publicly declare any business interests, a report recommends.

Yesterday the Joint Select Committee on a Register of Members Interests tabled its report in the House of Assembly.

It recommends drafting a Ministerial code of conduct and creating a public register of MPs business and personal interests.

The report is due to be debated by MPs in the coming Parliamentary session when it could be adopted to cover both the House of Assembly and the Senate.

Government backbench MP Trevor Moniz, who chaired the committee, said the register was similar to other jurisdictions including the Isle of Man and the Cayman Islands.

He said the report contained several recommendations, including the code of conduct and the creation of a register.

"One recommendation is that the Premier should promulgate a Ministerial code of conduct generally, not just for the House of Assembly,'' said Mr. Moniz.

The Register was suggested last year by Mr. Moniz and was subject to a near year-long investigation by the Select Committee.

Mr. Moniz suggested the idea because he felt it would help address rumours and concerns about any conflicts of interest with MPs.

If the report is adopted MPs would declare any interests in a public register detailing items such as financial sponsorship as a candidate or MP, gifts over a certain value and overseas visits funded by private interests.

It would also include payments from foreign governments, agencies or individuals, land and property owned and companies in which the MP has, either by himself or with a spouse, a certain amount of shares.

Currently MPs have an obligation to declare an interest and it is up to the Speaker of the House to decide if the MP can take part in and vote on a debate.

Mr. Moniz added: "All the register does is make transparent information which is normally accessible in any case.

"Once we know what everyone's interests are it is a judgment call to see if a member's interest is of such magnitude it effectively disqualifies them from taking part in the debate or voting.'' The committee's report comes in the wake of decisions by two Ministers not to vote on the private Bermudiana Site Rehabilitation Bill which cleared the way for ACE and Exel Ltd. to buy the hotel property.

Environment Minister Pamela Gordon is a director of Argus, which is selling the land, and Health Minister Clarence Terceira is vice president of the Bermuda Commercial Bank which helped broker the deal.