Government embarrassment over rising numbers of foreign workers is behind growing time lags before work permits are issued the Opposition has claimed.

In March Bermuda Employers Council leaders went public over permit delays which they said were stifling business and threatening the Island's economic future.

Shadow Home Affairs spokeswoman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said by keeping applications pending Government hoped to massage the figures for the election after breaking promises to slash expatriate numbers.

Chief Immigration Officer Dr. Martin Brewer said there were between 7,500 and 8,000 one to five-year work permits, although he could not give specific figures.

The figure is up from 7,263 - the year the PLP was elected - and up markedly up from the recession slump of 1992 when just 5,402 were issued under the United Bermuda Party. In 1996 PLP immigration spokesman Alex Scott pledged to cut new work permits year-on-year, while boosting training programmes for Bermudians.

Mrs. Pamplin-Gordon said: "They said they would cut back on work permits as much as possible but the reality when they took over is you can't run the economy without work permits, we don't have sufficient expertise to deal with all the jobs available. The PLP are caught between a rock and a hard place." She said companies were bearing the brunt of the PLP's embarrassment and were getting frustrated they couldn't bring in key workers. "They are not being treated fairly by immigration."

She said locals were also losing out when applications didn't get through.

She said: "If an accountant comes in you need additional support staff, so that's a job lost if the accountant's work permit is not approved."

She said latest statistics showed the foreign workforce was increasing while the local workforce was shrinking.

"There has been criticism the Government are not doing what they said they would do and as a result they are cutting back on work permits. Work permits will be suppressed then when the election is called so they can still say `there are only x-numbers of work permits in issue'. They won't say how many are in the process."

Mrs. Pamplin-Gordon said Government was embarrassed by an increasing expatriate contingent putting more pressure on the Island's housing problems but she said this was also exacerbated by divorces splitting families.

She said Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister was failing to give the ministry any direction and meddling.

"My understanding is it's the ministerial minutia that's creating the bottle neck.

"The board are saying they are doing their job, they are processing the applications but the bottlenecks are after they leave the board and the only place after that is the minister.

"You have to question is the minister sitting on work permits?"

"You need a clearly articulated policy so everyone knows where you are coming from. It's almost as though whatever side of bed the minister gets out of is how you will be treated.

"Some people are applying for renewals of work permits that were not issued in the first place. It's ridiculous. If the work permit is deemed to be legitimate and the board has approved it what's the hold up?

"It's fraudulent if people are paying for fast track applications and it isn't fast track."

She said work permit delays put employees in a difficult position.

"I have heard of people applying last April for work permits that expired last June but they never came through.

"By the time it arrives it will be time to apply for the next year's permit. What gives?"

Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Robert Horton denied Terry Lister was interfering in the work permit process.

"I can say this is manifestly untrue. Any application he has looked at has been referred by the Board of Immigration."

"Any particularly sensitive or challenging application will be brought to the minister's attention but it's a minuscule percentage."

"I don't believe from our perspective there are any inordinate delay from being called upon to look at applications.

"He looks at it very carefully."

He said the minister did not sign off on routine applications. He said: "If he looked at all of them it would be absolutely impossible. They are handled by the board acting on his behalf."

Unusual applications would be referred to the minister, said Mr. Horton. "He would look at it if the decision which is to made is outside policy.

"For example if an application comes from somebody with three or four children and the employer is making a strong case but current policy is only two children.

"It's that kind of the decision where the minister would be required to intervene."

And Dr. Brewer also emphatically denied allegations made by Shadow Home Affairs Minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin that tinkering by Minister Terry Lister was causing a bottleneck.