the Senate on Wednesday, are still raising considerable concern in the business community.

That contrasts with the support they are likely to have received in the wider community, where the perception that black Bermudians do not benefit from the Island's prosperity to the same degree as whites remains strong.

Even a cursory glance at the Employment Survey, as well as other studies done of employment in Bermuda, demonstrates that whites, both Bermudian and non-Bermudian, hold a disproportionately high number of jobs in management and technical areas compared to the overall population of the Island.

In March, a Royal Gazette editorial said Government was right to determine what is perception and what is reality and to try to determine why this should be so.

The editorial added: "There is much to be said in favour of improving the diversity of staff in the workplace and, in terms both of fairness and social stability, in ensuring that equal opportunities are available to all.'' But we also noted that making race the sole criteria for hiring and promotion carries its own risks. Hiring qualified Bermudians, regardless of race, and hiring making sure firms are balanced in terms of gender -- another form of diversity -- are just as important.

And in the end, Bermuda must train and hire the best, regardless of race or gender, in order to compete in world markets.

In amending the CURE regulations, Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister went some way to meeting business concerns, although Form Four, which requires companies to report on hiring, firing and promotions, remains on the books.

What is still unclear is what will happen to companies which are identified as not being sufficiently diverse. It would appear that CURE wants to use gentle persuasion to convince them to change their hiring practices, but it is not clear what will happen if they do not.

Finally, the fact all companies with ten or more employees are required to register raises some concerns. A company with ten employees need only have one employee change to put its racial make-up out. CURE needs to take this into account.

In the end, as we said in March, reporting on racial profiles will not solve the problem. Education and training are the key to giving everyone a fair chance.