the job of taking over operation of the Civil Air Terminal.

A Senate/House Conference committee has said no Department of Defence funds are to be spent on the St. David's Base after September 1, 1995.

Secretary of Defence Mr. Les Aspin is to prepare a plan for the Navy's pull-out by March 1.

Although it was not included in a news release from Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Mr. Sam Nunn, the agreement also says the Navy is to be reimbursed for any services it provides after the pull-out date.

At the Airport, services the Navy provides include air traffic control, fire service, air-sea rescue and weather forecasting.

"We've done some preliminary studies,'' Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman told The Royal Gazette yesterday. "We know the numbers the Navy is using,'' although what Bermuda would need "may be more, or may be less''.

A meeting with USNAS Bermuda Commanding Officer Capt. Timothy Bryan was tentatively set for Monday.

Mr. Pearman would not say about how many people would be needed, or about how much it was expected the Airport operations would cost.

But the agreement reached between the Senate and House of Representatives armed services committees included some "option opportunities'' for the Island, Mr. Pearman said.

While no Department of Defence funds were to be spent on the Base after September of 1995, funds could come from other sources than the Bermuda Government. For example, "it doesn't say that NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) will not'' contribute funds.

The agreement "offers some opportunities to negotiate some things,'' and it was possible NATO would want to fund some Airport operations for its own purposes.

NATO recently invested $32 million for a new taxiway, hangar, and avionics facility at the Base. But with the end of the Soviet threat, the Western military pact is also reportedly facing financial constraints.

The pull-out could also "conceivably'' mean good jobs for Bermudians, Mr.

Pearman said. "It needn't all be looked at from the point of view that we have to find x, y, or z to do these things,'' he said.

Capt. Bryan said the provision for Navy involvement after September of 1995 meant "it is not a done deal''.

"I don't know that anything is clarified, except for the fact that Congress has decided not to pay for this place after September of 1995,'' Capt. Bryan said. "You could still see the Navy and others continue operations, as long as someone else is paying for it.'' NATO owned property at the Base and had "a vested interest'' there, he said.

Capt. Bryan said he would continue to implement a downsizing plan at the Base and expected to be involved in preparing the pull-out plan. The time frame given appeared about right to train other Airport operators, he added.

Mr. Peter Steffes, a House Armed Services Committee staffer, confirmed there was language in the agreement that allowed for Navy presence after September of 1995, provided others paid the bill.

But an indefinite contracting out of Navy services was not envisioned, he said. The clause was intended to provide for reimbursement in case "the almost two years was not enough,'' and Navy personnel or equipment was needed while training was completed after September of 1995.

"I quite frankly do not think there would be any need to use that provision,'' Mr. Steffes said.