Former Director of Planning Erwin Adderley said the Works Ministry needed permission from the Development Applications Board to do work on the controversial St. George's Post Office.And he accused Minister of Works Alex Scott of arrogance and acting in a cavalier fashion.

The Shadow Transport Minister said: "The Minister said he is not going to apologise.

"I would advise the minister that when you find yourself in a hole stop digging."

He said under the Bermuda Development Act, planning permission was required for work on listed buildings.

"This is a listed building. Therefore any change requires planning permission and requires formal application to the Planning Department.

"There are rules and regulations set up to ensure things are done correctly.

"This gentleman on the other side said with a great deal of arrogance they had decided to flout the rules because they know what's best for the community.

"Don't worry about the Development Applications Board. We will do what we want to do.

"If this was Joe Public they would have had him in court and put a stop order and they would have him under charge and under heavy manners."

He said the Government was making up the rules as it went along and Mr. Scott was acting in a cavalier fashion.

St. George's MP Delaey Robinson (PLP) said the Government did have planning permission for the work but it had also informed the St. George's Preservation Authority long before work started.

And he said the Minister had taken great care to employ a contractor who could carry out culturally sensitive work.

"He has received accolades from the National Trust for his work.

"We have a sensitive listening and caring government."

Mr. Robinson said there were health and safety reasons why the work had to be done and he said the Minister would have been attacked for flouting government regulations if he had dithered.

Opposition MP Trevor Moniz said Mr. Scott was misleading the House by quoting from letters but not tabling them so MPs could see their entire contents.

Mr. Moniz said: "He doesn't say the authority had written to him saying please don't proceed because you must consult us.

"He then had his men go in and remove the roof of this historic building. Shame on the Government and shame on the Minister.

"The Attorney General quite rightly put a stop to what the Minister was doing."

However Attorney General Dame Lois Browne Evans said that the letter was still with her department so Mr. Scott was not in a position to table it on the floor the House of Assembly.

Tourism Minister David Allen said the Government had employed top craftsmen for the work.

Mr. Allen said there had disinformation and misinformation about what had gone on and Mr. Hayward had handled the matter in a politically biased way.

He said: "Henry Hayward handled this so awkwardly."

He said there had been many times when the UBP had decimated historic buildings when they were in Government.

Mr. Allen said they had demolished an historic fort to put up a bus garage and claimed that they had destroyed an historic house in East Broadway.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said the issue had nothing to do with a roof in St. George's but was really about the UBP's belief that the PLP didn't have the right to govern.

Dr. Brown said: "This Government is committed in its support of the enhancement of St. George's.

"It's obvious.

"Even the casual observer can see this government has assisted in a positive way."

He cited the new hotel on the Club Med site and the thousands of dollars spent on cobblestones as examples of the Government's commitment to St. George's.