The Opposition United Bermuda Party blasted Government yesterday for what it called a "lack of commitment'' in stopping the importation of drugs and in tackling Bermuda's lack of affordable housing.

Opposition Sen. Kim Swan comments came during yesterday's Senate session and centred around Government's allocation of over $24 million for the acquisition and running of new fast ferries.

He said the money would better be spent on the buying of land and the building of 100 pre-fabricated homes in a cluster arrangement for Bermudians to be able to rent at affordable rates.

"The Government were elected on the platform that they would `Make it Happen','' Sen. Swan said. "This recent budget has shown that they are not living up to that promise.'' "I say that that ferry budget could have been transformed into a hundred affordable homes.'' "There is a demand for affordable housing and they haven't delivered on the promise they made to the people when they were elected.'' Opposition Senator Maxwell Burgess accused Government of contradicting its own espoused tough stance on drugs.

He referred to recent changes in the customs department which saw financial support for the yacht reporting centre reduced and the taking away of 24 hour surveillance by customs officers on cruise ship gangplanks.

"I pay respect to those who work on the front line of customs,'' he said, "but Government just doesn't seem to get it.'' "The set-up looks almost designed to ensure that customs fails in its interdiction of drugs.'' Sen. Burgess said he felt Government's reduction of the funds allocated to the yacht reporting centre in St. George's by $58,000 was unacceptable because "that place is essential in the overall efforts to interdict drugs''.

And he attacked the recent budget for introducing a five per cent cut on spending for the customs department, a development which will mean customs officers will no longer be on duty 24 hours a day to search passengers at cruise ship gangplanks.

"Cruise ships are one way that we know large amounts of drugs are coming into the Island,'' he said. "Now we see a change from the 24 hour surveillance of gangplanks to a scheme where Police officers will only be on the scene at certain periods.