be debated in the House of Assembly today.

But the controversial bill put up by UBP rebel Ann Cartwright DeCouto to outlaw fast food restaurants with a foreign flavour is unlikely to go ahead.

It is expected that the second reading of the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act 1996 will take up much of the day's business, together with the second and third items on the order paper.

The bill -- welcomed by women's groups -- will outlaw physical and sexual abuse, as well as harrassment, of a partner.

Under the terms of the proposed new act, the abuser does not have to be married to the victim and a sexual relationship between the two does not have to be proved.

People under threat can apply for a protection order from the courts lasting up to a year -- with breaches of an order attracting fines of up to $5000 and a year in prison.

Also set to be debated is the bill to abolish a law allowing the Minister of Finance to levy a tax on professionals -- annual fees of between $50 and $2500.

The law, announced in February's Budget and affecting members of professional bodies including lawyers, nurses, doctors and architects, was heavily modified before Finance Minister Grant Gibbons announced it would be dropped altogether.

It would have levied a tax of between $50 a year and $2,500 a year for members of professional bodies.

Also on the table for today is a regulation allowing for the second installment of the fees hike for airlines using the Airport.

Government Whip Rick Spurling said the UBP had asked Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto not to proceed with the second reading of the Prohibited Restaurant Act 1996 -- brought in by Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto, backed by four other UBP rebels and the Opposition -- to stymie plans for former Premier Sir John Swan's Grape Bay Ltd. to open up a McDonald's restaurant in Bermuda.

Mr. Spurling said the rebel five had been asked not to proceed with their bill until the results of Government's own inquiry into the franchise issue had been discussed by MPs.

He said: "The debate on the franchises committee report may well affect the bill.

"We hope Ann Cartwright DeCouto won't take up the bill, even though technically she could -- we feel it would be wrong to do so because it would prevent full discussion of the topic.'' The franchises report is likely to come up next week -- and it is expected that the rebel five's bill will follow rapidly.