Government's aim of amalgamating the three quangos responsible for delivering affordable housing would be a "very grave mistake" according to a former United Bermuda Party Housing Minister.

Speaking to , Quinton Edness said he also feared that Lt. Col. David Burch's recent appointment as Bermuda's quango czar would undermine the authority of the directors already appointed to sit on the boards of the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC), the West End Development Company (Wedco) and the Bermuda Land Development Company (BLDC).

Lt. Col. Burch was appointed last week Thursday by Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent to the position of Quango Consultant ? a job which will see him assume the chairmanship of all three quangos.

The recommendation to amalgamate them was included in a recently completed review of Government quangos by the Central Policy Unit, which concluded that bringing the three under one umbrella would lead to greater efficiency and a more co-ordinated plan to tackle the housing crisis.

Lt. Col. Burch was the man selected to carry out this task within an 18-month timeframe.

But Mr. Edness pointed out that both BLDC and Wedco have a far wider mandate than simply adding to the Island's affordable housing stock and argued that the BHC should be left alone to get on with its job.

"Colonel Burch's appointment signals the creation of another position which usurps the autonomy of the directors who have already been appointed," he said.

"They are the ones who are supposed to be developing policy independent from Government and many of the problems associated with these quangos have arisen because of excessive political interference in their day to day operations. And we also have not been told just how much David Burch is being paid. But since reading the Quango review I remain convinced that amalgamating the BHC with Wedco and the BLDC would be a big mistake.

"The Housing Corporation is the organisation which has the responsibility to build houses and it should continue in the same vein. The BLDC and Wedco have a host of other interests other than affordable housing projects and to mix their affairs with that of the BHC would only hurt the development of a clear and comprehensive housing policy. Now there may be some merit in merging the BLDC with Wedco, but the BHC should be left completely out of it."

Mr. DeVent did not respond to a request for comment.

Lt. Col. Burch's appointment came as a surprise to many, particularly as it had been only three months since he resigned in frustration from the chairmanship of Wedco, with the painfully slow pace of progress on the housing question the reason behind his reported disillusionment.