The UK Parliament is waiting for its colonies to set the tone before it gets its teeth into the White Paper rewrite of Britain's relations with the Overseas Territories, ex-Speaker Ernest DeCouto said yesterday.

And Mr. DeCouto -- who met recently with Lord Ashley, chairman of the House of Commons' Britain-Bermuda Society in London -- warned that the issue would not command a high priority in the UK until the British Government got impressions on the White Paper from the Territories.

Political veteran Mr. DeCouto said: "My impression was they're waiting for some initiative from the Dependent Territories before the White Paper is given a higher profile over there in terms of priority and getting things accomplished.'' And he added that his impression was it was "unlikely'' that the UK Parliament would discuss the White Paper in the current session.

He explained that Britain was currently locked in controversy over both national and international issues.

Mr. DeCouto singled out rumblings of discontent in the ruling Labour Party over Prime Minister Tony Blair's conservative policies and the crisis in attempts to solve snags in the Northern Ireland peace process.

He said the UK Government was also caught up in the battle over joining the single European currency and the civil war in the war-torn former Yugoslavia.

Mr. DeCouto -- in London earlier this month to get his Commander of the British Empire award from the Queen at Buckingham Palace -- was speaking after the Opposition blasted the PLP debate on the White Paper as a damp squib.

Opposition leader Pamela Gordon tore into Government after Premier Jennifer Smith kicked off last Friday's take-note motion -- which itself does not require a vote on concrete proposals.

Ms Smith was slammed after she failed to lay out Government's stance on the White Paper.

Instead, she confined herself to what Opposition described as a "walk through'' sections of the White Paper.

Ms Smith also restated existing PLP policy on subjects like the death penalty, electoral reform and the guarantee that independence would not be an issue until it was made part of a General Election campaign.

But Ms Gordon said a series of road shows on the subject set up by the Opposition had found confusion over what the UK's offer of full citizenship actually meant.

Other problems, Ms Gordon added, included confusion over whether Bermuda's gay rights laws were in line with current thinking and what the UK's determination to see an end to hanging and flogging would mean for the Island's crime rate.

Mr. DeCouto, who retired at the end of the last Parliament, added that he was surprised the White Paper had been the subject only of a take-note motion.

He said Green Papers -- discussion documents -- normally rate that level of debate, while White Papers usually require a substantive motion, which requires a vote and decisions at the end of the debate.

Mr. DeCouto added he accepted the document was a UK White Paper, not a Bermuda one.

But he said: "One would have thought a substantive motion would have given it the dignity -- that is a decision for the Government, which they didn't take.

"But it should have had a higher profile.'' Mr. DeCouto added: "The people also need some direction from Parliament on this, rather than just reading out the White Paper.'' Ms Smith could not be contacted for comment last night.

Ms Gordon said: "We have to push and move and unfortunately, the challenge we have is that we're being kept in the dark.

"We're not able to lend our experience and assistance -- and the more noise Britain hears from the Overseas Territories, the more inclined they will be to bring closure to this issue.

"But it seems that Government is prepared to just be very laid back about coming up with recommendations and this is the frustration.'' Ms Gordon added: "There is nothing helpful coming from Government in assisting the people of this Country in arriving at decisions and knowing what will help us assist our Government in bringing this to a conclusion.''