brought more than 20 health officials from British colonies to Bermuda next week, to postpone it.

The sixth annual health ministers conference was scheduled to be held at The Princess from Wednesday through Friday.

It was to be preceded by a British Dependent Territories Project Monitoring and Advisory Group meeting on Monday and Tuesday.

Some 26 delegates -- some of whom were scheduled to arrive in Bermuda this weekend from the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos -- were to be joined by health officials from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), which is the regional branch of the World Health Organisation.

And the event was to be new Health Minister the Hon. Harry Soares' first time at hosting a major conference.

Mr. Soares was scheduled to deliver the official welcome. The Governor Lord Waddington and Premier the Hon. David Saul were to also address the conference.

"I am looking forward to meeting the other health ministers and discussing with them health issues that effect our small island territories,'' Mr. Soares said before learning about the postponement.

"There is so much that we can share. This meeting will enable us to learn from each other, explore solutions that could benefit us all and also act as a means of promoting further cooperation between our countries.

"I consider this a great opportunity for Bermuda. It will certainly be an exciting experience for me.'' AIDS, the rights of young people, and sexual health services were some of the topics to be addressed.

And the delegates were scheduled to tour several facilities, including the new prison, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, and the Tynes Bay incinerator.

But yesterday Health Ministry officials said the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos health ministers had expressed concern about being away from home should Hurricane Marilyn hit their Islands.

"Already the delegation from Anguilla have cancelled out because of damage sustained by Hurricane Luis,'' a Health Ministry spokesperson said, "and Montserrat is still under threat from an erupting volcano.'' The conference will be rescheduled, he added.

In addition to the health ministers and officials, representatives from the Overseas Development Administration, the Dependent Territories Regional Secretariat, the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and the UK Keele University Centre for Health Planning and Management were to attend the conference.