Regiment Commander William White will meet British MPs visiting the Island tomorrow, to counter allegations made by Bermudians Against the Draft.

He revealed the news as he issued a statement denying a culture of racism and excessive punishment exists at Warwick Camp.

Lt. Col. White listed statistics on the racial makeup of the Regiment and revealed details of an incident where a junior officer was disciplined for holding recruits prisoner in a barrack block. He also gave an insight into Regiment policy on shouting and swearing — which he said form part of the environment — but denied prisoners are shackled and kept in "third world" cells.

The anti-conscription campaigners wrote to an inquiry by the UK Foreign Affairs Committee into the British Overseas Territories last year. They listed a slew of allegations including that:

• Conscripts are not allowed to use the bathroom at night during Boot Camp and end up urinating in bags and bottles.

• A disproportionate number of young black men are drafted while there is a disproportionate number of white officers.

• More than 40 black conscripts have been incarcerated at Westgate for rebelling against conscription since 2000.

• "Innumerable" others have been subjected to shackles and handcuffs in "third world" cells at Warwick Camp.

Three MPs from the Foreign Affairs Committee — anti conscription campaigner Andrew MacKinlay, plus John Horam and Malcolm Moss — will visit Bermuda this week.

Lt. Col. White revealed on Friday that they will visit Warwick Camp tomorrow, where he will rebut the allegations made by BAD.

Sharing his planned presentation to them with this newspaper, he said: "On the allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse I can speak authoritatively for the period of almost two years that I have been Commanding Officer on those matters raised as a result of a complaint either from within the Regiment or brought to my attention by the Bermuda Police Service. Each complaint has been the subject of thorough investigation and enquiry and has been dealt with conclusively under the provisions of the Defence Act 1965.

"There have been only three complaints of any physical abuse of a soldier in the Regiment. There have been no complaints made of any sexual or emotional abuse in the Regiment. I have dealt on two occasions with matters that came to my attention in the Bermuda Cadet Corps.

"There has been one instance where a junior commander exceeded his authority and imposed conditions on his men that were not authorised or sanctioned by Regimental procedure or established practice. During Recruit Camp 2007, in one specific barrack room, a Junior Non Commissioned Officer restricted his men to the barrack block after lights out after suspicions of drug use had been raised.

"This apparently was done in an overabundance of caution to ensure maximum accountability of his men. This had the unfortunate result of requiring individuals to urinate in containers or otherwise relieve themselves. This instance was not raised until Camp was concluded and was immediately addressed once it was raised, both as a disciplinary case with the individual concerned, and by way of restating the approved policy to the rest of the command team."

He said that although swearing must not be used to intimidate others, some bad language is tolerated at Warwick Camp. He denied soldiers are shouted at in a way that disrespects them, although "the development of a loud and authoritative voice is encouraged in all commanders so as to clearly communicate orders or instructions".

He continued: '"On the allegation of racism, the Regiment is a microcosm of Bermuda, and the prejudices, stereotyping and class associations prevalent in our society are imported into Warwick Camp. I can speak authoritatively for the period of almost two years that I have been Commanding Officer and certainly state that the issue of racism has not been raised as a complaint about restriction, exclusion or preference in the Regiment by any soldier.

"On the allegation that a disproportionate number of young black males are conscripted and serve, I have no statistics or data to offer, as the racial makeup of each intake is not available. In addition, the Regiment is not responsible for the draft, nor does it ask, on any form or document, for an individual to state what he considers to be his race or ethnicity.

"Questions have been raised about the racial makeup of the Officers Mess in particular. It is my opinion, that of the 34 Commissioned Officers and Officer Cadets currently in the Regiment, 19 would refer to themselves as black and 15 would refer to themselves as white. I believe it is also significant to note that of the Junior Officers, ranked Captain and below, who are by definition the more recent additions, the proportion is 15 black and eight white."

On the topic of incarceration, he said: "Camp detention has been given by the Commanding Officer to three soldiers in 2005, two soldiers in 2006, two soldiers in 2007 and one soldier so far in 2008. An immediate prison sentence has been given by the Magistrate to two soldiers in 2005, four soldiers in 2006, and three soldiers in 2007. Of these sentences, both cases in 2005, and two of the three cases in 2007, were given to soldiers who had a previous history of appearance before the Magistrate on similar offences.

"On the allegation that all soldiers recently awarded a prison sentence are black, it is my opinion that of the nine soldiers jailed by the Magistrate as mentioned above since 2005, three would refer to themselves as white."

He said both the jail and cells at Warwick camp are clean and in good order, as are the bathroom facilities, and said that leg irons have not been used at Warwick Camp since 2001.

He concluded: "I hope the public find this statement useful and informative. The internal functioning of the Regiment, its policies and procedures, and the actions of its Officers and other ranks are open to scrutiny and criticism. We are a human organisation, and as such are not perfect. But where allegations are unfounded, are exaggerated, or have no factual basis, they damage the good reputation of a fine institution and diminish the good work performed by dedicated and committed individuals who are providing real service to their community."

The full text of Lt. Col. White's statement can be read on our website at www.theroyalgazette.bm. More information about the Committee's overseas territories inquiry, including the terms of reference and evidence received, can be found in the Foreign Affairs Committee section of the website www.parliament.uk.

The Foreign Affairs Committee will hold an open forum tomorrow at Mount St Agnes School Auditorium from 5.15 to 7 p.m. It has been billed as an opportunity for the public to share their views on current issues in Bermuda.

The committee is probing standards of good governance, transparency and accountability, the role of Governors and regulation of the financial sector and is made up of back bench MPs from Government and Opposition parties who will then make a report to the British Parliament. The UK Government will then have two months to respond to the Committee's recommendations.