Premier Pamela Gordon will lead a Bermuda team to a meeting of the Dependent Territories Association in London next month.

The news ends speculation over whether the Premier would attend to hear a keynote speech by UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook over Britain's major rethink on relations with its Dependent Territories.

Acting Premier Jerome Dill said: "The Premier will lead -- but we haven't actually settled on who else is going.'' But he said it was possible other members of Cabinet, as well as Civil Servants, could attend the conference.

And Mr. Dill predicted Mr. Cook would not lay down a hard and fast line.

He said the UK Government had made it "crystal clear'' this week that Mr.

Cook will take a broad brush approach, with no final decisions being announced at the conference.

But he added: "Hopefully he will go further and say `these are the things we are considering.' That would be very helpful.'' And Mr. Dill said: "They seem to be giving this matter some in-depth discussion, so it will be decided after inter-departmental and inter-Ministry discussions.'' But he added: "If there are going to be these discussions, the conclusions could actually be quite significant.'' Earlier, Mr. Dill and Labour and Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness teamed up to say Bermuda had been asked to send in its views to the UK Foreign Office on three subjects -- citizenship, Bermuda's Constitutional status and a change in name from Dependent Territories to something less patronising like Overseas Territories.

Mr. Dill added a "parallel review'' was also being carried out by the Foreign Affairs sub-committee of the House of Commons and it had asked for a submission as well.

There are seven main points in the two-page Bermuda submission -- one of which rules out any move towards Independence in the wake of the 1995 Referendum, which overwhelmingly rejected the option. The submission said: "Local sentiment...heavily favours maintaining the status quo.'' Instead the Government memorandum chose to concentrate on rights of residence, cheaper university and college fees and the abolition of visa requirements for travel to the UK.

The document also said Bermuda would like "fuller consultation'' with Government on the way air agreements are negotiated to protect Island interests, which rely heavily on good air links for both tourism and international business.

Mr. Dill said: "While I stress these are preliminary views to form the basis of future substantive discussions, we will be in full consultation with the Bermuda people before a final decision is made.'' Mr. Edness added that the submission had been "fully endorsed by the United Bermuda Party caucus.'' Mr. Edness added that Government wanted to be open and seek as much public input as possible.

He said: "It's our intention that the Bermuda people should see this fully.'' But he admitted Government's offer to the Opposition Progressive Labour Party to cooperate in drawing up the submission had been snubbed.

It is understood, however, that the PLP will travel separately to London to make its own submission.

But PLP leader Jennifer Smith said last week she had not decided if she would travel herself. She could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

The Government document suggested right of abode in the UK and access to the European Union for work and professional experiences.

It added that this could be achieved by granting full citizenship to Dependent Territories citizens -- but with no reciprocal rights for UK subjects and without UK taxation law being extended to the Territories.

And it said: "Whether or not Bermudians were to become British citizens, they should enjoy the visa-free access arrangements which currently exist between the United Kingdom and third-party countries.''