Next year will bring an end to the slow trickle of legislation through parliament, the beginning of a drive to address social issues and the continuation of a national discussion on Independence, Premier Alex Scott told this week.

Mr. Scott reported that his parliamentary caucus and the party organisation thrashed out the social agenda at a symposium late last month.

?The social agenda is a commitment by the Government to a legislative programme that will address those vexing issues that have not been made a priority in our legislative programme, that will speak to violence in our community, that will speak to the role of youth and how we can improve their lot in our community,? he said.

?It speaks obviously to housing. It certainly acknowledges the pernicious evil of drugs in our community. The quality of life being experienced by many.?

He said items will be added to the agenda as new challenges come up. And he promised that those Bermudians who have in the past been disenchanted with Government will be able to ask themselves if they are better off than in the previous year and will respond ?with a resounding yes?.

Government?s recommitment to the social agenda will also boost entrepreneurialism. ?We?ll be looking to get lines of credit for those who?ve earned it, those who need it to participate in the tendering process, be it for Government or be it publicly,? Mr. Scott said.

?It?s to bring into a very successful economy those Bermudians who have been left out of the economy.?

The Premier said that Government was about to change the dynamics of the legislative process so that all drafting will be done before the Throne Speech is read out. ?We are now embarked on a structured two, three year programme,? he said. Some time will be needed to deal with legislation currently in the pipeline but the new process should be evident with the 2005/06 Throne Speech, he added.

?So in 2005/2006 you will have a Throne Speech which when the Governor reads it, it is so. Meaning the legislation could go down the next Friday in Parliament. Our backbenchers and our parliamentarians will literally look at a roster and know what date that legislation will be in Parliament.

?Now you have some days when it?s very thin legislation, one or two items, and then at the end of the session it?s six or seven. Gone. We?re changing the paradigm, we?re changing the dynamic.

?This Government will become impressively far more efficient with its programme. And I think the UBP will tell you that this sort of thing has haunted Governments here and abroad, but it?s because now we have a commitment to our social agenda.?

Mr. Scott had appointed a Minister of Legislative Affairs specifically to help streamline the legislative process.

But Government found that the existing process was far from perfect.

?No one complained more than I did,? the Premier said about the slow pace of legislation. ?We?ll over the next 18 months get ahead of that. (Senate) will say ?enough already ? too much legislation?.

?Cabinet is taking decisions even now that will see legislation drafted and completed way ahead of the time to go to a Throne Speech in 2005/06.

?We have literally now got a plan that we are committing both parliament, Government and country to. And that will stop the bottleneck which has really seen those in the Senate sitting there, twiddling their fingers waiting for stuff. They?re going to say ?enough already too much legislation!?.

?And the legislation is going to be user friendly when it comes to Bermudians in general.?