Automatic speeding fine payments, a halfway house for prison inmates and equal rights for children born out of wedlock to Bermudian fathers are on the cards, it has emerged.

These initiatives and others from the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety were announced in the Throne Speech from the Throne -- an outline of Government's legislative and policy plans for the upcoming year -- which was delivered by Governor Thorold Masefield on Friday.

Government intends to stamp out long lines for people waiting for traffic court while also endeavouring to increase the capture rate of speeders.

The Governor said: "In a move designed to eliminate long line-ups for traffic court, legislation to allow for the automatic payment of fines for speeding offences up to 62 kph will be introduced.

"Meanwhile, it is expected that plans to introduce speed detection cameras will have a calming effect on the road using public.'' Public Safety Minister Paula Cox noted that congestion at traffic court had become a real problem due to the vast number of people being ticketed for speeding offences.

It was decided to introduce automatic fines to reduce the number of people forced to appear in Magistrates' Court. The speed of 62 kph was chosen after consultation with the Ministry of Transport.

Meanwhile a Police spokeswoman said the use of fixed speed cameras had been under consideration for some time and even appeared briefly on the Island on a trial basis.

Cabinet was considering their use, she continued, and the latest announcement seemed to indicate they were one step closer to becoming a reality.

The Governor also reported that a long-awaited halfway house to "help the reintegration of inmates into society will become a reality at the former HMS Malabar''.

Ms Cox said a building at the former naval base would be turned into a halfway house.

The site for the facility at the former British naval base was identified in mid-June once Government determined it needed a building it could renovate rather than pay more to construct a facility, she noted.

On the subject of prisons, the Governor also announced Government's plans to stamp out drug abuse in prison with more regular use of high technology ionscan equipment and the assistance of Police and their highly trained drug sniffing dogs.

The ionscan equipment can pick up the miniscule traces of illegal substances from a person's clothes or skin.

Ms Cox noted that while these measures were already being used at the prisons there was a need for their increased use so there could be more regular searches and testing for drugs and also surprise searches and tests.

On the Immigration front, which also falls under Ms Cox's watch, amendments to the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act can be expected during the upcoming session which will protect children born out of wedlock to Bermudian fathers.

This was a human rights issue that required parity, said Ms Cox, as protection was already afforded to children born out of wedlock to Bermudian mothers.

And there was no logical reason why this could not be extended to those born out of wedlock to Bermudian fathers.

Paula Cox