Shadow Home Affairs spokesman Alex Scott said yesterday.

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Mr. Scott told the House of Assembly: "The PLP has no intention of cutting back on the Civil Service.'' Mr. Scott launched a damage control exercise only a day after Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen said that any future PLP Government would cut the cost of Government -- and did not rule out job cuts. But Mr. Scott pointed out that the Civil Service was part of his Shadow brief.

And he said: "There have been no decisions made in the PLP about cutting back in the Civil Service. We have not enough information even to consider a cutback in the Civil Service.'' Mr. Scott added that the party had recently held a seminar to discuss how a PLP Government would "interact with the Civil Service and the union.'' He said: "There was never any indication about cutting back.'' Mr. Scott added: "I feel worried that anyone would think we are doing things behind closed doors to do anything to hurt the Civil Service or, indeed, any workers.'' Mr. Allen told the House of Assembly on Wednesday night that fat trimmed from Government could be used to help fund tourism initiatives.

He later admitted that jobs cuts among public servants was "something any Government would look at and should look at.'' But he went on to say that the Opposition did not have access to Government and personnel services records, so it was difficult to judge the situation.

And he added that there were other areas -- like Government cars -- where savings could be made without job cuts.

He also cited $800,000 paid to a firm of Canadian architects for plans for a National Stadium which were "never fully utilised,'' around $90,000 on a videotape to promote the new school system which had not been widely viewed and hospitality at the Cabinet Office as prime targets for cost-cutting.