order paper'' when the House rises for its Christmas break this Friday.

Government House Leader Quinton Edness said there might not be time to deal with all bills and motions set for debate. Some matters might have to be re-introduced when the House resumes, he said yesterday.

But Government would try to "find the time'' for a motion about Bermuda's Police Service Strategy which the Opposition wants to debate next Friday, Mr.

Edness said.

An angry Opposition Leader Frederick Wade has called for a meeting of the House of Assembly's rules committee after the Speaker ruled that another Progressive Labour Party motion could not be debated last Friday.

But Premier David Saul said suggestions that Government practised any "skullduggery'' in having the motion ruled out of order were "grossly unfair.'' The PLP wanted to debate its motion calling for an alternative site for the proposed National Sports Centre.

But after concerns were raised by United Bermuda Party MPs, Speaker Mr. Ernest DeCouto ruled that to hold the debate would violate one of the Rules of the House of Assembly.

Because the subject matter was the same, the Opposition motion would illegally "anticipate'' a Government matter that was on the order paper but had yet to be debated -- The National Sports Centre Trustees Amendment Act 1995.

The bill provides for stadium lands along Frog Lane in Devonshire to be turned over to a sports centre board of trustees headed by former banker Mr. Donald Lines.

Mr. Wade said that if the Speaker's ruling was correct, "it would mean that we could be forever frustrated with our programme in this House.'' Opposition motions could always be "knocked off the order paper'' by Government matters, even if the Opposition motions had been made earlier.

"That can't be the intention of the rules,'' Mr. Wade said. If it was, "the rules are most unsatisfactory and need to be amended.'' But Dr. Saul said the UBP had been prepared to debate the sports centre motion when it was found to violate the rules.

"We were ready,'' the Premier said. "It is grossly unfair to suggest that any positive or constructive move by the Opposition, now or in the future, would result in some trickery by the Government.'' Also Friday, Government was unable to proceed with its planned "take note'' motion on the report of the Board of Inquiry on drugs and football and the Miami arrest on drug charges of seven members of Bermuda's Under-23 soccer team.

PLP MPs drew it to the House's attention that the matter could not be debated because it was sub judise, or before the courts. Former BFA technical director Burkhard Zeise is suing the BFA for wrongful dismissal over the incident.

Dr. Saul said the soccer report debate had been "on the table for some time.

"The public at large, people involved in football and the (Bermuda) Football Association would dearly have loved to have the issue aired today,'' he said.