Legislation giving Bermudians the option of UK passports, enabling them to live and work in Britain and Europe, may not be passed until 2002 -- or even later.

The Foreign Office in London yesterday confirmed that they and Home Office officials were anxious to drive a bill to offer full UK citizenship forward as soon as possible but added that "it is in a queue and there is a lot of business to get through''.

And a spokeswoman confirmed that there are no guarantees that the bill will be passed before the next UK General Election -- which has to be called by the end of next year.

"We are pressurising for it to be passed as quickly as possible,'' she said.

"But it is in a queue and there is a lot of business to get through.

"We are waiting for a slot in the Parliamentary calendar but it is choc-a-block at the moment. If we can't get it within the next session then we will pressure for it to go in the next period.

"We are not saying it will be left until after the next election. We hope to get it passed before then.'' However, the spokesman added that the bill was vying with a multitude of other legislation and bills such as that could often be bumped down the list by emergency legislation.

The news comes after a Bermuda delegation went to the British Virgin Islands for a two-day workshop about the proposals.

Taking part were Deputy Governor Tim Gurney, Attorney General Lois Browne Evans MP, Labour and Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Robert Horton, Chief Immigration Officer Martin Brewer and Leighton Rochester of the Attorney General's Chambers.

And yesterday a Government spokesman explained that the summit did not involve discussions about policy but was more of a brainstorming for technical officers.

He said: "It was to help the UK Government decide how, and even when, they decide to start the process of giving Overseas Territories UK citizenship, how it will work from a participation standpoint.'' He added that there had not been an official Bermuda Government press release on the trip.

Baroness Patricia Scotland, UK Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said the make-up of the legislation would allow each territory to become a "gatekeeper'' to those applying for status.

The onus would be on individuals to establish their status and then apply to become a British citizen.

Opposition Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt hit out at the Government for what he said was inactivity on the issue.

Citizenship legislation faces possible delay He questioned why several members of the Government had gone to the Labour Party Conference in Britain last year, if they now could not use their "contacts'' to speed up the legislation.

"I think the window is closing all the time,'' he said.

And he criticised the lack of news released on the trip to the British Virgin Islands.

"Telling people is a common courtesy, when it is taxpayers' money being spent we have to be told,'' he said.

Mr. Barritt said there was a duty to inform people, certainly after the visit, if not during, of their activities.