Housing supremo David Burch has replaced sacked Works and Engineering and Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent in the beginning of what could be a wider Cabinet shuffle.

Sen. Burch, who also replaces Reginald Burrows in the Senate, was sworn in at Government House yesterday and will return to the Housing Ministry he held from October, 2002 to the July, 2003 general election.

The appointment makes him the fifth Minister given the housing brief in seven years of Progressive Labour Party government.

Asked if there were more Cabinet moves afoot Premier Alex Scott avoided the question and responded with jokes. He said: ?Just one press conference at a time.?

Sen. Burch was appointed Quango consultant in August with the brief of overseeing and merging the running of the island?s three housing providers.

That appointment came after widespread public criticism of Government?s handling of the housing problem.

Despite sacking Mr. DeVent, Mr. Scott defended the axed Minister?s performance in Government.

He said: ?We have the policies, now we need the product. There was no fault, no blame, it was a changing of the guard.?

Pressed further, Mr. Scott said Sen. Burch ? a former Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment ? brought precision, focus and experience, adding: ?Now we need a no nonsense man.?

Asked if Mr. DeVent ? who entered Cabinet just nine months after entering Parliament ? had been promoted too quickly to high office Mr. Scott denied making a mistake.

?You have to remember the time frame. We came out of an election, we had a bit of political intrigue and the opportunity for a new player ? young yes, but I have repeatedly said he had a heart. Housing requires somebody who is sympathetic to the community and Ashfield was the man for the job at the time.?

Nor had Mr. DeVent?s handling of the thorny Berkeley issue led to his dismissal, said Mr. Scott.

?His performance was exemplary, we have invited a new player in for a new task.?

Mr. Scott described Mr. DeVent as a man with a big heart and massive integrity who was disappointed to be sacked after giving his all.

And he paid tribute to Senator Reginald Burrows who has agreed to give up his Senate seat in favour of Lt. Col. Burch who will be formally appointed to the upper chamber at a later ceremony. Asked if Mr. DeVent had failed, Lt. Col. Burch said his predecessor had been very successful in a very difficult ministry but had been thwarted by NIMBYism at every turn with residents threatening to block developments even if Government win the right in court.

Shadow Housing Minister Wayne Furbert said he was sorry to hear Mr. DeVent had been made a scapegoat for failings higher up.

?He was put in a very difficult position, he was very junior having only just come into Parliament and he was given the two most difficult jobs you can think of: Berkeley, which the Premier messed up, and housing which the ministers before him messed up.?

Mr. Furbert said it was clear Mr. DeVent had not been given the support of his Cabinet colleagues. ?They had the land ? all they needed was the funding to build houses. It is clear over the last seven years the Government has shown no real funding in their budget to build houses. It wasn?t Ashfield DeVent who failed, it was the Cabinet who failed Bermuda. We have collective responsibility but he has been made the fall guy.?

One PLP backbencher said Mr. DeVent was viewed as a likeable novice thrown into a tough job that was too much too handle.

?It seemed a tall order, a bit much to get his head around,? the backbencher said. ?I am surprised it has happened this soon, I thought it would happen after the Throne Speech unless there?s a sense of urgency because they are about to roll out some initiatives.Asked if the Cabinet had not backed Mr. DeVent, the backbencher said: ?I think the public done him in. It was public pressure more than anything. There appears to be no movement in housing. People are unhappy nothing more is being done with housing.?