improper hiring and firing practices at Grotto Bay hotel.

Parliamentary Secretary for Labour the Hon. Maxwell Burgess disclosed this in the Senate this week.

He was responding to questions raised by Opposition Senate Leader Sen. Alex Scott "more than four months ago''.

Sen. Scott had claimed at least two Bermudians were removed from their posts at the hotel and had been replaced by a contract worker.

The same contract worker had declared he was going to have "all the niggers'' in the dining room replaced by his non-Bermudian friends, Sen. Scott had said.

And he said hotel employees had told him the non-Bermudian had torn up job applications submitted by Bermudians.

But Sen. Burgess said a senior Immigration official investigated the complaints and found no evidence to substantiate them after "interviewing various individuals''.

"The allegation about racial slurs was received second hand,'' he said.

"Therefore, an attempt by way of an appointment for an interview was made to secure further information from a person alleged to have witnessed the event.

"The person was invited to meet with an Immigration officer but to date has declined to do so.'' Sen. Scott said Sen. Burgess had not answered his original question as to whether two Bermudians had been removed from their posts and replaced by the contract worker.

Responding, Sen. Burgess said: "The senior Immigration official was unable to substantiate whether a Bermudian had been replaced by a non-Bermudian.'' Grilled by the Opposition on whether he had investigated the questions that were formally brought before the Senate four months ago, Sen. Burgess said: "The questions put down for myself were not intended for me to investigate, but for the Immigration Department.''