accounts of registered charities which solicit funds from the public.

The Charities Amendment Act 1998 was the only item on the Upper House's Order Paper which was dealt with during yesterday's brief sitting prompting a quick swipe at Government from Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP) during the Motion to Adjourn.

Sen. Walwyn Hughes (Ind) said, in introducing the amendment for its second reading, that it was reasonable for people who gave to charities to look and see how their donation was being spent.

And Community Affairs Minister Sen. Yvette Swan (UBP) recognised that the majority of charities would not hesitate to allow their books to be publicly examined but added that "you do hear from time to time of charities that might not be putting the funds to their proper use''.

Following the Bill's passing, Senate moved onto the Motion to Adjourn where Sen. Butterfield was the first to speak.

"I believe we need good leadership in the Senate,'' she said. "There are seven items on the Order Paper. We will find ourselves leaving here at 11 a.m.

when we have work to do here. We need to know what is going to happen during each session.

"The Budget will soon be upon us and there are lots of items on the Orders of the Day.'' But Sen. Swan replied that it would not have been fair to debate any of the other items on the Order Paper because Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind), Sen. Terry Lister (PLP) and Opposition Senate Leader Milton Scott were unable to attend.

"The UBP takes into account every Senator that sits around this table,'' she said.

Government Senate Leader E.T. (Bob) Richards added that he and Sen. Scott had come to an agreement that because two Opposition Senators were unable to attend the Upper House session then the only matter to be debated would be the Charities Amendment Act 1998.