The Opposition continued to harry Government over the new Berkley project in the Senate yesterday with Senator Leonard Santucci demanding to know if it would be completed on time.

The $68 million project is due to be finished by September this year.

He said the Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott would be remembered for bringing two days of trash collection to the Island but was also in danger of being remembered for delivering the new secondary school late.

He said Mr. Scott was spending considerable time on the project and was in danger of micromanaging.

Sen. Santucci claimed the school would not be ready for the start of the new school year but violence on Monday night showed the need for good schooling.

"There is concern about the handling of education and our young children and there is a concern about mismanagement and delays on the continuing construction of this particular building," said Sen. Santucci.

He said he had remembered how if felt when he was on the board of Dellwood Middle School when it had failed to open on time and education officials had to show up to pitch in with cleaning and mopping to get it ready.

But he said he feared time had already run out for the new Berkeley.

"I don't personally think it's possible for this coming academic school year," he said.

"I pass this particular site no less than four or five times a week. Things seem to be moving as slow today as three or four weeks ago."

He said requests for a building timetable from the Minister had been made as far back as September 2001 with no success.

And he also expressed worries about the financing of the project and feared the eventual cost could top $100 million.

"I believe this Government will be judged by this community by the handling of our youth, our concern is for the future."

But Government Senator Victoria Pearman said the Minister was unable to give revised estimates on the completion date because that would incur legal ramifications - a reference to a statement by Mr. Scott that to deviate from the contract completion date of September 4 2003 would mean Government would have to accept outstanding claims between Government and the contractors.

Referring to the Berkeley project, Government Senator Calvin Smith said the Opposition was committed to black empowerment in its programme and UBP supporter Khalid Wasi had said Government was not delivering its promises on this issue but when it did it was attacked by the Opposition.

Government was helping all businesses get a shot at the "big bucks", he claimed.

"You learn by practice, you don't learn by being white."

Government was helping do this by giving extra advice to companies with government contracts said Senator Smith.

Sen. Santucci also wanted to know what had happened to the $11 million given by the US Government for the repair of the Longbird Bridge.

Making some general points about the Budget, Independent Senator Walwyn Hughes said budgeting methods had changed and finally Government was counting its assets against its liabilities.

He noted the deficit of $530 million had fallen by around $200 million by this method. He queried why capital projects were always overestimated meaning that a lot of money wasn't spent.

He said: "I think something is wrong in the calculation of capital budgets.

"You put in $103 million but you only spend half of it."

"It's been happening for a long time but it's getting worse because the numbers are getting bigger."

Opposition Senator Neville Darrell wanted to know what had happened to the clean up of the former US baselands. He said he could find no mention of it in the Works and Engineering brief.

This drew the anger of Senator David Burch who said, as Housing Minister, he had given a statement on that very subject in the Senate.

He said: "You can't ask questions when you already have the answers in the public domain."