Yvette Swan as Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs.

Dr. Swan is re-appointed to the Senate and will be sworn in as a Cabinet Minister on September 18, once she returns from Beijing.

Her appointment means that, for the first time ever, there will be three women in Cabinet. Youth Development Minister the Hon. Pamela Gordon, and Minster of Legislative Affairs and Women's Issues the Hon Lynda Milligan-Whyte are the others.

Dr. Swan, first named to the Senate in 1993, is an optometrist and longtime UBP campaign worker in Warwick West.

Born in Jamaica, she is a past president of the Business and Professional Women's Association and is now representing Government at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in China.

Dr. Saul's re-appointment and promotion of Dr. Swan dampened speculation that he intended to clean house in the Senate. One UBP source said yesterday that it could be that all Government Senators except Mr. Gerald Simons will be re-appointed.

Dr. Saul has said Mr. Simons, who was Environment Minister and Government Leader in the Senate, wants to spend more time at his business, Argus Insurance.

Sen. Milligan-Whyte has already been re-appointed to the Senate, named Government Leader in the Senate, and promoted to Cabinet as Minister of Legislative Affairs and Women's Issues.

Also in caucus yesterday: Sen. Lawrence Scott was named caucus chairman, sources said. He succeeds the Hon. John Barritt, who has joined the Cabinet.

The caucus chairman must be either an elected or appointed member of Parliament, so Sen. Scott's seat in the Upper Chamber also appeared secure.

St. George's South MP Mrs. Grace Bell was named caucus deputy chairman and Government Whip. The latter post was also held by Mr. Barritt until Premier Sir John Swan resigned. Sen. Scott had served as caucus chairman.

The appearance at caucus yesterday of Mr. David Lines fuelled renewed speculation that he could be named to fill the vacancy in the Senate left by Mr. Simons' departure.

But Mr. Lines, who was the UBP candidate in the Opposition stronghold of Pembroke East Central in the 1993 general election, said no Senate appointment has been discussed with him.

Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Harry Soares, who has been abroad in the United Kingdom since the Cabinet was named, is to return to Bermuda on the weekend and could be sworn in as early as Monday.

Sen. Swan has served as Parliamentary Secretary in the Senate with responsibility for Health, Social Services and Housing and Community and Cultural Affairs.

Married to Mr. Malcolm Stanley Swan in 1970, Dr. Swan and her husband have three children. She has served as president of the Gilbert Institute Parent Teachers Association and as a member of the executive committee of the Warwick Academy Association.

In England, she attended Paddington Technical College and the University of Aston.

In Beijing yesterday, Sen. Swan accepted an international award for progress in women's rights on behalf of the Bermuda Government.

In a Government news release, Sen. Swan said the award was one of a small number handed out by conference organisers to countries nominated by their Business and Professional Women's Associations.

Bermuda was judged the country which had made the most progress in improving the status of women in the North American and non-Spanish-speaking Caribbean since the last World Conference, held in Kenya in 1985.

In nominating Bermuda, the local chapter of the BPWA cited amendments to the Human Rights Act, progress in after school care and day care, and "the longstanding acceptance in Bermuda of the equal access of women to education.'' Canada won the world award, while Ghana won for Africa, Uruguay for Latin America, Switzerland won for Europe, and New Zealand took the honours in the Asian Pacific.

In a speech to the non-governmental organisation conference being held nearby the main UN conference, Sen. Swan said a task force of the Women's Advisory Council would soon make recommendations to Government on how to narrow the gap between wages paid to women and men in Bermuda.

Sen. Swan noted there was "a marked disparity in the wages and salaries paid to women in comparison to men.'' In 1993, the average weekly income for males was $929, compared to $632 for females, she said.

There was pay equity in all government and union jobs, she said.

"However, this is only one quarter of the labour force, so the remaining jobs are not held to this standard,'' she said. "This is one of the issues currently being investigated by a task force of the Women's Advisory Council.

Recommendations on how to address this disparity will be presented to the Government in the near future.'' NEW MINISTER -- The Hon. Yvette Swan.