Prisoners facing a stretch in Westgate are swallowing drugs before being incarcerated to ensure they have an initial supply, Home Affairs Minister David Burch said.

He told the Senate on Monday that steps were being taken to address the trend by the Department of Corrections but he added: "No matter what we do, we are always going to have drugs in prison. Every time we plug a hole, the draw is so powerful, they will find another way."

The Minister, during a debate on this year's Throne Speech, said he was encouraged by the fact that the number of prisoners completing their general education diploma (GED) while in jail has risen in the last couple of years.

"It says to me they are interested in making a difference and making a change in their lives."

Earlier, he gave a statement on a residential facility for substance abusers which is a joint initiative between the Departments of Corrections and National Drug Control.

Sen. Burch described it as a "peer-driven 24-hour living environment in which offenders with similar problems learn to work and live together".

He said the mandatory drug treatment programme was opened last month at the farm facility.

The Minister told the Upper Chamber that his Ministry — which covers prisons, labour, housing, immigration and public safety — did not get a mention in the Throne Speech, mainly because there was little new legislation planned in those areas for the coming year.

Instead, he talked about the economic climate, suggesting that many Bermudians are in a state of denial about the world financial crisis. "We really have to have, I think, a dose of reality," he said.

"While we have fared exceptionally well in comparison to other places, we have felt some of that impact and we are feeling more of it now."

He also talked about FutureCare, the Government's affordable health insurance plan for seniors, describing its phased implementation as having had a "flogging" by critics.

The scheme is currently only open to 3,100 seniors — although it was promised to all those aged 65 and over before the last election by the PLP.

Sen. Burch said promises were often made by political parties in the run-up to elections which were difficult to keep once in government.

"Clearly, the Government has an unwavering commitment to seniors," he said, adding that families also needed to take responsibility for their elderly relatives' needs.

"I think this Government has gone beyond the pale in terms of the provisions of benefits and what have you."

Opposition Senator Jeanne Atherden talked about education, describing the reform of the Island's public schools as going at a snail's pace.

She said she was perplexed by the Throne Speech promise to have more counsellors giving guidance on careers to young people. "I thought it was already there," she said.

She praised the Mirrors programme and said the UBP would like more details on other promises in the Throne Speech, including national service and the tagging of offenders.

Sen. Atherden described drugs as Bermuda's "third industry" and said that the increase in prisoners obtaining GEDs might suggest that offenders were educating themselves in prison in order to reoffend.

She spoke about the economy and predicted that ground would not be broken on any new hotels before the end of the year.

Independent senator Walwyn Hughes questioned the lack of anything to do with crime and safety in the Throne Speech, arguing that it was the public's number one concern at present.

The deputy Senate President said: "Everybody is terribly concerned about this rash of violence, gang on gang violence, and what can be done about it. There is perhaps a tendency to say, on the Government's part, this is out of our hands. The public wants actions."

Speaking on FutureCare, he said the electorate had a legitimate expectation that political promises would be kept. "Perhaps we might learn from this before we make big promises in political speeches before we get the actuarial reports," said Sen. Hughes.

He said the Throne Speech pledge to see an amendment to the Human Rights Act was almost exactly the same as a promise made in the November 2007 speech.

Attorney General Kim Wilson told the Senate that the details of the proposed national service still had to be fleshed out.

She said research in other countries with mandatory service for young people had shown that it helped to instill national pride and a sense of honour and duty of purpose.

She praised plans to give protection to the Island's mangroves, describing them as the most northerly example of mangroves in the Atlantic Ocean. Sen. Wilson said the national parks system was also going to be enhanced.

Sen. Wilson also gave details on proposed changes to the definition of Robbery mentioned in the throne speech, which she said would lead to harsher penalties to those who commit violent robberies.

"Right now, the criminal code does not allow a charge of assault with intent to rob," the Senator said. "The present definition of robbery removes the possibility of violence after the items have been stolen."

She said that in several recent incidents, violence has broken out after the victim attempts to get their items back, leaving prosecutors to charge assault and robbery as two separate charges, resulting in lighter punishments.

She described the reforms to the justice department mentioned in the Throne Speech as a "snap shot," with other amendments including anti-gang legislation, and making it easier for Police to issue stop and search orders.

"Right now they have a 24 hour period they must wait before they can effectively operate," she said.

Sen. Wilson also gave more details regarding possible electronic tagging systems for those on bail, describing three systems that may be adopted.

One possibility included regular phone calls with advanced voice recognition equipment, while the other involved physical tracking devices.

While one of the devices simply notifies authorities if the individual attempts to remove the device or leaved a designated area, the other included GPS tracking.

"It's very, very high tech GPS technology to record where a person is at any time.

"The beauty is that it is all recorded. This is a wonderful tool that we're really excited about."

Also mentioned were the proposed expansion of the number of people who could act as jurors, including those aged 60 to 70, Justices of the peace and in some cases retired Police officers.

Changes to the Liquor License act would require an appropriate ration of security guards to patrons and the ability for Police to shut down those holding seasonal or occasional licenses, such as concert promoters, without needing to get the permission.

Senator Suzann Roberts Holshouser said that she believed Bermuda is suffering out of fear.

"We have a situation where smaller companies are having to cut back staff, cut back hours, cut back days," she said.

The cost of living hasn't dropped, and we haven't seen anywhere how those suffering are going to be helped."

She also called for more assistance for the East End, including government encouragement to move businesses to St. George's and St. David's.

"We need to start looking outside of Hamilton. Government has recently talked about decentralisation of offices.

"They never said they would go as far as the East End, but I hope."

She also called for improved Public transportation in the East end of the Island, including a return of the St. George's Ferry and a misleading St. David's bus schedule.

"The Public Transportation Director told me last week that the schedule shouldn't have been made public," she said. "Some of the buses were only in service on an overtime basis. It was only temporary.

"We've got to be honest, we've got to be clear. If you're going to change the schedule, you need to tell the public."

Senator Holshouser also asked for information of the Child Abuse registry and the Sex Offenders registry, saying: "Is it still a work in progress? How long does it take? Ten years?

"If this register has not been created yet, what are we doing?

"There are a lot of concerns that need to be addressed.

While Senator Walton Brown praised many elements mentioned in the Throne Speech, including the proposed amendments in the Human Rights Act, he expressed frustration at the speed of progress, especially in the area of education.

"I am frustrated by a lack of a sense of urgency," he said. "We have not seen the kind of pace that suggests the concern, and in the meanwhile the students are the ones being affected."

He encouraged giving more power to the schools principals, saying: "If a teacher isn't performing, who suffers most?"

He also called for Bermuda to be more involved and aware of international issues, including that of global climate change.

"The public don't engage in that sort of debate because we're more concerned about internal matters," he said.

"Bermuda's not a very high place. Our beaches would disappear if the water rose just a foot or two."

He also suggested that Bermuda should become more involved in discussions with the European Union.