The United Bermuda Party would take a "very serious'' view of Government MPs who did not support the Independence referendum bill, a Cabinet Minister and the party chairman said yesterday.

But neither Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness nor Sen. Gary Pitman, the party chairman, would specify what would happen to a Government MP who defied a "three-line whip'' on the bill.

And Sen. Pitman confirmed that none of the UBP MPs who were absent from the House when the Independence Referendum Act 1994 was defeated last May have been disciplined to date.

"The matter was referred to a caucus committee and they didn't finalise their recommendations,'' Sen. Pitman said. He did not expect the committee would have meted out any discipline before the Independence Referendum Act 1995 is set to be debated on March 24.

When the referendum bill was defeated 18-17 last summer, the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto and Mr. Trevor Moniz abstained on the vote. Two other Government MPs, Dr. David Dyer and the Hon. John Stubbs, were absent from the House. Dr. Stubbs died of cancer in August.

Sen. Pitman could not say yesterday whether a lack of support for the bill from Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto, Mr. Moniz, or Dr. Dyer would be looked on as a "second offence.'' Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge is another possible dissenter on the Government side.

The decision to hold a referendum had been approved at caucus, and "it would be a serious matter if we didn't get full support,'' Sen. Pitman said. "I don't want to be any more specific than that.'' None of the three MPs has said whether he or she will support the bill, though Mr. Moniz said on Thursday he would "have great difficulty supporting it.'' "I would obviously have a concern, yes, about party solidarity on this bill,'' Sen Pitman said. "But I'm cautiously optimistic that we will move ahead on this issue.

"It's voting for a process. It's not voting for whether or not one wants Independence. They should be able to vote for the process in a unanimous front.'' Mr. Edness voiced similar sentiments. "It's hard to predict what would happen, but I would consider it extremely serious if Government members did not support setting up the mechanism so that the people can have a say,'' he said.

"I think that's very serious,'' and "anti-democratic,'' to deprive the public of the right to choose. "I think people would remember that,'' he said, adding, "I'm hoping that good sense will prevail.'' If the referendum bill did fail, "we would have to evaluate things,'' but "I don't think that would necessarily force an election,'' he said.

Mr. Edness said he expected to play a role in the Independence debate.

"It's got to be probably one of the most important discussions that we've gotten involved in,'' he said. "We're talking about the future direction of the Country.'' The Minister said there were pros and cons to Independence. "There are claims that it is affecting and will affect business,'' he said. "As a country, we're going to have to come to a conclusion as to whether or not this is going to be important for the unity and future progress of the Country, versus short-term monetary considerations.

"That's what it will probably come down to.''