with increased visitors, according to Opposition senators.

And Sen. Trevor Woolridge (PLP) is demanding details of when new staff will be appointed.

Sen. Woolridge says that visitors and residents who sometimes have to queue up back to the aircraft are given a bad first impression of the Island.

But the Hon. Maxwell Burgess (UBP) said six part-time immigration officers are planned "as soon as practicable''. Three will work on each shift.

Government cut the number of immigration officers to six during the recession when fewer visitors were visiting the Island. But this year there has been an 11 percent boost in arrivals.

Sen. Woolridge said: "We recognise that in recessionary times one must always look to cutting costs of operations but when you cut the cost where it impedes the operation it is not good management.

"While the rest of the Country was anticipating an increased number of visitors and more airlines did the Government then begin to advertise early in anticipation? "The Minister of Transport Ralph Marshall said that people were moving through immigration quickly. Surely the Minister must sit in his office and not come out. The lines are stretching out back to the aircraft steps.

"I want to make it crystal clear that the immigration officers that are currently at the airport do a terrific job but they are under great duress because they do not have sufficient staff to keep up with the numbers of airlines arriving at the same time.'' Apart from scheduled flights they also had to deal with charter flights, private flights and diversions.

He said six staff was not enough and demanded a timetable of when the new staff would be on the job.

Attacking Government Senate Leader the Hon. Michael Winfield , the former Information minister, Sen. Woolridge said that every department involved should have been told to prepare for the improvement.

He said: "When visitors arrive it gives a bad impression. It puts a bad taste in their mouths and there is nothing a hotelier can do to ease that.'' Sen. Jerome Dill (UBP) said: "In the budget for this year the Government estimated there would be a great increase in the number of visitors in Bermuda.

"We have prepared for that increase, but last week we had an increase of 21 percent in air arrivals in Bermuda. Nobody could have anticipated that, not even the Opposition. We have that ridiculous assertion in this place by people who should know better.

"So, we find ourselves in a position where we are temporarily understaffed and temporarily stretched. What we are going to do is increase the numbers of people by six.

"What should we do? Should we just rush out into the street and grab anyone and say `You will do?' Then the first impression that people would get at immigration would be of untrained people.'' Sen. Burgess had earlier replied to Sen. Woolridge's demand for a timetable for the training of the new Immigration officers, by looking up the dictionary definition of "practicable.'' This gesture was blasted by Opposition leader Sen. Alex Scott . He said: "We have spent considerable time discussing the management style of the United Bermuda Party Government. In actual fact what we have seen is burlesquing.

That is why the Country is in its current disarray.''