drug crisis.

First, Opposition leader Mr. Frederick Wade attacked it for delaying a House of Assembly debate on an official report on football's problems.

And then he questioned whether a Government response to the report last Friday flouted Parliamentary rules.

He believed Sports Minister the Hon. Pamela Gordon should have put off tabling the statement in the House until MPs had discussed the Board of Inquiry report.

"I don't know whether you can anticipate a debate. I think it could well be illegal,'' he said.

He added: "I think Government has been derelict in its duty in not having such an important issue like this debated.

"It just goes to show it has lost its focus because of the Independence referendum.'' Yesterday, however, Ms Gordon mounted a strong counter offensive and declared: "I'm not ducking the issue.'' She said the House of Assembly would consider the Board of Inquiry report in the fall.

In the meantime, she would be meeting with sporting organisations to get their opinions on the report.

Last Friday in the House of Assembly, Ms Gordon tabled Government's response to the report, which followed the arrest in Miami last year on drug charges of seven members of Bermuda's Under 23 football team.

Government backed some of the recommendations -- including the proposal that athletes representing Bermuda in international contests should be subject to mandatory drug testing.

A drug testing programme and its costs should be explored with the National Drug Commission and the Ministry of Health and Social Services, with the Ministry of Youth and Sport taking the lead, the response added.

Government said problems highlighted in the board's report were not confined to football.

And for that reason, its response would "address sport collectively, rather than the narrower focus of football''.

Other recommendations endorsed by Government included calls for improved school anti-drug campaigns and Police presence at matches.

But it hedged on the board's recommendation of video surveillance of match spectators and the experimental banning of alcoholic beverages at matches.

"I think we all agree that the problem of drugs in Bermuda is pervasive and is destroying the fabric and fibre of our community, threatening our social and economic well-being and destroying the health of those associated with this culture,'' Ms Gordon told the House.

Last night, Mr. Wade accused Ms Gordon of fighting shy over tackling the drug problem head-on.

"I feel the Minister is hiding behind Government's statement.'' Mr. Wade believed MPs should have debated the report before the summer recess in the House.

"I think the whole question of drugs is too important for it not to be debated now.

"We should discuss it now while the football season is off.'' Mr. Wade said drugs pervaded the whole community, and required a collective response.

"I feel the Minister has been a bit shy about delving into the whole question.'' He added the report would be debated by the Senate tomorrow.

Opposition Senator Neletha Butterfield yesterday pointed out she had tabled a PLP motion calling for the report to be considered.

"We feel it is an important issue within the community which needs to be addressed.'' Yesterday, Ms Gordon said Government had wanted to present to MPs a unified front on the drugs-in-soccer issue, and that had taken time.

"Government must be in agreement in its response.'' She added some of the recommendations had serious implications for soccer clubs, such as the proposed ban on alcohol, and the setting up of surveillance cameras.

"These could have a financial impact on clubs, and we need to get their input.

"We can't commit them to following these recommendations until we know how they feel about them.

"We are not trying to avoid the issue. It's just the bureaucracy of the system takes a while. Drugs is the most serious problem, and it is not something I want to duck.

"If I had wanted to duck it I could have put down in the House merely a `take note' motion on the Board report, rather than have it debated fully.

"I have no fear of it being debated, and it will be in the fall.'' Ms Gordon said she was lining up a meeting in the middle of this month with sporting organisations.

"We could have a follow-up meeting in August.''