introduction of a register of interests moved a step closer yesterday.

Last year UBP backbench MP Trevor Moniz headed a select committee to investigate the possibility of setting up a register.

Its report, which recommends a register, was debated yesterday by MPs who agreed to send it to a Standing Joint Parliamentary Committee to work out the rules and how to implement them.

"The main thrust is to increase the confidence of the public in their MPs and Senators,'' said Mr. Moniz.

According to Mr. Moniz, the committee would investigate complaints from other MPs or members of the public and would try and resolve them in private first, before resorting to the House of Assembly.

"The committee would have an inquiry in private and it could report to the House or Senate if the matter was not cleared up,'' he said.

"The committee would not be there to punish, it would look into things in private and nip in the bud any allegations that were made.

"This is just a first step and there is still a lot of work to be done.'' The Select Committee looked at other countries including Britain, Canada, the Isle of Man and Trinidad and Tobago to examine their policies.

Their report recommended that MPs should declare interests including directorships, employment, clients, sponsorship, gifts and shareholdings.

It said the register should cover the House of Assembly and the Senate, that the Committee establish the register's rules and that the Clerk to the House should become the registrar for the register.

It also recommended that a Code of Conduct be drawn up for Cabinet Ministers setting out guidelines and restrictions as to their outside interests.

Yesterday UBP backbench MP Maxwell Burgess said he was in favour of a register of interests, but said the focus had to be on the Cabinet, which held the purse strings.

He said it was important for Cabinet Ministers to declare an interest in companies doing business with Government and suggested backbenchers do the same.

Mr. Burgess also suggested that it would not stop perceptions or rumours but insisted: "There is no doubt that we enjoy good, clean Government.'' Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness said Parliament had never had a problem with conflicts of interest.

He said there were items in the report he did not agree with, including classifying a "registerable interest''. He also suggested that the Speaker of the House should be the register's registrar rather than the Clerk.

Mr. Edness added that as part-time politicians, MPs often had to make their living outside politics through such jobs as directorships.

"These sort of things have to be registered, but not prevented. It is going to be very difficult for some members to survive if sources of income are taken away.

"We must have the freedom to earn income elsewhere because we are part-time,'' said Mr. Edness, who said he believed Cabinet members should be governed by more stringent rules and regulations.

Government Whip Rick Spurling , who was a member of the select committee, said allegations were made by the media and public and there were perceptions that "politicians are even worse than lawyers''.

"This register is designed to alleviate some of those concerns. It will not solve all the problems, but it will deal with some of the problems.

"It is not enough by itself and what we must remember is that we must always be vigilant.'' Minister of Information and Technology John Barritt told the House the guiding principle behind the registry of interests should be full disclosure, not only of assets, but of liabilities as well.

He also backed Mr. Edness' proposal that the register should be managed by the Speaker of the House.

"To whom is it going to be available; is it going to be like reading my diary, open for public view,'' he asked.

Mr. Barritt concluded he was willing to go along with the register because, like Caesar's wife: "you not only have to be pure, but seen to be pure.'' Premier Pamela Gordon told members that a Ministerial code of conduct governing the acceptance and possession of gifts, gifts of hospitality, as well as business interests has been in existence for at least 20 years.

Serious infringement of that code could result in a loss of office, she said.

The code states a Minister travelling on Government business may keep any personalised gift valued at less than $100, but must declare all gifts more than $100, gifts of hospitality, as well as all stocks and shares or directorships of businesses vying for Government work.

"This is a clear indication that there has been a very stringent code of conduct for the past 20 years, and the UBP Government has stringently followed it,'' she said.

Shadow Finance Minister Eugene Cox took issue with the addition of a sixth appendix tacked to the back of the report and stressed he had not agreed to it when he -- as a member the Select Committee -- signed the report.

He also took issue over the word "recommend'' being used in the appendix, as opposed to the words "strongly support,'' which he had agreed to in the report.

Renee Webb (PLP), while accepting the premise and need for the registry, savaged Government for allowing David Dodwell , who owns a hotel, to be the Minister of Tourism while Wayne Furbert -- who has interests in the transportation sector -- carried on as Minister of Transport.

It was obvious, said Ms Webb, that the Ministerial Code of Conduct was not being adhered to, so how could one expect the registry of interests to be upheld? While conceding the report's good intentions, Ms Webb also took issue with one of the report's recommendations that the registry have the power to summon a member's personal records and papers: "Who's on trial here,'' she asked.

Youth and Sport Minister David Dyer said the additional appendix was only meant to be a precis of how other jurisdictions dealt with the issue of conflict of interest.

"We had no intention to slight anyone. It was only to allow for an open and clear record,'' he explained.

All members must be seen to be providing leadership and integrity, said Trevor Woolridge (PLP).

Minister of Health Clarence Terceira agreed, saying it appeared the registry had wide support in the House and perhaps it was time to go back and re-examine issues such as trusts.

Adding a historical perspective to the debate, Lois Browne Evans (PLP) said the question of conflict of interest had never been brought up when "Front Street and the yacht clubs ran the House''.

It was only when the PLP arrived on the scene that talk of conflict of interest made its way into the lower House, she declared.

"We would not be debating a register of interests if it were not for the PLP; this is bringing us into the 20th Century,'' she said.

Picking up from Ms Webb, Mrs. Browne Evans added: "A higher standard is expected from those who hold power.

"Did I think, 20 or 30 years later, we'd be so bankrupt that we'd appoint the member from Southampton West (Mr. Dodwell) -- in what appears to be such an obvious conflict of interest,'' she said.

Mrs. Browne Evans said it was perhaps time Bermuda had a full-time Cabinet, "instead of Ministers running in and out of their private business''.

Deputy Premier Jerome Dill said the PLP had claimed Cabinet's conduct should be under scrutiny.

But, added Mr. Dill, all members of the House had a responsibility to the electorate.

"If the PLP are so committed to having a Register of Interests why haven't they brought a motion forward themselves?'' Mr. Dill said the House had heard a lot of "nonsense'' from the Opposition benches about a Register.

"If the Opposition supported it in principle I look forward to them voting in favour.'' Mr. Dill said the PLP had claimed Tourism Minister David Dodwell was guilty of a conflict of interest because he owned a hotel.

But it was "nonsense'' for the PLP to make such a charge when Opposition member Walter Roberts spoke for Tourism while owning a hotel.

Mr. Dill went on to stress the debate was on a Register of Interests, not a Register of Conflicts of Interests.

Opposition MP Ottiwell Simmons said Government had a special responsibility -- because it could exercise power and spend taxpayers' money.

This contrasted with the Opposition.

"We cannot spend money or make any decisions that are going to put us in a position to have conflicts of interest.'' Mr. Simmons said it was the PLP's view that there should be some sort of ethical code of conduct to govern Government Ministers and members of the House.

Nobody should use their position in the House to pursue their own business interests, he added.

Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen said conflicts of interest were a running sore on the political landscape.

He said Cabinet Ministers, because they wielded power and spent taxpayers' money, should be subject to a different level of accountability.

Shadow Ministers, however, could not spend one dime of public money.

"I can't licence one cruise ship...I cannot bring legislation to urge recognition of free collective bargaining...'' Mr. Allen said members of a PLP Government would "divest'' themselves of any semblance of a conflict of interest.

He added: "I think if this Government wants to have any credibility it has to address these concerns.'' There needed to be a tightening up of procedures to prevent "corruption or pseudo-corruption'', he said.

Mr. Dodwell said the Government side agreed in principle to having a Register of Interests. The only question was how it was to be set up.

He added Bermuda had an enviable reputation for being clean.

And the UBP Government would not continually be returned to power by the electorate if it was as bad as the Opposition painted.

Mr. Dodwell said the PLP should realise all 40 members of the House had responsibility.

"The buck does not stop at Cabinet.'' He added: "It is not forbidden to have conflicts of interest. It is forbidden not to declare them.'' Mr. Dodwell said there was nothing wrong with UBP members having professional interests outside the House.

And it was this type of experience covering a broad cross-section of the community that led to the UBP being continually reelected.

"If you can't have people who don't have experience, something is going wrong.'' Mr. Dodwell said it was wrong for PLP members to "throw stones in glass houses''.

For instance, Mr. Simmons used to speak for his members when he was president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, he claimed.

Mr. Roberts said it was ridiculous for Mr. Dodwell to suggest there was no problem with having conflicts of interest.

Anybody with a conflict of interest should absent himself from his particular portfolio, said Mr. Roberts.

Mr. Roberts answered UBP criticism that he spoke for Tourism while owning a hotel.

He said as an Opposition member he could not spend taxpayers' money.

Nevertheless, he added, his party felt it wise that he be removed from that portfolio to avoid any perception of a conflict.

Wrapping up the debate, Mr. Moniz said some MPs had strayed from the subject and engaged in trading accusations.

He hoped the Register of Interests would be embraced by MPs from both parties.

The report received the unanimous backing of the House.