present what at first glance appeared to be a lengthy programme in Friday's Throne Speech.

And there are ambitious plans in a number of areas that will take up a good deal of time and effort for the Progressive Labour Party to implement in the next 12 months.

Three major initiatives are contained in the Speech: The first is the decision of the Governtment to table an amendment to the Criminal Code to abolish capital punishment and judicial corporal punishment; the second is signs of action at last on housing; and the third is the reform of the Civil Service.

This newspaper has supported abolition of capital punishment for many reasons, not the least of which is there is little purpose in having it on the books if it is never going to be used.

The fact that the British Government has stated it will abolish it if Bermuda does not is a new reason, which while it may be hard to swallow, seems a small price to pay if it assists Bermudians in getting right of abode in the United Kingdom and the rest of the European Union.

It is somewhat surprising that the Government had made abolition a part of its policy -- as opposed to leaving it to a private member's bill -- and there is some merit in the Opposition idea that the public should again be polled in a referendum on the issue. However, if a referendum was to be held, it should only be binding if a large majorty of the electorate attend the polls -- if only a small number turn out, then it is a good deal less use than an opinion poll.

Given the Government's strong stand on the death penalty in the Speech, it is disappointing that there was absolutely nothing stated on Government's policy towards UK citizenship.

Government's silence on the issue suggests that it is unable to come to a decision and is divided over the benefits that UK passports would bring against the damage closer ties to the UK would do to the Independence movement, which could well be a plank in the PLP's next General Election platform.

On housing, the Government appears to have a clearer idea of where it wants to go. The plans for 50 new houses and renovations to derelict buildings are welcome, even if they have been well-flagged before. Anyone familiar with the construction trade will be sceptical about whether the homes will really be built by the end of May, and this may be a case of promising too much, but at least something seems to be happening.

Finally, Government has said it will begin reforming the Civil Service this year and is to base the reforms on the review recently carried out by experts from the UK Civil Service.

Again, there are few details on what could be a massive task. If the reforms result in savings to the public and greater efficiency, then they will be welcome, but if instead they amount to little more than housekeeping, then it will have been a wasted exercise.

Certainly, this was a long speech. Aside from the death penalty move, little in it could be described as truly new and the groundwork for many of the Government's other legislative and policy initiatives had been laid in the last year or earlier.

But if the Government does achieve what it says it is going to in the next 12 months, then it will be able to claim that it has begun to create the basis for its new Bermuda.