An Opposition claim that Government gives "million dollar contracts" to its friends without putting them out to tender was struck from the record of the House of Assembly on Friday.

United Bermuda Party leader Kim Swan made the allegation during his party's official response to the Throne Speech, in a section dealing with honesty, integrity, moral leadership and good conduct.

Mr. Swan claimed: "We get million dollar contracts that go directly to friends untendered and massive cost overruns with no one held to account."

The claim was described by Minister without Portfolio Zane DeSilva as "untrue and grossly misleading".

The Southampton East Central MP and Island Construction boss said: "I think it should be removed from the document and struck from the record and I think we should make a motion to do that."

Government backbench MP Ashfield DeVent later put forward such a motion and Deputy Speaker Dame Jennifer Smith agreed that the sentence would be struck out.

Mr. DeVent told MPs that the "offensive" statement suggested corruption and immorality within the Progressive Labour Party — yet was not backed up with facts.

The Pembroke South East MP said: "This allusion that some of us are immoral or corrupt has to stop and I believe, in the Rules of the House, it is offensive. It indicates that we are not of good conduct. History would see this."

Mr. DeVent said last night he thought it could be the first time the Opposition's official Throne Speech response had been altered in such a way for the public record.

"I asked under the Rules of the House for that section of their speech to be removed because it brought the House into disrepute," he said. "They didn't have anything to back it up. When you talk about the Government, you are talking about a lot of people. They can't just say these things without any proof."

Mr. Swan last night described the removal of the sentence from the record as an "act of censorship".

"This has certainly not been the strongest language ever used in a Reply, nor is it the first time this particular concern has been made," he said.

"Indeed, our last Throne Speech reply made the following statement which the Government did not contest: 'Why should more than $100 million in current government contracts have been handed over to an axis of two or three construction bosses close to the Premier?'"

Dame Jennifer could not be contacted for comment yesterday.