amid concerns from both sides about the length of speeches.

With nearly all MPs expected to speak, half are still to be heard from after two full Fridays of debate.

"Last week, the average length of speeches was 40 minutes,'' Government Whip Mr. John Barritt said yesterday. "From our point of view, we're going to try to keep it within that -- making that an outside limit.

"If we average 30 minutes, then that is ten hours.'' There was no "strong opinion one way or the other'' on whether the speeches had been too long, Mr. Barritt said.

"In some cases, yes, it's felt the speeches have been longer than they need to have been.'' But it was a new Parliamentary session, and the speeches were wider-ranging than ones that would be heard in the middle of a session.

"The Speaker has given members some latitude,'' Mr. Barritt said. He did not expect a fourth day would be needed to complete the Throne Speech debate, but did not rule it out.

Opposition Whip Mr. Stanley Lowe said the Progressive Labour Party wanted to sit later last Friday and complete the Throne Speech debate, but the Government did not.

"As far as the length of speeches, we really haven't talked about it,'' Mr.

Lowe said. "We tell them time and time again, if you've got something to say, you get up and say it. You don't have to make a long speech.'' However, "people do get carried away because of the cut and thrust,'' Mr.

Lowe said. "Something may be said during the debate, and it gets someone going off on a tangent.

"We're not as guilty,'' he said. "Mostly on the Government side there have been some very long speeches.'' Mr. Barritt doubted there would be time for other matters today after the Throne Speech debate. If there was time, two routine pieces of legislation would be dealt with, he said. The first would extend the Development Plan Act to hear objections. The second was an amendment to the Housing Allowance Act.

Following those on the order paper were three Opposition motions.

Also today, Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan was expected to report to the House on his meeting in London this week with leaders of British Dependent territories.