7 18. The composition of visiting delegations5 has scarcely changed as compared to 1990. A typical delegation consists of four or five CPT members, two experts and two members of the Secretariat. The number of interpreters has varied quite considerably, according to the knowledge possessed by delegation members of the language(s) of the State visited. 19. A list of the places of detention visited by CPT delegations in 1991 is set out in Appendix 3. The emphasis has remained very much on police stations and prisons, though visiting delegations are gradually extending their activities to mental institutions and detention centres for foreigners. Of course, various other types of places fall within the CPT's mandate (for example, institutions in which the elderly or minors are confined, and places where persons are deprived of their liberty by military authorities), and the Committee has every intention to look into these areas in due course. 20. Co-operation between national authorities at ministerial level and visiting delegations has invariably been very good. Further, visiting delegations have generally speaking been received in a satisfactory manner by the authorities in charge of the places visited. Often, the degree of co-operation has been extremely high. To provide a concrete illustration, it is not uncommon for the authorities in charge at a given place spontaneously to draw the attention of the visiting delegation to particular failings or problems. 21. In 1991 there were some isolated examples (in both police and prison establishments) of access to a place that a delegation wished to visit being delayed. As far as the delegations concerned could ascertain, this was simply due to inadequate knowledge about the CPT on the part of the authorities in question. In this regard, the Committee would stress once again the importance of States disseminating information about the CPT's existence, powers and objectives to relevant authorities and staff. Preferably, all Parties to the Convention should circulate such information as a matter of course, and then issue a reminder when the CPT notifies its intention to carry out a visit. It should be added that in some States visited, information about the Committee had clearly been disseminated in an effective manner (see also paragraphs 30 and 31). 22. In addition to gaining ready access to places of detention, the CPT's delegations wish to find within them a real-life situation. The Committee is not unduly concerned by the tendency in some countries to refurbish places that are notified in advance of the delegation's visit; on the contrary, such action might even be regarded as positive, although every place of detention should be kept in good repair. However, the CPT is very disturbed by a few clear instances of the movement of persons deprived of their liberty just prior to a delegation's visit, leaving normally busy places of detention empty. Such action - fortunately encountered rarely - is a negation of true co-operation. 5 The press releases issued after each visit set out the membership of the visiting delegations as well as the places visited.