Members of the United Bermuda Party walked out of the House of Assembly during the marathon Budget debate early on Saturday morning after party member Erwin Adderley was not allowed to finish his speech.

Moments after he took the floor about 2 a.m., Mr. Adderley questioned whether the report regarding the troubled Berkeley site would be tabled by Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott.

"This is part of the problem," he said. "You get mixed messages from the Minister. We all heard him say that Magistrates' Court and the Police station were going ahead ... but this is where the confusion comes.

"The Budget says Government did not want to overheat the construction industry. There seems to be some conflict with the two statements."

Mr. Scott, while making a point of order, said: "We are prepared to go now, but won't."

"If it is not going ahead why make reference to it this financial year?" asked Mr. Adderley. "The fact is Berkeley finds itself where it is because he did not heed advice given by technical advisors.

"He was told Pro-Active could not handle the the project ... They said they gave the contract because people looked like us."

That comment caused Mr. Scott to jump to his feet to deny making the statement.

But when Mr. Adderley refused to back down from his statement, Deputy Speaker of the House Walter Lister made him take his seat.

Soon after, Mr. Adderley and his remaining colleagues, who included David Dodwell and Opposition Whip Maxwell Burgess, exited the chamber.

Yesterday Mr. Maxwell told The Royal Gazette that Mr. Adderley was not referring personally to Mr. Scott when he made the statement on the granting of the contract, but was trying to highlight the fact there did not appear to be any consistency in Government policy.

"What he was trying to point out to the people of Bermuda was that Mr. Scott always has a different version from other Ministers," Mr. Burgess said. "The whole basis of of the case was that Minister Scott has his position and you have Minister (Renee) Webb with her position.

"You can't have Ministers running off and having their own positions. It's about collective responsibility."

Mr. Burgess said of the Berkeley controversy: "You had Minister Scott saying that Berkeley was on time and students will be there in September and you have Minister Cox saying that students won't be in there in September.

"So what are we saying? That you will have Minister Scott pulling them in and Minister Cox pulling them out? What is the Government's position? Will they be there, or not be there? Who is in charge?"

Mr. Burgess said someone needs to come forward and clear up these matters.

"Not just for me, but for the everyday Bermudian who are affected by them (Government's positions)."