Government will reveal measures aimed at helping struggling Bermudians in the next Throne Speech, says Premier Alex Scott.

But he said the policies, unveiled before the next legislative session in November, would not endanger Bermuda?s free market economy.

Asked about what happened to a November 2005 pledge to investigate Bermuda?s high cost of living Mr. Scott said that was the ?thesis for the social agenda - the haves continue to have, the have-nots have more".

He added: ?There?s no magic bullet, we have to approach the closing of the gap in many different ways.?

He cited the plans to build low cost units for sale at Harbourside Village in Southside and Loughlands in Paget.

Asked about what was being done for those nowhere near the income bracket to buy a place Mr. Scott told : ?The Throne Speech will go a significant distance again to addressing the divide. There are different ways for easing the burden for those on fixed income, those whose incomes make it difficult to keep up.

?I think the public should watch the next few months and a year or so with Minister Burgess in Labour and Home Affairs.

?I don?t want to pre-empt on how that may impact very significantly on the workplace but again that will be helpful.

?We are using a series of approaches and initiatives because you want to influence the market place, as a Government you don?t want to control it.

?That can give you a whole host of new problems if we don?t allow the freedom of the market place to continue.?

But Mr. Scott refused to hint at details.

Asked how the plan to put a hospital on the Botanical Gardens fitted in with Government?s sustainable development initiative he said: ?Very nicely.?

Sustainable development was about taking hard decisions with

He said it didn?t mean doing everything one member of the Sustainable Development Roundtable wanted to do.

?We listened to medical staff who said you compromise the quality of care if you have a dusty environment, you compromise the patient?s wellbeing if you try to develop the new hospital on the existing site.?

He repeated his pledge that the character of the Gardens would be retained as much as possible.

?The roundtable will be listened to but they don?t replace Cabinet when it comes to making that final decision.?

Quizzed about the controversial Loughlands housing project which saw Housing Minister David Burch say objectors should ?Get over it?, Mr. Scott said there was a clamour for housing.

?You have to break eggs in order to make an omelette.?

To the suggestion that Government was rushing things through via special development orders after years of inaction Mr. Scott said the PLP had housed over 1,000 people since taking office in 1998.

Mr. Scott was asked about his record since taking the helm of the nation in 2003.

He said: ?We have put in place significant policy initiatives - sustainable development, the social agenda. Don?t overlook the ombudsman ? making sure that Government continues to be as transparent as it can.?

He said his Government had been very effective in turning tourism around after a 20-year decline while the economy was one of the most effective in the world.

Asked when Bermudians would finally get a chance to decide on independence ? a concept first revived by Mr. Scott back in February 2004 ? the Premier was evasive.

He said: ?We are still in the educational process.?

And he still will not say whether independence will be decided by referendum or a general election, simply that the public would get a chance to decide after the Government has put out its position.

He said: ?Yes or no to just the question of independence is not an informed decision.

?When you have heard the Government set out in its platform and if we had a progressive opposition, which we don?t, they would set out their position and then the public could decide.?

Pressed again why he still could not say the method of deciding the matter, Mr. Scott said Government would be guided by the public.

Asked if the issue was dragging on Mr. Scott said: ?I went to university. It took me four years to get my degree. The education process is just that ? a process.?

Mr. Scott was asked if he shouldn?t have attempted to work with independence supporters in the Opposition but he said: ?We tried to get them, we invited them to be on the Bermuda Independence Commission but they declined at every turn.?