ruling Labour Party's annual conference -- with an Opposition MP included as well.

Last night Acting Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons accepted a Government offer that a United Bermuda Party MP accompany the trio of Government Ministers slated to attend -- but with a sting in the tail.

He said: "We take a very different perspective from the PLP -- we don't think the taxpayer should be footing the bill for our attendance. We'll pay for it ourselves.'' And he called for a similar offer of attendance to be made for the upcoming inaugural meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in London.

Dr. Gibbons added that the UBP had not yet pencilled in an MP from the Opposition benches to go on the trip.

Bermuda will also set up its own booth at the conference to present a picture of Bermuda to UK legislators and party delegates -- many of whom will not be familiar with the Island.

Top issues for the Bermuda group are likely to be a multi-pronged probe of offshore jurisdictions which could threaten the Island, airline regulations on flights and the US/Bermuda row over the clean up of the former American baselands.

Government Ministers due to travel to the Bournemouth, England, conference are Tourism Minister David Allen, Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson and Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister.

But Dr. Gibbons questioned Bermuda's attendance at a party -- as opposed to a UK Government -- event.

He added: "The principal business of a party conference is political issues and how they affect the Labour Party and the UK specifically.'' Dr. Gibbons said UBP Government MPs had attended party political conferences in Canada and the UK -- but not as Government representatives and the UBP had paid for the trips.

A Government spokesman said other UK Overseas Territories -- like the Cayman Islands, the Falklands and Gibraltar -- were regular attendees at party political conferences.

He added: "This is Bermuda's first such participation and considered to be an important opportunity for Bermuda to establish its own presence and lobby for such important issues as airline regulatory policies, the environmental clean-up of the baselands, and Bermuda's status as an offshore financial jurisdiction.

"The awareness and support of all those connected to the British Government is essential to resolving these and other issues.

"Three Government Ministers will be in the delegation and the Opposition has been invited to nominate a representative to form what is hoped will be a bipartisan delegation advancing the interests of Bermuda.'' The Bermuda booth at the conference, to be held at the end of next month, will present a snapshot of Bermuda's economic life, including development, investment, financial services, the environment, tourism and education.

The spokesman added: "In addition, the Bermuda delegation will host an official reception for top UK Ministers and key Parliamentarians.'' And he said: "It's hoped that the mission objective -- to raise Bermuda's profile among key decision makers in Whitehall and ensure there is full understanding of Bermuda's vital needs -- will be enhanced as a result of this participation.''