Re-appointed UBP Youth, Sport and Recreation Minister Tim Smith is delighted and humbled at being chosen to fill the post, he said yesterday.

Mr. Smith last held the position in January before being replaced by David Dyer who recently resigned. Dr. Dyer is set to give up his Parliamentary seat at the end of the month for personal reasons, it is understood.

Mr. Smith told The Royal Gazette : "The Premier was well aware that if I was ever asked again that I would be willing to serve.

"That time has arrived and I have been approached to serve again. I am delighted and humbled at the same time about this opportunity.'' Premier Pamela Gordon was off the Island yesterday afternoon and unavailable for comment. She was present at Mr. Smith's swearing-in ceremony at Government House yesterday morning, as was ex-Premier David Saul.

Mr. Smith said it would take him a few days to learn what was going on in the Ministry and was involved in two meetings yesterday.

He noted two key Ministry initiatives that were underway that he needed to get up to speed on particularly.

The National Sports Centre was a major activity which was consuming a great deal of the Ministry's time as it had reached an important phase, he said.

Then there was the drugs in sport policy which was "moving forward'', he added.

Mr. Smith won his seat in Paget West during the 1993 General Election and two years later became the Environment Minister. He was switched to the Youth and Sports portfolio in November, 1995, by then-Premier David Saul after he made remarks about a party colleague's planning application which were broadcasted from the House of Assembly. Mr. Smith voiced his frustrations at a group of Government back benchers dubbed "the people's five,'' who minutes earlier had stayed away from a vote and allowed Opposition MP Mr. Stanley Lowe to defeat Government nominee Mrs. Grace Bell for the Deputy Speaker's post. Speaking to former Cabinet Minister Mr. Irving Pearman, Mr. Smith described the group as "nasty'' and "wicked,'' before turning to a planning appeal that was before him from Smith's South MP Mr. Trevor Moniz -- one of the five.

"He's got an appeal in to me for an illegal house,'' Mr. Smith told Mr.

Pearman. "I haven't even looked at it. I said I ain't looking at it for now.

The naughty b*****. He built it anyway. Couldn't care less. They're a law unto themselves.'' Ms Gordon was moved to Environment from Youth and Sport following the incident where she remained until becoming Premier in March.

Mr. Smith lost the Youth and Sport portfolio in January when Dr. Saul brought Dr. Dyer into the role in a bid to heal a split in the party.

The following month he was back in the headlines after he was banned from the House of Assembly over comments he made to The Royal Gazette which he refused to publicly apologise for.

During an interview following the 42-second-passing of a bill allowing foreign ownership of the Bermudiana Hotel site, Mr. Smith said Opposition MP Reginald Burrows -- who introduced the bill in the House -- should have launched a debate. He said: "The silence was deafening if not duplicitous. I was completely taken aback by what happened and I put the blame squarely on Mr.

Burrows.''