Anti-drug supremo Wayne Perinchief has come under fire from an Opposition minister who says he has done nothing but "waffle and drivel" since he took over the post in November.

Michael Dunkley, Shadow Minister for Labour and Home Affairs, spoke out after Mr. Perinchief's comments last weekend that an initiative to deal with 17 crack houses announced more than two months was still in the planning stages.

Mr Perinchief had told that steps had to be put in place to find and rehabilitate those behind the dens, adding "because of the comprehensive process it's not simply about busting a crack house".

However, speaking yesterday Mr. Perinchief qualified his original remarks, saying that in fact the Police have conducted raids on some of the premises, and his reference to planning related to the longer-term issue of cleaning up the venues. And the Attorney General, Larry Mussenden ? who announced the planned tough action against the 17 drug dens at a Bermudians Against Narcotics street rally in November ? also gave an update on the initiative.

He said that his department was currently involved in a cross-Ministry in-study of five crack houses where the status of ownership was known, with a view to these being the first to get cleaned up permanently. He explained that the plan was to use the legal process to close down each crack house, keep it closed, and where possible turn it into much-needed accommodation.

He added: "I think any plan is probably not going to be something with a whole pile of Police cars turning up but a situation where you are trying to work out a proper plan to turn the place over to what it should be and get rid of the people running it." However, Mr. Dunkley said that he was not satisfied with the action being taken on the issue and accused Mr. Perinchief, the man in charge of co-ordinating the effort, to combat the scourge of narcotics, of having a "lackadaisical approach".

"Everything we have heard in the three months or so since Mr. Perinchief has been appointed has been waffle and drivel. He's not got to grips with it. You should hit the ground running (in that position) and you should breed confidence in the community that you are going to get on top of things and deal with them," he said.

"If the Government is serious about resolving the issues they should get on with it now. If someone is trying to break into a store would they try to identify the owner before they go in?

"Of course the Opposition support the idea of rehabilitation but if you know where these venues are you should go into them because people are breaking the law. With the amount of procrastinating that has been done I'm surprised that they have managed to pull together a couple of raids. They are talking the talk and not walking the walk although I am pleased that they have started doing what they have to do."