Regulations allowing Government to share information between departments were passed by MPs yesterday.

Premier Jennifer Smith said Bermuda did not have freedom of information legislation but current legislation was reasonably progressive.

She said the new bill was a "step in the right direction" as Government gather information from businesses and other establishments.

She said: "There is an enormous practical advantage to share information with other Government departments."

She said it would save time and duplication of effort in collecting data.

As an example she said information on the latest health and safety advice in the workplace could be sent direct to businesses.

Opposition leader Grant Gibbons said Government was good at gathering data but poor at giving it out.

He said the census was two years late. He said: "She promised the final report in July but there is no indication of when the report is going to be published."

Government MP Delaey Robinson said departments had been in the horrible situation of gathering sophisticated data which could only be used in isolation and the situation needed to be changed so you didn't have "60 something government departments collecting the same data at the taxpayers expense".

United Bermuda Party MP Allan Marshall challenged Government to say where in law it said information had to remain in Government departments.

Education Minister Paula Cox denied Government were keen to keep the lid on information and cited the release of AIDS and teen pregnancy statistics.

Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell said he had been waiting five and a half months for the latest tourism figures while recently released employment statistics go back to 2001.

Premier Jennifer Smith said the UBP had been awful at releasing statistics when in Government with the 1970 census coming out six years late while they had forgotten to do the 1990 census until a year later.