Bermuda is plagued by racism and under siege from drugs -- but Government is failing to find the funds to combat the evils.

The charge was levelled in the House of Assembly yesterday by Shadow Human Affairs Minister Miss Renee Webb .

"I think it is unfortunate that when the Country is riddled with violence as a result of drug usage, and at a time when there is alienation of black males, that Government does not see fit to put more funds to the massive task of attacking racism and drugs.'' Her attack came during the debate on the Budget estimates for the Ministry of Human Affairs and Information.

MPs heard Government had allocated $1,039,000 and $30,000 for the drug commission and race relations respectively.

Neither sums were an increase on the previous year's allocation.

Miss Webb also tore into Government for allegedly ignoring the needs of women.

In St. Kitts, said Miss Webb, there was a Ministry of Women's Affairs.

"Women are very important in society, and we deserve our just place in society.'' Human Affairs Minister the Hon. Jerome Dill , however, painted a very different picture of Government efforts.

He said moves were under way to boost representation of non-Europeans in Bermuda's 11 museums.

This followed a study which showed displays had a very "Eurocentric'' slant.

Mr. Dill also said there were proposals to make necessary changes to the manpower survey to get figures on race in the workplace.

Elsewhere in his presentation Mr. Dill said examples of Governments achievements were: Producing a White Paper on eliminating racism; Plans to set up the Commission of Unity and Racial Equality (CURE), which would be Government's arm in combating racism; Organising a forum last August highlighting to young people the significance of positive role models; Amending the Human Rights Commission, giving it additional powers, such as being able to launch investigations; and Working in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce to launch a "career track'' programme to boost the job prospects of young people in an increasingly competitive world.

Mr. Dill began by concentrating on Government Information Services (GIS).

He pointed out the department had 15 employees, and was totally Bermudianised.

On Human Affairs, Mr. Dill spoke of the constantly evolving role of the parish councils.

Parish councils which grew out of parish vestries previously had such powers as disseminating social assistance.

The work of the councils was in a state of flux, and Mr. Dill said he planned to come to the House to outline a defined role for them.

Mr. Dill admitted on the face of it $30,000 did not appear a lot to allocate for race relations.

But this was misleading, because Government was fighting racism on many fronts.

Turning to alleged achievements last year, Mr. Dill said the CURE legislation stood out.

He said no specific funds had been earmarked for the commission, but Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul had promised to provide a supplementary appropriation for it.

Mr. Dill said the commission would be designed similarly to the Human Rights Commission.

"It will have the same organisational structure with a chairman and commissioners.'' He added CURE would be the Government arm in the fight against racism.

It would go into schools, businesses and unions in a bid to educate and enhance understanding of race relations.

Mr. Dill said Government was committed to a multi-cultural school curriculum, as shown by the Dr. Eva Hodgson textbook survey.

He also said a study had been carried out on the Island's museums.

This showed that less than ten percent of the exhibits represented people of non-European descent.

It was proposed to correct the imbalance, without rewriting history, Mr. Dill said.

"We are not about to move in wholesale and change exhibits,'' he stressed, adding Bermuda's colonial past needed to be memorialised.

Government was in partnership with the owners and operators of museums to see what could be done.

Mr. Dill went on to spotlight some of the objectives of the Human Rights Commission.

These were to continue its education scheme, reactivate its radio programme, provide information brochures, and carry on working with Amnesty International.

Mr. Dill said the commission last year had received 695 complaints, 80 of which it looked into.

Forty out of these 80 complaints related to race and ethnicity, he explained.

On drugs, Mr. Dill pointed out Benedict Associates were assisting Addiction Services in restructuring the programme to make it more effective.

He added the National Drugs Commission (NDC) had funded treatment overseas of people with severe chemical dependency problems.

Miss Webb immediately took Government to task over its funding.

She said the funding for Mr. Dill's Ministry was just 0.6 of one percent of the entire Budget -- proportionately down on last year.

"Government has seen fit to reduce funding this year. We on this side of the House believe the eradication of racial discrimination and substance abuse are the biggest challenges facing Bermuda today.'' How could Government allocate just $3 million to the Ministry, when it had pumped $100 million into a mass burn incinerator, $60 million into a prison, and $100 million-plus into a mega school which nobody wanted? Webb: Ministry underfunded From Page 4 Miss Webb said unless Government beefed up the Ministry's budget and demonstrated its seriousness in tackling violence -- which was linked to drugs -- then Bermuda would no longer be the Country it was.

She urged Government in future to reconsider its funding.

Miss Webb agreed with Mr. Dill that Government Information Services was doing a good job.

But she called for a central body for disseminating information.

The Judge Tumim report had recommended a Government bookstore -- but perhaps GIS could be extended to include an area where information could be centrally located, she said.

Miss Webb went on to say Addiction Services should come under the Human Affairs and Information Ministry, and not Health and Social Services.

Addiction Services, after all, was dealing with the treatment of drug addicts.

Miss Webb also demanded to know what had happened to the Dr. Garth Martin report on Addiction Services.

This report was prepared in March 1993 and cost thousands of dollars.

If Government had implemented some of Dr. Martin's recommendations then, perhaps, Addiction Services would not be in the mess it was in today, Miss Webb asserted.

She pointed out the Dr. Martin report had been critical of Addiction Services, saying it lacked resources and was not as effective as it should be.

Miss Webb said she noted Mr. Dill's claim that the National Drugs Commission had funded overseas treatment of drug addicts.

But how many had gone overseas, and what programmes were they being sent to? According to an article in the New York Times, the success rate of alcohol and substance abuse treatment programmes was poor, said Miss Webb.

A survey showed only one in eight people were cured.

Miss Webb went on to applaud the efforts of the present chairman of the NDC Mr. Mansfield Brock.

He was doing a sterling job, and the commission was far more effective under him than it was with Mr. Alastair Macdonald at the helm.

Mr. Macdonald had adopted a very dictatorial approach.

Turning to race relations, Miss Webb said the Budget allocation of $30,000 appeared to be a "cruel joke.'' It did not even amount to the sum provided for the Yachting Club.

Miss Webb then savaged Government for not doing enough for women, who were a mere "after-thought'' in official thinking.

"Women should be given a position in the forefront of fighting discrimination.'' More, too, should be done for the physically challenged.

Efforts must be redoubled in making buildings more accessible for these people in the community.

Ministry of Human Affairs and Information, 1995/96 estimates Ministry responsibility: "To establish systems and policies to monitor and improve race relations, to facilitate the national drug commission's objectives and to involve parish councils in programmes. To promote public awareness of Government activities and provide a printing advisory service to departments.'' Budget estimate:$2,911,000 (last year $2,875,000) Budget allocation Information Services $1,165,000 Human Affairs $1,746,000