few years, New Development and Opportunity Minister Jerome Dill told the House of Assembly on Friday.

And he said only 475 entrants into the tough area had failed to thrive -- which compared well with the US statistics of 50 per cent collapsing within a short time.

He was speaking after PLP MP Ottiwell Simmons said that Government had to back small businesses with more than just cash.

And he claimed too many small businesses were in the hands of non-Bermudians.

He said: "Too few people born in Bermuda are getting business opportunities.'' And Mr. Simmons added that too many small businessmen were "losing their shirts'' when their companies folded.

The MPs were speaking on the first day of the new session of the House, just after Grant Gibbons started discussion on the Supplementary Estimate for 1994-95.

Supplementary estimates included a $10,000 overspend on a rifle range for the Bermuda Regiment, $759,000 on upgrades at the airport and weather centre and $573,000 for the purchase of three fire crash risk appliances.

Dr. Gibbons then went on to give the second reading of the Civil Establishment Act 1998 -- designed to take responsibility for staffing 15 Government departments out of the hands of politicians and give it to Governor Thorold Masefield.

The new law is designed to plug the loophole which won axed Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Perinchief a massive compensation pay out after it was decided that he had been wrongfully dismissed.

Mr. Perinchief won his claim because Government had failed to pass legislation to legally alter the rank structure of the Police Service.

Other civil servant posts affected by the new legislation include teachers and fire fighters.

Dr. Gibbons said: "There has been some misunderstanding about what's trying to be accomplished here.

"But there's been uncertainty in establishing and abolishing posts in the civil service which goes back 30 years but has only come to light in early 1996.

"Civil servant posts need to be established on legal grounds. The problem was first identified in early 1996 when the Attorney General's chambers advised the Government that changes to staffing of the Bermuda Police Service were carried out without the express approval of the legislature. This resulted in a legal action which has since been settled.

"But as a consequence of this advice it was discovered that there were 14 other departments of government governed by similar legislation which needed to be authorised by the legislature.

"There are 56 government departments and 41 do not require the authority of the legislature. Posts in these departments are established by the authority of the Governor.'' But Shadow Finance Minister Eugene Cox said it was wrong to "shift the emphasis from the Government to the Governor''.

Shadow Works and Engineering Minister Stanley Morton claimed many promising young people were being discouraged from entering political service because of economics.

As a member of the Private Bills Committee, Mr. Morton noted that MPs were paid little for the extra service -- only $7.50 per meeting.

However this service they provided was of huge importance to international companies who often grumbled that politicians were taking their time in making decisions.

This was because they did not know what politicians had to go through, he said.

Deputy Speaker Stanley Lowe (PLP) said he agreed with Mr. Morton's comments.

He stressed that the committee -- which he heads - would continue to do due diligence to any important matter that came before it. Any decision it made would be to the best interest of the Country, he added.

PLP MP Derrick Burgess called on Government to arrange for prescription drugs to be given to the elderly at cost price.

And he told new Minister of Labour and Home Affairs Maxwell Burgess to look into the problem of foreigners working illegally in the cleaning and construction industries.

Mr. Burgess (UBP) replied that Government had laws to deal with the problem of people working illegally but they had to be given information in order to act.

For the president of the Bermuda Industrial Union to have this kind of information yet not tell the Ministry about it was wrong, he exclaimed.

Mr. Burgess said he would not tolerate people working illegally but people who knew about it had to draw attention to it straight away.

The department could deal with the problem once its attention was drawn to it, he stressed.

"Until it is reported to us it is just words. Bring the information to us and then you will see action.'' Former Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness received a massive gesture of support from UBP colleagues when he stood up to make his remarks during the Motion to Adjourn.

Speaking on the problems the Island's youth face the veteran politician urged all MPs, along with civic and business leaders to shoulder the responsibility of looking out for Bermuda's future.

In what sounded like a bowing out speech the stalwart MP said: "There are a lot of political connotations but lets be serious about our community.'' "Unless we can bring up children properly, whatever we do, our future is not going to be guaranteed and it will get worse and worse and worse until, in 20 years time we will not want to live in this Island paradise of ours.'' Edness: Government is sensitive to problems of senior citizens "What we have got to consider is how we can assist these children, whether it's just one child or a number of children.

"We can get to know these children by supporting their schools. I would urge that we in this house and the other civic and business leaders demonstrate our interest in helping our children.'' Mr. Edness then turned to the plight of senior citizens and the problems they face trying to pay for medical expenses.

"The Government is very sensitive about the problems growing among the elderly and the costs they are facing as a result of being on a fixed salary,'' he said.

"It's important for the community to know that the Government initiated a number of studies, the purpose of which was to examine in detail those factors in our society which were causing health care costs to spiral and that included an intense look at insurance companies.

"These matters are now well under way and while I know it doesn't help a pensioner who needs medicines today this is something that needs to be done and will be done properly.

"But if anyone is having problems paying for medications they can get their prescriptions through the hospital pharmacy at much less cost.'' Mr. Edness sat down to roars and the stamping of feet from UBP colleagues.

Former Youth Development Minister and Paget West MP Tim Smith then addressed a question put forward by his shadow, PLP MP Nelson Bascome over drugs testing.

Mr. Smith said that there were no double standards in drugs testing in sport and insisted that the Island's standards were possibly higher than some international sports governing bodies.

"We have to maintain the integrity of sport in Bermuda and make sure it's a safe and secure environment for families and children,'' he said.

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Alex Scott acknowledged his former opposite number's passing from the front to the back benches.

He noted that Warwick West MP Quinton Edness' (UBP) had given 30 years of dedicated service to the Country.

While they obviously had their differences in the past, he noted, Mr. Edness had served the Island to the best of his ability.

Mr. Scott also praised former UBP MP Grace Bell (PLP) for her courage in crossing the floor and joining the ranks of the Opposition.

Turning to an event during the week where a man was arrested at his father-in-law's funeral by the Police, Mr. Scott called on his new opposite number Mr. Burgess to look into the matter.

It warranted a public explanation and the Police were entitled to put their side of the case forward, he said.

Opposition House Leader Reginald Burrows agreed with his colleague.

It was the timing of the arrest -- during the funeral - not the arrest itself that the PLP were concerned about, he stressed.

He warned that this was how near-riots were started and he said he was thankful that cooler heads eventually prevailed at the funeral.

Police could have made the arrest just as easily at another time and place, he said.

Premier Pamela Gordon wrapped up the Motion to Adjourn by underlining that her new Cabinet was the best possible team available and this was what the Country deserved.

It did not matter how far away a General Election was or how long the Cabinet would stay in its present form, she stressed. The Country deserved to have the best team working for it -- no matter for what length of time -- and this is what it had got.

The Premier agreed that Mrs. Bell had shown courage and conviction in her passage across the floor of the House of Assembly and noted that similar events had occurred in Parliament's history.

She added that she believed all Parliamentarians serving the people of the Country did so with similar courage and conviction.