to the role after he was formally sworn into office by Governor Thorold Masefield yesterday.

Mr. Drinkwater will be responsible for the new centralised policy unit being established following the decision to split the Cabinet Secretary role into two. Stanley Oliver has become head of the Civil Service.

After the ceremony at Government House, Mr. Drinkwater, a former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety, said: "I feel greatly honoured and humbled.

"When I left the Cabinet Office as Assistant Secretary four years ago I really didn't expect to come back.'' Mr. Drinkwater, 55, was born in the United Kingdom and served in the British Army in Aden, Germany and Northern Ireland.

He came to Bermuda in 1971 for a three year posting as Adjutant of the Bermuda Regiment and returned in 1990 as Staff Officer.

In 1993 he was appointed Coordinator of Security Services before moving to the Cabinet Office in 1991.

His Bermudian wife Margaret Siggins attended the ceremony, as did Premier Jennifer Smith and her Chief of Staff Colonel David Burch.

Cabinet ceremony: Premier Jennifer Smith was on hand yesterday to see John Drinkwater sworn in as the new Cabinet Secretary.

GOVERNMENT GVT