Camden council is taking legal advice about whether to prosecute the museum over misleading its planners. They could even order the museum to demolish the portico and build it in the "right" stone. The Heritage lottery fund is withholding £1m which the museum needs, while the row goes on. So, although Lord Foster may have a shelf full of trophies - I presented him with one a couple of years ago for his Air Museum at Duxford - he also has his share of detractors.The substituting of this cheaper stone is a murky affair out of which no one, from the architects to the trustees, emerges with any glory. But let's ignore the histrionics from Camden and consider the final result Thank goodness this pure white stone was used.

It defines the additions to the courtyard, resonating with the cladding of the reading room and harmonising with the paved floor Great architecture rarely gets the press it deserves. Time and again the cost of a building is brought into play as a stick with which to beat the architect. More than any other discipline, architecture is about teamwork, and too often part of that team may underperform.But architecture deserves a more positive press than the pitiful warblings from the mouth of bigots such as Brian Sewell in the Evening Standard who described the south portico as "an inexcusable eyesore". Another critic whinged that the Great Court resembled "a duty-free outlet for monumental sculpture".I am happy to go on record as a shameless enthusiast for the fantastic architectural achievements of the past year Now London has a series of public spaces we can rave about. The Great Court makes a short-cut through the British Museum an unforgettable experience for thousands of people every day.

So does the courtyard at Somerset House with its balletic fountains that owe more to the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas than anything in Florence. I can't defend architects - they are quick to offend, poor at communicating, arrogant and often charmless. But consider their recent achievements, and once you've experienced them, I'm sure you'll be converted, too. And these public spaces are free. More from Janet Street-Porter. What happened was that the Prime Minister answered a question.

What happened was that the Prime Minister answered a question. Not that Mr Tony Blair has been specially reticent in this respect. Lady Thatcher prided herself on her skills in not answering a question. Mr John Major did not always know whether he was answering it or not Prime ministers are not meant to answer questions. It is virtually a convention of the constitution that they should not.