when a PLP Senator criticised the lack of options available for youth during the summer months.

Opposition Senator Neletha Butterfield expressed her concerns during the Senate's motion to adjourn.

"There's a lot of crime being committed by teenagers, and I'm concerned about what is happening to that age group over the summer,'' she said.

Sen. Butterfield said Government summer camp programmes were problematic because they only lasted for five weeks.

She suggested that other buildings, such as church halls, needed to be used instead of school facilities to extend the length of summer programmes.

And she urged Government to provide funding for youth who wanted and needed to be involved with a summertime activity.

"The children we need to have in these camps are the ones who are from families who can't afford them,'' Sen. Butterfield said.

"I'm asking the Ministry to research what can be done from June to September to keep young people off the streets.'' Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Yvette Swan responded to Sen.

Butterfield by telling the Senate about a new Government camp.

Sen. Swan said the new camp, which is available for older children, is a cultural camp where youth will learn crafts and traditional Bermudian cookery.

Opposition Senate Leader Milton Scott said he had a "different view'' of what young people should do during the summer months, and advocated "work, work, and more work''.

And he said: "It's crucial to their development for the parents of 13 and 14-year-olds to get them a job ... it gives them a better understanding of the real world.'' And he said a national employment scheme should be established for the summer.

But Government Senator Allan Marshall said youth needed to spend less energy in the work force and more energy in their studies.