That was the message from the Opposition for Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness .

But Mr. Edness said Government's "safety net'', had been tested by recession and growing social problems and had mostly withstood the challenge. He revealed: Action to handle a boom in women prisoners; A big drop in young men being jailed; New moves in caring for problem teens; More cash for traumatised children; A long-term commitment for child development; and A $60,000 grant for the Physical Abuse Centre for battered women.

Shadow Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome slammed Government for not focusing enough on problems like teen drug abuse.

"There's a large section of the population, especially young men between 16 and 35, who basically need to be catered to,'' he said.

Black Bermudians were overwhelmingly the ones needing social services help, he said.

MPs and top officials were having to deal with cases because of staff shortages. He also complained: An "astronomical'' number of schoolkids were abusing drugs; Families were not being counselled properly; Staff were burning out with stress; and Promises to elderly Bermudians were not being kept.

Mr. Edness detailed how his Ministry is responsible for a quarter of Budget spending.

Continuing his account from Wednesday, he said the residential care programme was being reorganised to help children with complex problems, which often stemmed from family breakdown or drugs.

For the first time, young people completing the programme would go through a transition scheme before going home, teaching them the skills needed to return to society.

The new Child and Family Services department would give emphasis to child and family problems, which seemed to be rising.

A new grant was being made to the Physical Abuse Centre and the Women's Resource Centre was getting more cash. The Sunshine League would get money for its new services for 12 to 17-year-old boys.

Mr. Edness appealed for more foster parents to come forward. Payments to foster homes had gone up.

Money was being paid out in overtime for social workers who had to be on call round the clock to deal with abuse cases.

The Child Development Project, shared by Health and Education, would soon be permanent. It supervised problem children and families until the child went to primary school.

"It's one of the best things that Government has ever done,'' he said. `It prevents a great number of children from becoming delinquent when they reach their teens.'' Turning to the hospitals, he said costs continued to rise but not as much as overseas.

He praised hospital schemes to computerise, improve water supplies, set up a new out-patient pharmacy, save power, recycle and refurbish the incinerator.

Expansion planned at St. Brendan's had been abandoned in favour of community services. A new secure unit for the most disturbed patients was being developed.

He praised the new philosophy at the prisons, aimed at correcting the behaviour of inmates. Sex offenders and drug abusers would get special treatment.

It had been difficult getting a sex offenders programme set up. Such programmes could work -- but there was no guarantee.

Sending sex offenders for treatment overseas had so far not been a success.

Other countries had waiting lists, and all were unwilling to take prisoners.

But there had been a dramatic reduction in young men sentenced to correctional training -- there were only two left.

This had led to an increase in non-custodial sentences -- 100 people were on probation and 10 were doing community service.

Because of an increase in women sentenced to prison, some single cells were used by two inmates.

The women would be moved into the male correctional training school to solve the space problem.

Turning to housing, he admitted: "We have a glut in this community. But housing is not available or accessible to all segments of our society.'' Government would provide subsidies to help families pay the rent for homes now empty.

The Housing Corporation was working with the private sector to find solutions to the shortage of space for elderly people, which threatened to be a major problem.

Mr. Bascome had some praise for Mr. Edness' running of his "super-Ministry''.

But he said: "There's no family counselling. There's no unit of the department to take a proper focus on the family and put it all together.'' The Ministry needed to rotate staff more to avoid burnout and "vindictiveness'' against frequent clients.

Children in the schools were abusing drugs.

"We have a serious problem getting ready to happen because of that,'' he said. "We need those outreach programmes that will deal with those children now.'' People had not been able to go abroad for addiction treatment because there was not enough cash.

And he said the Child Development Project could not help all the children it wanted to because of manpower problems. Manpower was a problem in many other areas.

Turning to the Happy Valley day care centre, he understood a non-Bermudian child had been attending, causing several Bermudians to be "up in arms''.

Needy Bermudians should come first, he said.

When close relatives of a child wanted to be foster parents, they had sometimes faced problems getting payment from the system.

He complained not all facilities were in place to bring an end to the imprisonment of young people.

Mr. Bascome called for a system where local parish officials could guide people through social services.

He charged there were no Bermudian psychologists or psychiatrists at St.

Brendan's.

A Bermudian woman, recently graduated with a masters degree in psychology from a US college, had been told this was not enough to get her a job. But the person in charge had a masters degree from the UK.

According to "good information'' he had received, some prison education programmes were being cut.

Mr. Edness was heard rejecting many of the claims made by Mr. Bascome. But he was not given a chance to reply because other members wanted to speak.

Mrs. Grace Bell (UBP) warned taxpayers were worried about being cheated by some of the people claiming assistance. Needy people should be taught how to manage their affairs better and help themselves, she said.

Mr. Ottiwell Simmons (PLP) said the Ministry had to watch its administration costs.

"We have a glut of homes and a glut of homelessness in the Country,'' he said. "it's wrong.'' Mr. John Barritt (UBP) said service clubs could help supervise community service workers.

The Hon. Quinton Edness Mr. Nelson Bascome.