Youth, Sport and Recreation.

And both Government and Opposition have praised Bermuda's sporting stars, in spite of the lack of facilities at home.

The Progressive Labour Party believes more than the budgeted $4,511,000 should be spent on young people.

Minister of Youth, Sport and Recreation the Hon. Pamela Gordon said: "Bermuda's youth are important to this Country. The programmes we are carrying out prove they are an integral part of the community.'' Ms Gordon then ran through her Ministry's successes over the past year including the building of the new playground at Shelly Bay, the first part of the commitment to provide a playground in each parish. The Ministry provided $9,000 to pay for duty on the equipment.

She also mentioned the $30,000 spent on a tennis court for the whole community at HMS Malabar.

The Summer Day Camp programme has been extended from five to eight days and now runs until the evening when parents finish work. She said more and more students had been used on the scheme and the more parents who subscribe to the scheme will mean more students can be employed.

Ms Gordon said school teachers on the summer scheme have decreased in numbers and they deserved a break from working long periods with children during term time.

She said: "1,300 young people a day participate in these programmes. An increase in expenditure of 43 percent is basically because we recognise the problem of latch-key children.

"Parents can now go and collect their children from a safe haven without worrying about them.'' The safe haven theme continued to the after-school programme which means children are looked after until they are picked up by their parents. She said: "Our programme is fuelled by a need. If we get more children we will get more funds.'' Ms Gordon praised initiatives like the Sports Awards Programme and the School's Quiz for putting their achievements in the spotlight.

Concerning the trustees for the National Stadium, Ms Gordon asked if she could put some matters straight.

She said the trustees were appointed to raise funds to see to the completion of the National Sports Centre. But the Minister has the power to revoke any decisions made by the trustees if they were not in the public interest.

She said: "It is very clear and obvious that there is an amount of accountability to this body. It is not an autonomous body.'' The $220,000 allocated to the stadium was in no way meant to go to the trustees according to the Minister. Capital costs for last year were to be added to this year's estimates which meant $1,700,000 earmarked for the stadium.

Special mobile units have been transported to the National Stadium providing changing rooms, lockers, showers and toilets for athletes on a temporary basis.

Ms Gordon said: "When the National Stadium changing facilities are completed these mobile rooms will then be available for use at other events.'' But the Minister added that the facilities had not prevented athletes from competing for Bermuda at the highest levels, like Brian Wellman and the cricket and soccer teams.

She said: "They have always done well without the toilets at the National Stadium -- they did not need `to go.' Where there's a will there's way. If it's in their heart they will do well.'' Turning back to young people, Ms Gordon said: "If any message gets through to young people it should be that there is a place for them. We will make sure they get a chance to be part of the community.'' Shadow Minister of Youth, Sport and Recreation Dr. Ewart Brown said his formula was backed by all the young people on the Island.

Dr. Brown pointed out that many athletes had gone abroad to train at the expense of themselves or their families. He said it was misleading to say they had received Government support.

Picking up on a moment when the Minister had become tongue-tied and used the word "compromised'' instead of "comprised,'' Dr. Brown said: "The government is compromised. that is exactly what the problem is. Government has lost its vision.'' Dr. Brown said only 1.1 percent of the National Budget was spent on the Ministry. He said: "That is not enough. $4,500,000 is not enough if the youth of this Country is such a challenge or a problem.'' He slammed the Minister of Finance for speaking in derogatory terms of the Caribbean islands he should look at how much those islands spend on sport and youth. He said: "If they had not done that many of us would not have been taking great delight at the colonial people beating the underwear off England at cricket.'' He claimed the name National Stadium was a misnomer. He said: "It is a grave disappointment. The National Stadium is a symbol of national pride, but the vision that was once so focussed and clear is now blurred.'' The Shadow Minister demanded that the trustees provide a schedule and an artist's impression of the planned stadium.

He said one sign of the failure in Bermuda was the fact that the CARIFTA Games have not been held here since 1979.

Dr. Brown said: "We are embarrassed because we have no toilets at the stadium. The stadium could have been used for the Queen's visit but what would have happened if one of her entourage wanted to use the bathroom.

"My suggestion is that we stop the dilly-dallying and treat this as a national project, or are we just going to leave it alone and call it the UBP Monument to Sport.'' Dr. Brown believes that, as the third richest country in the world, Bermuda should pump more money into sport and youth.

He said: "The budget for youth, sport and recreation is not $4.5 million it is $44.5 million. That extra $40 million is a commitment to the prison and that is a facility which they see as a commitment to youth. Ten times more money is spent on the prison than on young people.'' Mr. Tim Smith (UBP) said earlier accusations that women were not on the board of trustees for the National Stadium were unfounded because the trustees had to report to the Minister, who is a woman.

Mr. Smith said the $4.5 million was more like $71 million when one took into account everything that was being spent on young people through various ministries like health and education.

He praised youth TV programmes likes Learnalots and Fast Forward which helped the community.

He stressed the need for drug education in schools and in areas of youth, like community centres.

Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome called on better opportunities for swimmers in Bermuda.

He said: "Some of the swimmers on North Shore could compete with some of the best swimmers in the world.'' Concerning the proposed improvements to the sailing centre in St. George's he asked for more help form established clubs to provide sailing lessons to young people.

Mr. Bascome said he was pleased to see basketball developing as a sport but asked why boxing is not better catered for. He said: "Bermuda has an Olympic medal at boxing but we have no facilities for boxing.'' He said he believed boxing would help to get rid of aggressive tendencies in young people.

Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation Ministry responsibility: "To promote and support leisure and sporting activities in Bermuda.'' Budget estimate: $4,511,000 (last year $4,149,000) Administration and Sports Development $1,270,000 Sports and Recreation, Stadia and Areas $612,000 Aquatics $134,000 Youth clubs $474,000 Camping $646,000 Summer Activities $482,000 After School Care $895,000 Revenue $678,000.