A radical overhaul of Bermuda’s security and defence agencies is in store to eliminate “expensive duplication”, National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief said yesterday.The review will take in the Bermuda Police Service, the Bermuda Regiment, the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, HM Customs, Border Control and Marine and Ports.“Often there are overlaps in some of the security and defence areas covered by these agencies,” Mr Perinchief said.“While these overlaps can be justified by necessary technical or jurisdictional factors, financial prudence dictates that these services be reviewed to ensure there is no expensive duplication of capital investment or roles.“With the Regiment poised to assume an increased maritime security role, and several other services in need of new equipment, it is appropriate that a review now be conducted to determine what Bermuda needs to continue to be well equipped to deal with both man-made and natural threats and challenges.”A committee to be struck to conduct the review will be chaired by a civilian but will consist of the Deputy Governor, the Permanent Secretary of National Security and representatives of each of the uniformed services.Te Minister said that those conducting the review “should be able to think radically and to some extent independently of institutional inclinations to minimise change or jurisdictional borderlines.”He said he said he would expect the committee to produce a report within six months of being named.Government’s Throne Speech last week indicated that it would end conscription by making the Regiment a full-time force.Mr Perinchief said: “Ending conscription is a nod to the change in role for the Regiment that this Government will continue to devise in consultation with all affected parties.“This is a change whose time has come and which forms part of a wider strategy to complement the hard work of the Police, to strengthen the role of border control and to realise a more efficient means of keeping Bermuda safe.”Mr Perinchief said giving soldiers powers of arrest is a possible outcome of the review.“We are trying to bring together a joined up border control unit and in looking across the agencies such as police, Customs, immigration and the Regiment we would have to necessarily change some legislation.”Similar models exist in Jamaica, Malta “and a few other places”, Mr Perinchief added.Asked about funding a full time Regiment, the Minister said that he did not expect that the full time force would cost much more than the Regiment does now.“We don’t intend to carry the same complement of Regiment personnel that we have now,” he said. “A company of full-time soldiers would not significantly stretch our budget far from what it looks like now.”On Friday, Mr Perinchief tabled amendments to the Defence Act which would make changes to how conscripts are punished and raised the age range for potential conscripts.Asked whether mixed messages were being sent by also talking about ending conscription, Mr Perinchief said the end of conscription was being phased in, with a timetable to be announced in 2013, while the proposed amendments were a response to issues raised by a Privy Council ruling.“With the announcement that the timetable for the end of conscription would be announced in 2013, the idea is to fix the system even as it exists,” he said.“The Act as drafted would still apply across the board. It should be remembered that conscription is an alternative to the volunteer side. The Regiment is a volunteer force now and it is only when there are not sufficient volunteers that in fact conscription is required.”He said the timetable for ending conscription would be announced once the security and defence agencies’ review is completed.