Independent MP Mr. Stuart Hayward charged in the House of Assembly yesterday.

"I know of nursery schools where physical abuse occurs, and where the Health Department does not feel they can intervene,'' Mr. Hayward said during the Budget debate.

Although day nurseries are licensed by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, a lack of regulations means the ministry is "extremely limited in what it can find out about nursery schools, and what the criteria are for keeping a nursery school open, or closing a nursery school,'' he said.

If abuse is occurring in day nurseries, "we should be getting a handle on it,'' he said.

Mr. Hayward said he has reported his knowledge of physical abuse at day nurseries to the Minister and the former Permanent Secretary of Health and Social Services.

But outside the House, Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness rejected Mr. Hayward's charge that children in day nurseries are unprotected. And he said the Independent MP's abuse allegations were news to him.

"If this is true, then I am surprised that Mr. Hayward hasn't reported it to the authorities,'' Mr. Edness said. "If any adult knows of a place where abuse of a child is taking place, it is their responsibility to report it.'' Mr. Hayward, who would not name the "one or two'' day nurseries at which he is aware of physical abuse, said outside the House he reported the incidents a few years ago, possibly to a former minister. But he said he knows the abuse continues.

"I knew of physical and emotional abuse,'' he said. "I knew of slapping, paddling, shaking, shoving, screaming, and name calling.'' He said he had also heard about sexual abuse and "would not be surprised'' if it was occurring, but he had no personal knowledge of it.

He said none of the tales of abuse related to Nambour Day Nursery, which The Royal Gazette recently reported has been the subject of probes by the Police and Ministry of Health.

Mothers came to the defence of Nambour yesterday. Their comments will appear in The Royal Gazette on Monday.

As for the challenge from Mr. Edness to report the abuse, Mr. Hayward said he does not mind giving the names to Mr. Edness, but the more important issue is one of policy.

"The Minister has known for years that there are nursery schools that operate without being regulated,'' he said. "This happens too often that one Minister or another tries to personalise the issue to take the heat off.'' But Mr. Edness said Mr. Hayward is wrong about the lack of protection for children in day nurseries.

While existing regulations deal mainly with space and health requirements, day nurseries are inspected regularly and are already complying with more extensive regulations that are expected to come into force later this year, he said.

"We have not had any problems with our nurseries,'' Mr. Edness said. "I hesitate to talk about sexual and physical abuse in nurseries in Bermuda. That is not to say that it cannot happen.''