of Assembly in 1998 with a two and a half hour Motion to Adjourn session.

Shadow Minister of Youth Development, Sport, Parks and Recreation Nelson Bascome opened the period for closing comments noting that the position of Health and Social Services Minister was vacant and that there were only 38 MPs in attendance.

"We all, as Members of Parliament, have to recognise our responsibilities. We should be operating with 40 members.'' To operate with only 38 members, he argued, was not constitutionally correct and the situation needed to be cleared up.

Former Health Minister and Pembroke West MP Clarence Terceira and Independent MP Rev. Trevor Woolridge both stepped down from their respective political positions last year.

On a separate matter, Mr. Bascome said he was concerned about the number of signs on the Island's roads warning motorists about oil spills.

"Quite a number of accidents'' were caused by oil spills, which also threatened the environment, he said, before calling on Government to look into the matter.

Pembroke East MP Ottiwell Simmons (PLP) said he was concerned about the decline in the tourism industry.

"It seems to me, that tourism figures are remaining down and have been declining for a very, very long period of time.'' And Mr. Simmons said he felt the change in Tourism Ministers from Smith's South MP C.V. (Jim) Woolridge to Southampton West MP David Dodwell would have brought a fresh approach to the problem.

"What bothers me, is that I would have thought when the Ministers of Tourism changed, we would have had a fresh, enthusiastic thrust with the end result being an increase in tourism figures.'' He stressed that he was not criticising Mr. Dodwell but it was important to note that tourism was a vital industry for Bermuda. However hotels were closing down and those that remained open were claiming not to be making any money.

Mr. Simmons suggested that the problem might be that Mr. Dodwell had a conflict of interest in his political position as he owned The Reefs.

"Self preservation is the first law of nature,'' he noted.

"I am suggesting that maybe a conflict of interest situation is part of the reason behind the decline in tourism figures.'' The suggestion caused House Speaker Ernest DeCouto to rise and warn Mr.

Simmons that he could be in contempt of the House by misleading it and impugning another MP.

If Mr. Simmons wished to pursue his suggestion then he would have to bring a motion before the House and present evidence to back his allegations, said Mr.

DeCouto.

Mr. Simmons said he was not criticising Mr. Dodwell but was merely saying that there were certain possibilities that should be looked into.

Mr. DeCouto rose again and told him that he was getting into a "delicate area'' as he was "discrediting'' a member of the House. He was only trying to help Mr. Simmons keep the decorum of the House, he added.

Mr. Simmons stressed that he was suggesting that some exploration was necessary because tourism business was down and it was affecting hotels, restaurants and retail stores which were being forced to close.

He said it was the responsibility of everybody concerned to find a solution to the problem.

Drawing on Mr. Bascome's earlier comments about oil spills on the Island's roads, Mr. Simmons claimed that this problem paled when the amount of traffic in Bermuda was looked at.

"Tourism business has gone down as traffic congestion has gone up,'' he noted.

Continued in Monday's newspaper