Finance Ministers past and present exchanged bitter words at the end of a four-hour debate on Government's most money-spinning department yesterday.

Eugene Cox accused his predecessor Grant Gibbons of spouting "errant nonsense'' in a row over the Superannuation Fund, the civil servants' pension scheme. And he said he had no chance to answer "about 50 questions'' from Dr.

Gibbons, having been given just three minutes to close the debate.

The pair -- elder statesman Mr. Cox, 70, and 46-year-old Dr. Gibbons, Finance Minister for five years -- went head to head in a marathon debate on Government's most profitable accounts.

The House of Assembly heard how Finance Ministry departments will provide Government chiefs with 85 percent of their incoming cash in the next financial year.

That represents a chunk of $467 million -- $221 million of which will come in tax, $167 million in Customs duties and $42 million in registering international businesses.

Mr. Cox presented each department's balance sheet in a two-hour speech, sitting to give his opposite number Dr. Gibbons a chance to ask questions.

Dr. Gibbons reeled off a long list -- finally stepping aside with 30 minutes to go. But after Delaey Robinson, Allan Marshall and David Dodwell had all chipped in, the Finance Minister was left with just three minutes left on the clock.

And he imediately launched into an attack on Dr. Gibbons, who asked when the new Minister would begin an "extraordinary infusion of funds'' into the Superannuation pension.

Dr. Gibbons had said Mr. Cox once spoke of how the fund had been neglected, needing the "extraordinary infusion'' of cash.

And the former Finance Minister warned the pot would soon fall into trouble, with its controllers in the Accountant General's office spending $3 million more than they are bringing in every year.

But a fiery Mr. Cox said: "The former minister is expecting me to do in four months what he hasn't done since 1993.

"Sir David Gibbons and Dr. Clarence James dipped into that fund ten, 15, 20 years earlier. The previous Government has taken no steps to replenish it.

"That's errant nonsense. Errant nonsense.'' Dr. Gibbons called a point of order as the House became heated, saying he merely asked for an explanation of Mr. Cox's plans for the fund.

Mr. Cox began the debate saying an extra $175,000 had been set aside to develop e-commerce, or internet business. He said debt collection and Ministry computer systems were being improved.

And he said the Post Office would contribute $0.25 million less to Government funds in the year ahead because of declining tourism.

Mr. Cox said the entire ministry would be able to comply with the Y2K computer bug by July this year.

But he warned the start of the National Pensions Scheme had been pushed back six months to January 1, 2000, although $490,000 had been earmarked for a commission to implement the payment fund, starting in July.

Dr. Gibbons asked Mr. Cox to explain why the new Government had still not extended tax guarantees for exempt firms to 2020, instead of 2016, as pledged in the PLP manifesto.

And he asked why the BMA was expected to show no profit in the year starting in April, when it was $800,000 in the black last year.

More House of Assembly coverage on Page 3&4