Assembly and denounced a recent editorial as "patently untrue''.

The April 3 editorial called into question the shifting of some Government departments to fall under the Cabinet Office.

The editorial held that the public should be concerned about the way in which the changes were made as there was no opportunity for public or media scrutiny.

But Ms Smith, in a statement to the House, said all the departments that were moved to come under the Cabinet Office had been there before.

She said they "have each at varying times in the past, been the responsibility of the Cabinet Office.

"There was never a question of impropriety at those various times nor should there be now,'' she maintained.

She defended the moves and cited that her actions were in keeping with the Civil Service Review.

"The departments of Management Services, Personnel Services, Statistics, Archives and Information Services, were all moved back under the umbrella of the Cabinet Office, in order to create a strengthened centre of Government,'' she said.

But the Royal Gazette editorial did not contradict anything the Premier said in her statement and left Editor Bill Zuill still questioning why she had not explained her actions sooner and more fully.

"I am somewhat bemused that the Premier should take issue with an editorial which said that it was reasonable for the Opposition to raise questions about the concentration of power within the Cabinet Office,'' he said.

"I don't see what could be more fair-handed than that, especially as the editorial agreed with many of the changes.

"What is disappointing is that while Ms Smith took issue with some of the views in the editorial -- and she is perfectly entitled to do so -- she skirted the question of why there was little explanation of the moves until yesterday when they were announced a week earlier.'' Mr. Zuill noted: "Even yesterday, Ms Smith devoted just one sentence to explaining the rationale for moving the departments back to the Cabinet Office when she said the aim was to `create a strengthened centre of Government'. It is the opinion of this newspaper -- and the main theme of Monday's editorial -- that the public deserved a fuller explanation then and still does.'' Jennifer Smith