Health surpassed all other Government ministries and received the highest increase in the Budget this year.

The Ministry saw an increase of more than $5 million, as the Finance Minister committed funds to a host of new programmes which aim to combat several major social problems plaguing the Island including housing, child abuse and drug abuse.

The Ministry's budget also saw a significant cut to the increase asked for by the National Drug Commission.

Half a million dollars was slashed off that budget as a penalty for the delay in the materialisation of the Drug Court.

NDC chief executive Derrick Binns seemed unfazed by the news, saying his department was still able to secure a significant increase of close to half a million dollars. Last year the NDC was given an increase of $1.35 million specifically to implement the drug court.

In dollar terms, the hospitals saw the largest increase of any department in the Ministry, with close to $3 million added to its current account budget.

The money will be used to increase subsidies for in patient care for the aged, indigent, geriatric and youth at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

While in-patient subsidies will increase, there was a reduction in the subsidy for out-patients needing dialysis and pharmaceuticals.

Almost $1 million has been allocated for use at St. Brendan's with the decision to have a resident psychiatric doctor to support child care and for staffing for the detoxification unit of the planned drugs court.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox noted: "Staffing costs for the in-patient detoxification unit at St. Brendan's to service the drugs court will total $385,000.

"Consistent with our concern for children is the provision of $68,000 for a resident psychiatric doctor to support child care as well as to work with substance abusers.'' In preparation for the influx of children possibly needed to be brought into care with the advent of the Children's Act, $73,000 has been earmarked for the foster care programme in the department of Social Services.

"We did a projection, a `guesstimate' on the number of new cases we will have as a result of the implementation of the Children's Act,'' said director of child and family services, Luelle Todd.

"We expect that there will be increases in the number of children who may need to come into protective care, especially as there is now mandatory reporting,'' she added.

On the housing front the Finance Minister noted plans to increase the grant to the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

"The Bermuda Housing Corporation will receive an increase in their in their grant of $461,000 toward the operation of their `100 houses project',''said Mr. Cox.

"This increase will be used to help finance the cost of renovating and constructing housing units until rental income begins to flow in to replace the Government funding,'' he continued, "and to aid those tenants who are unable to afford market level rents.'' Provision was also made for 12 prison officers and four case workers. Prisons Commissioner Edward Dyer explained the full complement of prison officers are already in the department.

"We do have the 12 officers, they were hired as temporary workers but will now be retained as permanent,'' he said, "and we have three of the four case workers needed.'' This year's budget also contains a special $250,000 grant for the Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association.

The money, according to Mr. Cox, was allocated to "assist that organisation to give help to Bermudians in emergency situations''.

The Ministry will also realise a significant saving of $239,000 as the methadone treatment programme moves from Addiction Services on Victoria Street, to Turning Point at St. Brendan's.

Unfazed: NDC chief executive Derrick Binns.

Winner: Health Minister Nelson Bascome.

CHART ESTIMATE EXPENDITURE 2000 1 IN BD$ MILLIONS*