needed most.

And Opposition Senate Leader Mr. Alex Scott , who made the claim in the Senate, warned that cuts or lack of increase spending in some areas will cost the country dearly in the long term.

He was responding to Government's budget proposal for the Health, Social Services & Housing Ministry -- presented by Sen. Jerome Dill .

Sen. Dill, opening the debate, said the $83.3 million allocated for that Ministry showed Government was committed to helping the elderly, indigent, youth, and mentally ill.

He noted that the original estimates for that Ministry increased from $76 million in the 1992/93 Budget to $83 million -- the largest amount allocated to any Ministry.

And pointing to figures which showed money set aside for the Ministry had increased annually from $38 million in 1984/85, Sen. Dill said, the Ministry has been Government's "number one priority'' over the last 10 years, with education second.

"Despite the fact that Government will be collecting $2.4 million less than what was to be collected last year, this Government is $7,227 million or nine percent more for this Ministry,'' he said.

Sen. Dill also noted that even though $3 million was allocated in the original 1992/93 Budget for social assistance, Government paid out $7.4 million.

And he listed a number of areas where Government increased grants, including at the hospitals and parish rest homes.

Sen. Dill said in light of this he did not understand how the PLP could suggest that the 1993/94 Budget was "ruthless''. He called the PLP's reply to the Budget "the mother of fairy tales''.

But Sen. Scott tore into Sen. Dill's presentation, stressing that Government had its priorities wrong on Health and Social Services as well as education.

"In discussing health and social services it would be helpful to recognise the cuts in education will put more clients in the hands of the health and social services brief,'' he said.

"Because if you do not prepare Bermudians, you leave them no option but to end up in the area of social services.'' Referring to the economic review, prepared by Government last month, Sen.

Scott said unemployment had spread from three areas in 1988 to eight last year.

And he said while it was only a "thumbnail sketch'' of unemployment figures, it showed why the need for more money in health and social services will be necessary.

It was "disastrous'' to think that Teen Services will be cut, he continued.

He questioned how Sen. Dill could refer to a $150,000 cut in the grant to the Youth, Health Education Department (YHED) as reasonable, when there was no continuation school in place for school-age females who benefited from the programme.

"Now what we're left with is youngsters who were probably having a difficult time in schools being sent back to those schools,'' Sen. Scott said.

"You're cutting your nose and doing grave damage to the face of our young folks. This is a continuation of either what Government does well or badly.

They take a bad situation and make it worst.'' Sen. Scott also accused Government compounding Bermuda's problems by paying "hundreds of thousands of dollars'' to bring in consultants and later ignoring their advice.

Using Dr. David Archibald's latest report as a case in point, Sen. Scott asked whatever became of "The Door'' concept which recommended using teen services or another appropriate agency to set up an umbrella youth service agency.

"Remember the door concept which Government latched onto,'' he said. "You were for the door. Well now you've closed the door.'' Sen. Scott also questioned cuts in Family Services which, among other things, oversees child-care protection and Government's only day care centre at Happy Valley.