lawyers is promised in the next few weeks.

Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister hopes the new deal will entice Bermudians to stay as prosecutors and in the Attorney General's Department and to go on to become judges.

The issue came under the spotlight when Justice Denis Mitchell quit the high-stakes Thyssen case after slamming low salaries -- an issue he said was supposed to have been addressed back in 1999.

And he said: "Did it ever occur to you why there are no Bermudians in the High Court? They are grossly underpaid in the first place.'' Currently judges earn $117,227 a year while prosecutors earn around $100,000, but for lawyers in private practice the rewards can be far higher.

Mr. Lister admitted the review started "some time ago''.

But he said research had been carried out in overseas jurisdictions to provide useful comparisons while local lawyers had also chipped in with ideas.

He admitted the current salaries were not attracting locals as most lawyers who stayed in the Attorney General's chambers were on work permits.

"Something is not working, quite clearly, when all the judges are non-Bermudians.

"We are looking at the salaries, but also the whole package.'' He said the new court building in Court Street, Hamilton, would address concerns about judges' safety as they left and entered the building.

He said salaries would go up, but he stressed other measures would also boost job satisfaction.

He said: "Each individual item might not be particularly significant but when put together will be a better set of work conditions for the judiciary and the Attorney General's department.'' AGAPE SET TO RE-OPEN GVT HTH Agape set to re-open Health Minister Nelson Bascome said Agape House would be re-opening later this week after an MRSA infection was found among staff last week.

But Mr. Bascome called on Bermuda residents not to be alarmed and said closing the hospice was an "extra precaution''.

The infection, called Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), poses serious risks to the sickest of patients and two weeks ago, the infection forced King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) to quarantine Gordon Ward.

However, the virus is commonly found in large medical institutions in the US and UK, said Mr. Bascome.

KEMH acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Wilbert Warner said large hospitals are "colonised'' with MRSA. Mr. Bascome said: "While it is a little costly (to close Agape), we believe in extending that added protection in a setting such as a hospital.

"We want people to know we are just taking that extra precaution. We're being extra careful.'' The Agape House hospice for the terminally ill, underwent an extensive sanitising programme last week, including a process called terminal cleaning and staff treatment for MSRA.

CONCERNS RAISED CLB Concerns raised Residents of Smith's Parish met at Whitney Institute last night to voice their concerns about everything from scholarships to street lighting.

The meeting was held by the Parish Council, which is chaired by Lee Hall.

About 25 parishoners attended, including United Bermuda Party MPs Allan Marshall and Cole Simons as well as PLP senator Patrice Parris.

It was the first public meeting for the Council which was formed over a year ago when Minister of Health and Family Services, Nelson Bascome reintroduced parish councils after being redundant for almost twenty years.

Topics of concern included the junction of Collectors Hill with South Road which some felt was an "accident waiting to happen.'' Calls also went out for improved facilities at John Smith's Bay, and the need for facilities at the community field on Somersall Road.

Concerns were raised about street lighting and bus lay-bys and a proposal for a Parish Council Scholarship was also made.