An Opposition MP yesterday claimed a committee was looking into radically changing the annual Agricultural Show because of its success.

Shadow Minister for the Environment Gary Pitman made the allegations in the House of Assembly during the debate on the Budget estimates for the Ministry of the Environment, Development and Opportunity.

He said: "Disturbing information has reached my ears that a committee composed of civil servants and others are actively suggesting that the Exhibition should be radically changed and broken down into its various components and that those events be held at different times of the year.

"All because it is too successful.'' Terry Lister, his Government counterpart, admitted that the event was going to be studied.

"We're going to look at it and figure out where we should be moving with it,'' said the Minister.

But Mr. Lister said he did not expect the show would disappear, it just might look a little different.

He said that the entertainment side of the show had grown ever more popular "but is the Ag Show what we should have for the next 20 years''? Mr. Lister said it was important that a study be done on how the show might evolve and suggested that the exhibits associated with the upcoming Smithsonian Fair might be incorporated into it.

"I've heard the split up ideas,'' he said, but pointed out the Ministry hears many ideas and was bound to none of them.

Mr. Pitman said Government should avoid making such a decision or be "forever known as killjoys, the party that stopped Bermudians from having fun in a time honoured Spring tradition''.

Mr. Pitman asked: "Why would we want to throw away a great success story and a piece of Bermuda history?''