The report was officially released nearly four months ago and the Opposition United Bermuda Party has made repeated unsuccessful attempts to table it since the opening of Parliament last month.

But this week the Premier tabled the report in Parliament and announced his attention to move in today's session that the House "take note" of it.

Opposition Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons described the Premier's move as "absolutely shameless", after his party had repeatedly been refused permission by Speaker Stanley Lowe to table the report and with it a motion endorsing the report and recommendations of the Auditor General.

But the Premier noted that it was a Government report ? although the Auditor General reports to the Governor rather than the Government, this report was commissioned by former Premier Jennifer Smith.

Premier Scott added: "I don't think the public wants to hear us bicker over who brings it first."

As a former clerk to the Legislature, John Gilbert is an expert on the rules of Bermuda's House of Assembly.

Mr. Gilbert said, in his opinion, the Speaker had followed parliamentary procedure. And as the Premier had tabled the report and was set to move the motion, he would be in control of the timing of the debate.

"It is parliamentary practice and procedure that until a report has been tabled and distributed to all the members, it cannot be debated," Mr. Gilbert said.

"In this case, the report had been publicly released but not tabled in the House, so I think the Opposition has got it wrong.

"So, from that point of view, parliamentary procedure has been followed."

Whether the island's Parliamentarians ever get the chance to debate the catalogue of financial irregularities cited in the report now rests solely in the hands of the Premier.

"It has been placed on the Order of the Day by the Premier, so now it is the Premier's prerogative to decide when to debate it," Mr. Gilbert said.

"I hardly think that he would want to sit on it for a long time. I would have thought he would want to debate it quickly with no undue hold-up. I certainly don't see it not being debated."

We invited the Premier to reveal his intentions in our questions sent via the Government's director of the Department of Communication & Information, Beverle Lottimore. Ms Lottimore responded by indicating that five-and-a-half hours was insufficient time to allow our three questions to be answered.

Ms Lottimore replied by e-mail: "While we would be happy to provide as much information as possible to you with respect to your questions, sending them at 11.05 a.m. on the day you wish a response is not likely to engender what you wish. I will inquire of the appropriate people for answers but cannot guarantee that they will reach you by 4.30 p.m. today.

"We would appreciate your giving us a reasonable time for responses to the newspaper's inquiries so that we can work in concert to achieve both our goals."

Mr. Dennis completed the report in May 2002 and it was used as the basis of a police investigation into the financial affairs of the BHC.

The reported highlighted an "out of control" senior management and instances of Government MPs involved in transactions not declared to Parliament for properties whose values were not independently appraised.

There were also cost overruns of up to 100 per cent, five-figure bills paid twice over to contractors and the revelation that 25 per cent of payments were made in cash or by personal cheque.

Mr. Dennis also discovered unsecured loans unrelated to property made to five of its own officials, a breakdown of established procedures and an "ineffectual" board.

Opposition Leader Dr. Grant Gibbons and Opposition Whip John Barritt yesterday declined to comment on the matter, but Mr. Barritt writes about it in his column, , on page 7.