The safety of the House of Assembly has been questioned after a portion of its ceiling collapsed.

The entrance to the public gallery on the south side of the House was locked yesterday afternoon because a large portion of ceiling in the foyer upstairs had collapsed.

The following note was posted at the scene: "Notice to the public, this area is off limits due to the crack in the ceiling. Health and Safety Officer, House of Assembly."

It is not known whether anyone was injured by the collapse.

Government's Health and Safety Officer Harry Powell said he had not been informed about the hole in the ceiling and had not posted the warning.

"It sounds like it happened when no one was there," Mr. Powell said. "If it had all hell would have broken loose."

Mr. Powell said it was not the first time he had concerns about the structural stability of the House.

"I have been up there on more than one occasion to ask them to post signs about the instability of some areas of flooring," he said. "One of the planks on a set of stairs had a little gap and someone's stiletto heel had gone through."

He said this happened six years ago and that particular problem had been fixed since then.

The Health and Safety Officer for the House of Assembly is Sheldon Fox, who could not be reached for comment last night.

Dame Jennifer Smith, Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly and Chair of the cross-party House and Grounds Committee said last night she had not yet seen the damage.

"I saw them working on a light fixture above the stairs but I can't remember when," she said.

She said the Ministry of Works and Engineering were charged with doing repair work at the House of Assembly.

"Obviously it is something that has happened very recently."

The damage was not in sight on Friday, when the House of Assembly was last in session.

"I had spoken with the clerk this morning, and she didn't say anything," Dame Jennifer said.

Clerk to the Legislature Shernette Wolffe said The Royal Gazette was "trying to make a story out of nothing".

"It's a little crack," Mrs. Wolffe said yesterday. "These things happen."

Mrs. Wolffe said the full extent of the damage would not be known until Works and Engineering staff examined it today.

"We won't know until Works and Engineering have come in and taken a look," she said.

The visitors entrance is normally left open for visitors or locals to go inside.

The Supreme Court was still in session yesterday, however, it had to be accessed by a side door.

The visitors door is also the most accessible way into the House of Assembly's public gallery during their debates.

But Mrs. Wolffe was confident the damage could be fixed by this Friday, when the House is next in session.