Mandatory monitoring of firms' race policies will be introduced, Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister pledged yesterday.

Mr. Lister said: "We're going to bring monitoring in and make it mandatory.'' He was speaking after Friday's Throne Speech signalled changes to the Act of Parliament which set up the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality.

Mr. Lister said the original 1994 Act had legislated for a voluntary approach.

But he added: "Time has passed on and it's time to move to the next stage.'' Mr. Lister, however, said compulsory adherence to the Act would only come after an in-depth information gathering process using surveys of hundreds of companies.

He added: "In making it mandatory, we're avoiding the scenario where we can't move forward because we don't have enough information in front of us.'' More than 500 companies will be consulted and it is expected it will take around three years to collate and analyse all the information.

And Mr. Lister said: "At the end of three years, I would be very disappointed if any of the companies were laggards.'' Mr. Lister's Ministry will also introduce legislation to remove hanging and flogging from Bermuda's law books -- although still legal, neither have been used for decades and the UK's rewrite of relations with the Overseas Territories demanded that the former colonies toe the international line on human rights.

Human rights legislation will also be changed to allow the naming of companies and individuals hauled up for infringements.

Mr. Lister said: "Sometimes, cases aren't dealt with as quickly as possible and sometimes there are companies which are maybe consistently poor performers.

"One of the amendments is to remove secrecy from the Human Rights Act.'' But he said secrecy -- in line with court practice -- would remain for cases involving sexual harrassment and other sex offences under the Act.

Mr. Lister said: "To make these matters public would be a source of embarrasment to the person involved in making the complaint.'' The right to seek compensation for poor quality goods and services will also be legislated for.

The Throne Speech said: "The Consumer Affairs Board is set to become more proactive in the protection of consumers with amendments to give them statutory powers to investigate and redress specific complaints.

The Speech also said that Bermuda is soon to be licenced to run its own UK-style "Investors in People'' scheme, designed to promote good company policies towards employees, probably by the end of this year.

Mr. Lister said: "Investors in People's prime mission is to upgrade individual workers.

"It takes the company side of it to make companies a better place to work and help develop a plan to enhance that company.'' Terry Lister BUSINESS BUC