressed in previous annual reports and which will be discussed below: 2.1 Uniform rules of allocating competence: In its previous annual reports, the NPM already expressed its regret concerning the position taken by the Government that, due to a shortage of resources, it continues to have no intention of abolishing the mixed competences in the penitentiary system between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Justice and Culture and the Ministry for Home Affairs, Education and Environment. The NPM therefore expresses its regret in this regard again this year and, in respect of the reasons in support thereof, makes reference to its previous annual reports and to Rule 71 of the European Prison Rules of the Council of Europe which states that prison facilities must be separate from police and criminal investigation services. The NPM thus reiterates its recommendation to the Princely Government that, with regard to the allocation of legal competence, the penitentiary system should be made the exclusive competence of the Ministry of Justice or the Office of Justice in order to prevent cases of abuse and in order to create uniform