Government has been caught on the hop over a new Post Office for Paget, ex-Finance Minister Grant Gibbons claimed yesterday.

And he demanded to know what had happened to a whopping $671,000 set aside under the former UBP Government to create a new building at Bermuda College to replace the current one on Middle Road.

Dr. Gibbons said: "They clearly took out the $671,000 which was in there -- it's gone.'' Paget East MP Dr. Gibbons hit out after the PLP insisted cash was available in the Works and Engineering budget for planning and preparatory work.

Dr. Gibbons said: "They're going over old ground here -- last summer, Bermuda College agreed in principle to allow the construction of a modern, purpose-built Post Office and child-care facility for the college employees' children. This is nothing new.'' He claimed: "Government have been overtaken by events, by the unexpected by-election -- to simply say there is some money for plans is not satisfactory. You need specific funds to build -- it was there and now it's not.'' The present Post Office -- which is too small and lacks sufficient parking spaces -- is in Paget East, but both the proposed new sites, the college or land on South Road near Trimingham's are in Paget West.

The Post Office has become a bone of contention in the run-up to the clash between the UBP's Patricia Gordon Pamplin and the PLP's George Scott in Paget West, caused by the tragic death of sitting UBP MP Madeline Joell last month.

Dr. Gibbons said: "The people of Paget West deserve a very clear statement on whether the PLP Government actually intends to budget for and build a new Post Office in Paget West.'' And he added: "It's clearly thanks to Pat Gordon Pamplin that we have been getting some information -- but it's still very vague. "What we need an answer to is why, if they intend to proceed with the Paget Post Office, they did not take that $671,000 which is in this year's Budget and carry it into next year's so it could be used for construction.

"To simply say there is money in Works and Engineering could simply be a political ploy because when you have a major capital project like this the procedure is quite clear. You have to set up a very specific cost centre -- which was in the Budget.'' And he added: "Even during the Budget debate, we certainly didn't get any kind of satisfactory answer as to why the money had been taken out.'' Voters go to the polls in Paget West on Wednesday. The polling station is Paget Primary School.