Government plans to sell off 11 cottages at Southside to fund affordable homes for the winners of a housing lottery sparked a fierce debate in the House of Assembly last night.

Walter Lister, Minister without Portfolio, told MPs that the idea was to sell the renovated cottages at prices about ten percent below their market value ? ranging from $775,000 to $1.1 million ? to help subsidise 98 low-cost homes being built at Harbourside Village.

The Harbourside units are being sold at the bargain price of $199,000 to members of the public who won a Government lottery last year.

Mr. Lister asked members to consider a resolution to approve the sale by the Bermuda Land Development Corporation of a 120-year lease for the cottages on the former US base land.

But former United Bermuda Party Leader Gibbons queried the lack of information contained in the ?three-line resolution?, which he described as ?inadequate?.

He said: ?For this type of real estate and given the amount of money that?s going to be raised here, I think the House needs to see something a bit more substantial.

?There is really no sense of when these things are going to be put up for sale. What are the terms of the lease?

?It?s Government property. Clearly we would be expecting something a little more responsible than what we have seen today. ?

John Barritt, the Opposition Whip and Leader of the House, said the Government should have provided detailed information on each property and who was buying them.

?That?s the whole point of transparency. This is not transparency,? he said.

Shadow Finance Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin asked whether the homes would be sold to people intending to rent them out and make a profit.

And Suzanne Roberts-Holshouser said the price of the cottages made them unattainable for many Islanders.

Government Whip Ottiwell Simmons said the idea was to ?get rid? of the cottages to those who could afford them to fund affordable homes.

?I wish that the members on the other side would be rational and try to understand. They, as an Opposition, have a responsibility to support common sense.?

Wayne Perinchief, Minister for Drug Control, said the cottages were for ?middle and upper middle class? people who wanted a good piece of real estate in a desirable location, close to Clearwater Beach.

He said the scheme would enable them ?to get a good piece of rock and in so doing help to fund houses that Government is going to build for low-income persons?.

Telecommunications Minister Michael Scott said: ?It?s most concerning and alarming to have the Opposition in array, rallying against and railing against this very sensible project.

?It makes so much sense that we are generating revenue to pay for an affordable housing project down the road. It has been most interesting to listen to the very puerile attempts of the Opposition to make hay of this item.?

But Trevor Moniz, Opposition spokesman for legislative affairs, said the debate had got ?somewhat out of hand?, adding that the plan had no ?transparency or accountability?.

Mr. Lister told the House that the UBP hadn?t built a single affordable housing unit when it was in Government.

He then asked Dr. Gibbons what he was ?on? when the Opposition backbencher claimed that the UBP had ?fixed up? affordable housing units while in office.

The insult prompted current Opposition Leader Wayne Furbert to leap to his feet. ?I don?t think that?s parliamentary language,? he complained. ?We get drug tested. Do you??

Mr. Lister replied: ?He (Dr. Gibbons) should get drug tested because he is talking nonsense.?

The resolution was agreed.