leader Lynda Milligan-Whyte said The Pensions (Increase) Order 1997 would provide government employees with pension increases in the range of half a percent to five and a half percent.

The increases, she said, were based on the Consumer price index.

After PLP Sen. Terry Lister expressed his party's pleasure with the increase, The Pensions (Increases) Order 1997 was passed without objection.

The Upper House also passed a supplementary to the pension order called The Pensions (Public Service Superannuation Act 1981) (Increase) Order 1997.

Sen. Milligan-Whyte said the order also provided for increases in the range of half a percent to five-and-a-half percent.

And the Senate passed the Development and Planning Amendment Act 1997 without objection.

UBP Sen. Noela Haycock said the bill contained changes to the subdivision part of the original act.

According to Sen. Haycock, it became clear last year that parts of the original act needed to be rewritten.

"This amendment will clarify and simplify the planning process with respect to subdivisions,'' she said.

Under the new amendment the time length for grants were increased from two to three years.

And Sen. Haycock said once a person applies for a grant, their subdivision plans will be automatically registered, cutting down on the "red tape''.

Sen. Lister welcomed the new amendments and noted that "sometimes a bill needs to be modernised''.