can reveal.

And the use of outside consultants drafted in over Government officials to streamline the Island's bureaucracy may be on the cards.

Now Britain's bureacrats -- who suffered massive cutbacks under 18 years of Conservative rule -- could be called in to assist Government's drive to prune back the cost of running the Country.

The PLP in its Election-winning manifesto pledged to "introduce new standards of revenue management and root out waste and inefficiency''.

The party also promised to review all the operations of the massive Works and Engineering Ministry -- including contracts -- with a view to "increasing efficiency and curbing wastage in expenditure''.

In a public statement issued the week after the Progressive Labour Party's November 9 Election victory, Premier Jennifer Smith also said she planned to appoint a "scissorman'' to cut out "crippling rigidity -- or pockets of sloppiness in our systems''.

"Our Country is run by a wonderful Civil Service which the rest of the world would envy,'' she said. "The rules and regulations which they implement keep us in shape. But we all know that sometimes these rules turn into red tape which ties their hands.'' While Government has never said it plans to cut jobs, it is possible that British consultants could recommend staff reductions.

Premier Jennifer Smith has already called in outsiders to Government -- she brought her own secretary with her to Cabinet Office and appointed losing Smith's South PLP candidate Sen. David Burch as Chief of Staff.

The former British Conservative Government under Margaret Thatcher declared war on the public service -- which they claimed was overmanned.

Lord Ashley -- a former UK Labour Government Minister now in the Lords -- confirmed he had discussed the Civil Service during an official visit to the Premier at Cabinet Office.

He said: "In terms of the British Civil Service, they could give advice in terms of restructuring and improvement. She felt the Civil Service could help.'' Ed Ball Jr., head of white-collar union BPSA, which represents most Civil Servants on the Island, said he was not against improvements in efficiency -- but not at the expense of job cuts.

He added: "Any organisation can improve and must improve its efficiency -- but that doesn't necessarily mean cutting jobs.

"If Government intended to cut jobs, I would ask where and for what purpose.

But I don't think the PLP Government is looking in that direction.'' And he said the union would take a "wait and see'' position if UK experts were brought in to examine the Bermudian Civil Service.

Mr. Ball also warned against taking the privatisation road used in Britain to cut costs.