The Bermuda Government has been in round table discussions with businesses on the Island about sustainable development, according to Premier Jennifer Smith.

Ms Smith made the revelation at the opening of the 14th International Reinsurance Congress at the Southampton Princess where she was addressing nearly 200 delegates from around the world.

"I must note that Bermuda is a small jurisdiction and growth places pressures on us which would not be felt as keenly elsewhere,'' said Ms Smith. "To try and mitigate against such pressures Government is presently engaged in round table discussions with the private sector on the subject of sustainable development.'' The debate on sustainable development has been going on since the summer, but this is the first time the Government has said that it has been consulting with businesses over the issue.

Ms Smith said that over the past year there had been little in the way of increase in the numbers coming into the Island to take up posts.

She said: "I have to admit that much of the growth that has taken place his year did not add significantly to the staffing levels of Bermuda offices and makes relatively few demands on Bermuda's limited resources. The debate on sustainable development was kicked off in earnest in May when The Royal Gazette ran a series on the issues. As part of this Minister of the Environment Arthur Hodgson said that Bermuda could take more people, but not without the quality of life on the Island diminishing.

Mr. Hodgson said that while Government was committed to sustainable development, it does not have a fixed upper limit on population.

Bermuda's population has quadrupled in the past century and official predictions are that a further 6,000 more jobs than Bermudian workers will be created in the next ten years if current economic trends continue.

This could mean a further 6,000 non-Bermudians and their families arriving on the Island.

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