Overview of the National Preventive Mechanism The following graph gives an overview of the topics criticised by the commissions and shows the percentage share in relation to all the criticism voiced. The most frequent reasons for criticism were living conditions (14.4%), which include sanitary and hygiene standards, as well as food and leisure activities. Insufficient human resources also gave frequent grounds for criticism (13.7%). The proportion of criticism regarding health care and those regarding the use of measures that restrict freedom was almost as high (13.4% respectively). Topics of criticism voiced by the commissions (share in %) 1.3 Budget In 2019 a budget of EUR 1,450,000 was available to remunerate the heads and the members of the commissions as well as the members of the Human Rights Advisory Council. Of this amount, around EUR 1,275,000 was budgeted for reimbursements and travel expenses for the commission members alone and around EUR 83,000 for the Human Rights Advisory Council. Around EUR 92,000 was available for workshops for the commissions and the personnel working in the OPCAT area as well as for other activities. It was therefore possible to avoid budget cuts, thanks in particular to the National Council as the legislative body in financial matters but also to the Federal Ministry of Finance. Both of them emphasise the necessary financial independence for the preventive activities and show understanding for a sufficient budgetary allocation to the NPM. 15