Education Permanent Secretary Dr. Marion Robinson confirmed that she and senior officials from her department last week toured the US Naval Air Station.

"We saw a couple of buildings that we thought could be made suitable,'' Dr.

Robinson said.

With its 26 officials located in the old Hospital building on Point Finger Road, an office building on Church Street, the former Bishop Spencer School, and other sites, "it's a management challenge to develop cohesion'', she said. "Consolidation is a goal of ours.'' And the Education Ministry is expected to have to vacate its main site in the aging Hospital building because of Bermuda Hospital Board development plans.

"That's a critical factor,'' Dr. Robinson said.

Management Services has surveyed departments about their space requirements and a planning team headed by EDAW of London has prepared a draft land use plan for the Base lands, including the US Naval Annex in Southampton and the former Canadian Forces Station at Daniel's Head.

But no final decisions have been made on what Government departments would move to the Base after the US Navy leaves it on September 1.

In January, The Royal Gazette reported that Government workers from Customs, Works & Engineering, and Computer Services were likely to move to the Base as Government looked for temporary uses for large buildings being turned over from the Navy. And the Archives was looking for space on the Base for storage.

Unless buildings are occupied, they often deteriorate and systems like water and sewage stop working.

Departments which must be accessible to the public -- like Social Services and Planning -- must remain in Hamilton and cannot be moved to St. David's.

Accessibility "would present a challenge to us'', if a move was made to St.

David's, Dr. Robinson said. "A lot of our communications are through school meetings with principals.'' While meetings with East End principals would be made easier, talks with West End principals would become more difficult.

Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons said the Education Ministry was "certainly interested in seriously exploring the possibility of moving a good portion of their operation'' to the Base.

"It's a bit premature to say they will go, or where they will go to,'' Dr.

Gibbons said.

The Minister said he wanted to get "the broader plan agreed to internally'' first.