to erupt in the Senate today.

The Upper House is likely to go to war over the new law, which sets up a framework for consumers to complain about sub-standard goods and service.

MPs clashed over the new Act two weeks ago, which, for the first time, gives cheated customers redress outside of court action with a new Consumer Affairs Board.

Senate president Alf Oughton said last night: "It will be a full day -- and I expect a lot of debate over the Consumer Protection Act.'' The Act also guarantees health and safety by giving the Board power to order the removal of goods past their sell-by date from shop shelves.

But Opposition MPs insisted the Act was too complicated and drew too much on legislation designed for larger countries with a huge manufacturing base.

And they warned it could lead to US-style legal action -- with large cash awards to consumers which could kill off small or struggling businesses.

The Senate will also debate an Act aimed at including MPs and Senators as Government employees for the purpose of claiming health insurance cover from the Government scheme.

And they will discuss a U-turn amendment to the Payroll Tax Act -- which closed a loophole in the law which said MPs were not Government employees for purposes of the tax.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party tabled an amendment after legal advice proved that MPs -- although mistakenly -- had been omitted from the original Payroll Tax Act.

The new Government noticed the flaw in the law and stopped deducting payments from MPs, which led to accusations of hypocrisy over the health insurance law.

But Premier Jennifer Smith told the House of Assembly two weeks ago that Government would table an amendment itself to correct the problem, which later passed.

Senators are also expected to ratify the change to Government's Act designed to mark the freeing of slaves in Bermuda in 1834.

The original Act was sent back to the House after a row over the legal dropping of the traditional name of Cup Match, set up to celebrate emancipation, although the two days of the annual holiday were known as Cup Match Day and Somers Day after the English admiral who claimed Bermuda in 1609.

Government voted to re-instate Cup Match in the law as the umbrella term for the two days -- in line with an earlier Opposition amendment, which was rejected in the House, looking to do much the same thing.

New regulations covering next year's census -- including an analysis of working habits of schoolchildren for the first time -- are also on the table.