interest in instead being named Deputy Speaker, The Royal Gazette has learned.

And she may give up her job as Whip and take the post. As of yesterday, no other Government MPs had put their names forward for Deputy Speaker.

Two MPs who have been mentioned as possibilities, Mr. Rick Spurling and Dr.

Clarence Terceira, did not rule out accepting the Deputy Speaker's post. But both expressed little interest yesterday and said they would be reluctant to accept the job.

Dr. David Dyer, seen as another possibility, was off the Island and not due to return for more than two weeks.

Mrs. Bell did not want to discuss the issue yesterday. While she confirmed she had discussed the Deputy Speaker's post, she said she had not decided if she wanted the job.

"I'm mulling it over,'' she said.

Often a stepping stone to the prestigious Speaker's chair, the Deputy Speaker's post also pays $7,952 on top of the regular MP's salary, compared to $4,544 for the Whip.

Having been Whip for only a few weeks, Mrs. Bell was not Government's first choice for Deputy Speaker, a United Bermuda Party source said.

But it was felt the Opposition Progressive Labour Party might nominate her for Deputy Speaker when the House of Assembly reconvenes on November 3. And with Government's slim 21-18 majority in the House of Assembly and a possible vote or two from the back bench, Mrs. Bell could beat a nominee put forward by the Government, the source said.

That would be reminiscent of November, 1993, when Government was embarrassed at the opening of Parliament over the election for Speaker. The Government's nominee, Dr. Dyer, was defeated in a backbench revolt after the Hon. Ernest DeCouto was nominated by the PLP.

An outspoken critic of Government on Immigration and other matters, Mrs. Bell has frequently won vocal support from the PLP. Most recently, Shadow Community and Culture Minister Rev. Trevor Woolridge said she should have been named to Cabinet in place of the Hon. Yvette Swan.

But yesterday, Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade said he was not aware of any PLP plan to nominate Mrs. Bell for Deputy Speaker. "Isn't she the Whip?'' he asked. "How many jobs does she want? "We haven't discussed it at all,'' Mr. Wade said. "I don't want to pre-empt any discussions we might have at our meeting next Wednesday.'' If Mrs. Bell decided she wanted the Deputy Speaker's job, Government might look for someone else to take over the Whip, especially if another contender for Deputy Speaker does not emerge.

St. George's South MP Mr. Spurling, the son of longtime Speaker the late the Hon. Sir Dudley Spurling, said he would "probably not'' be interested in the Deputy Speaker's post.

"I have no aspirations to become Speaker,'' Mr. Spurling said.

Dr. Terceira, who was left out of Cabinet in the shake-up following the election of the Hon. David Saul as Premier, said he had not given any thought to becoming Deputy Speaker.

"I don't see myself doing it,'' Dr. Terceira said.

Because the Deputy Speaker spends considerable time in the chair, the MP who accepts the post must stay close to the Sessions House when Parliament is sitting.

That would make it difficult for Mr. Spurling, a partner at Appleby, Spurling & Kempe. Two other AS&K partners -- the Hon. John Barritt and the Hon. Jerome Dill -- are kept away from the law firm for lengthy periods as Cabinet Ministers.

Another drawback -- one likely being weighed by Mrs. Bell -- is the Deputy Speaker is expected to be more restrained in making public comments, though he or she is not required to be non-partisan in the same way as the Speaker is.