Government has pledged to fund the building of the National Sports Stadium for the next three years.

It will plough $5 million a year for the next three years into the Prospect site -- in order to get the facility established.

MPs yesterday approved the spending for the next year, which Sports Minister Dennis Lister said would get more of the project moving and would let the public enjoy its resources.

But the Government ran into flak in the House of Assembly as Opposition MPs asked what had become of the Stadium Trustees, who had been empowered by the UBP to raise funds and manage the centre.

Their aim, said Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith was to make a bonds issue for the fund raising, backed by $6 million Government surety.

But yesterday, the PLP said it was investing $15 million into the centre to get the core completed. It would then look at other options, including private sector funding, for the rest of the scheme.

Initially, the project was to be paid for by outside interests, backed by a Government guarantee.

The Sports Minister said it was important they got some of the place finished to enhance Bermuda's chances of hosting any football World Cup qualifying games.

And he added, that under the UBP plan there would not be anything at the site for years.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon said the whole emphasis had now changed for the funding.

She added that Bermuda's facilities were far superior to many other countries.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox said there should have been something in writing between the former Government and the Stadium trustees, adding that they needed some physical assets there to be able to attract investment.

Also in the supplementary estimates was an extra $83,000 for the Telecommunications Ministry.

The budget included $9,000 of overtime for staff tackling a backlog of unpaid licences and funds for a review of telecommunications towers across the Island.

Minister Renee Webb said the work included testing towers for emissions, some of which would have to be moved and others extended.

A full report would be made public, she said, adding that the problem had become evident after the February budget, when Warwick residents raised concerns over a tower in their neighbourhood.