Premier Jennifer Smith says there will be more public meetings on proposed changes to the Constitution.

The Premier at first said a debate in the House of Assembly would be sufficient, but she backtracked at the Throne Speech and agreed to one public meeting.

However, at the end of the public meeting on Thursday at St. Paul A.M.E.

Church in Hamilton, Ms Smith disclosed that further public meetings and consultations will be held. No dates or venues however have been set.

At a packed public meeting attended by an overflow crowd, PLP party leaders argued there was nothing sinister in their plans to change the constitution to usher in single seat constituencies, reduce the number of MPs, and redraw constituency boundaries.

The PLP had openly supported this since its inception in 1963 and it was contained in the party's manifesto.

The Premier insisted she had not misled the public when she told Shadow Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt in the House of Assembly in February that she had no plans for constitutional changes in the next 12 months.

Her explanation at the public meeting was that she was told in August that if she wanted to make changes to the constitution she would have to follow Foreign Office guidelines in terms of public consultation.

She told the meeting that the Boundaries Commission - which she plans to task to draw up the new constituencies -has to meet before 2002 because it must meet every seven years, and it last met five years ago.

In August she tabled a motion in the House of Assembly outlining that a Boundaries Commission would draw up proposed changes.

The United Bermuda Party is collecting a public petition demanding the Foreign Office - which must approve the changes - be assured that the people of Bermuda are properly consulted.

The UBP wants the British Government to insist a constitutional conference is held to approve the changes.

It is urging Foreign Office Minister Baroness Scotland, who has responsibilities for Dependent Territories, to insist that proper consultations take place before the changes are approved.

The Foreign Office has said "demonstrable'' consultations must take place, but it has not defined what form this must be.