Social clubs are now the equivalent of "drug trading facilities" and Government should begin installing security cameras in such clubs, Sen. Kenneth Bascome (UBP) said yesterday.

And several senators called on social clubs to change their role to become more community and family oriented.

The community need not rely on Government to develop its sports and workingmans' clubs, Sen. Kim Swan (UBP) and Sen. Walter Roban (PLP) agreed.

Continuing the Budget debate in the Senate yesterday with Youth, Sport and Community Affairs, both cited the involvement of such clubs in their youth as an influence in their lives, and said clubs did not need to rely on Government funding for success. Instead, the will to be involved in the community will provide the success needed.

Sen. Swan said he wanted clubs to be a place where both women and children were welcome and treated with respect, adding clubs in times past succeeded because they were dedicated to youth and cared for women.

He also called on club leaders to send a mandate to members against bad language in clubs.

Sen. Bascome accused Government of the "same old same old" in Sports, saying there had been no new developments or initiatives and adding issues such as the elderly and housing often overshadowed youth in Bermuda.

He noted that Sports Minister Dale Butler was asking his team for new initiatives, however added that if Government has no plan by now, more ground was going to be lost.

The Community Education and Development Programme came in for high praise from senators, with both Sen. Swan and Sen. Roban extolling the virtues of life-long learning. "Community education is one of the unsung good things that happen in Bermuda," Sen. Swan stated.

The community will be introduced to the National Youth Development Strategy after a presentation in April this year, said Sen. Neville Tyrell (PLP). Other objectives for the department for 2004/2005 included international sporting events such as CARIFTA and working towards the ICC World Cup 2007 bid, the signing of international anti-doping legislation, a report on women in sport, and further renovations to the main building at the National Sports Centre.Works and Engineering are also working out a plan to monitor the physical state of youth centres on the Island, he said.