The Health and Family Services department was a big budget winner in Friday's budget, with several new projects launched and spending across the board increased.

And both the elderly and children will benefit from the majority of the initiatives announced.

The overall current account spending for the Ministry was up from last year's estimate of $96 million to $107 million -- the most costly of all ministries.

The Progressive Labour Party's Throne Speech vow to redevelop seniors' rest homes received a $250,000 boost to allow planning to begin.

That is on top of half a million dollars to improve conditions in Bermuda's rest homes through the Financial Assistance Department.

A "seniors' centre'' will also be established to provide advice and assistance on all manner of topics at a cost of $120,000.

Another quarter of a million dollars was allocated for on-going support to the Hospice and $468,000 for structural work necessary at St. Brendan's.

In introducing the budget, Finance Minister Eugene Cox said: "Health and family care and the hospitals together take a substantial aggregate share of new government funding with additional allocations totaling $3.62 million''.

The extra $1.3 million over last year being injected into the hospitals includes almost half a million for the start-up of a detoxification unit related to the proposed drugs court.

Another $233,000 has been earmarked for the development of a community group home for the learning disabled.

One million dollars will be spent on consultancy services to implement recommendations from the 1996 Oughton report to cut Bermuda's increasing health care costs -- as the PLP vowed to do in the election campaign.

The foster care programme is to receive an additional $169,000 to provide improved support including fees to foster parents.

Another $133,000 of staff resources will also be added to speech pathology while $65,000 will be spent on the youth counselling services programme begun under the auspices of the National Drug Commission.

Children will also benefit from $144,000 through the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs to meet the cost of employing staff during the summer months for a school holiday fun camp.

Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome said the budget was proof that the new Government was "concentrating very intensely on the family and basically extending all manner of funding to family services.'' HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY HOA