A massive review of the Civil Service will not result in mass redundancies, Premier Jennifer Smith pledged yesterday.

"I wish to state unequivocally, as I have since this initiative began, that the review will not result in the loss of any Civil Service jobs due to redundancies, firings and lay-offs,'' she said.

But Ms Smith did not mention natural wastage -- the non-replacement of workers who retire or quit -- a common method used to cut employees in the UK public sector.

And she insisted that the leaked review by UK experts from the Civil Service College -- which will continue next week -- will be carried in consultation with Civil Service union, the Bermuda Public Services Association.

But last night Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon persisted that Ms Smith had been "economical with the truth''.

And she questioned the point of the review if the promise was to "cut out pockets of sloppiness'', -- but combined with a pledge of no redundancies.

Ms Smith spoke out five days after the secret review document was leaked to the Press.

And she denied Opposition claims that she misled the people of Bermuda and MPs over cuts in the number of MPs and the size of Cabinet -- from 13 Ministers to just eight, in charge of combined Ministries, according to the review recommendations.

She said she had been asked by Opposition Legislative Affairs spokesman John Barritt if any "recommendations had been made on certain constitutional matters''.

Ms Smith said: "My reply -- which I stand by -- was that constitutional matters were not within the scope of their terms of reference.'' She insisted the answer remained correct -- and noted The Royal Gazette made the same point in its coverage of the document.

And she added: "The fact that the reviewers made a comment on this matter must be viewed in the context that it was not within their terms of reference.'' No mass redundancies "I neither misled the House of Assembly or the people of Bermuda. The Oppositions allegations that I did so is both scurrilous and untrue.'' And Ms Smith added that the size of Cabinet was a different matter from electoral reform -- and said Opposition claims that it could be used to axe rivals was "pure fantasy''.

And she said it was "political naivete'' to think that "it is automatic that Ministries can change without changing Ministers''.

The review document said it appeared "incontrovertible'' that Bermuda should go from double-seat constituencies to single-seat ones, with more equally-sized electoral areas, while adding the matter was not part of the review.

Ms Gordon hit out, however: "They said it was outside their terms of reference then proceed to make a recommendation, anyway -- this is a clear case of smoke and mirrors. The fact remains she misled the House and the country.

"If it was outside their terms of reference, they should not have gone on to make a comment, particularly in such strong language.'' And Ms Gordon claimed: "What the Premier is now trying to do is find a way out of the fact she misled the country -- it's as clear as day.'' Ms Gordon also stuck to her guns on her claim that Ministerial musical chairs would result from a cut in the size of Cabinet.

She said all Ministers served "at the pleasure of the Premier'' and that the size of Cabinet could also be altered.

But she added: "Thirteen into eight doesn't go -- of course it's automatic.'' Ms Smith -- reading from a prepared statement -- also referred to Ms Gordon admitting she had made a mistake when she said three appointments with the review team to see her had been cancelled.

Ms Gordon later admitted two of the appointments had been with Foreign Office representatives, but insisted a meeting with the review team which she was said to have missed had never been confirmed with her office.

But Ms Smith said: "The leader of the Opposition's `mistake' which recklessly ignored the facts while suggesting that the review did not have widespread input and consultation is evidence of the fact that they are neither interested in the truth nor able to provide a viable alternative to the people of Bermuda.'' But Ms Gordon blasted: "The only mistake made referred specifically to the appointments with the Foreign Office -- not the lack of consultation with the review team. It's another attempt by the Premier to mislead.'' And she added: "The point I made is that -- of the five Ministries which were recommended to be subsumed into other Ministries in the new Cabinet -- I wondered which of the five current Ministers would not serve.''