Bermuda may follow China by imposing a nationwide ban on plastic bags, Deputy Premier Derrick Burgess revealed yesterday.

He told the House of Assembly during a debate on the Throne Speech that the bags had a lifespan of up to 400 years and caused serious harm to the environment.

"We are proposing to ban plastic bags," he said. "Plastic bags have been around since 1950. Some of those bags will still be around."

He said when the bags got in the sea and got eaten by fish, they could be deadly.

"In China, they have banned plastic bags. In California, they are banning plastic bags.

"I think in Bermuda we have to do it because we depend on sea fish and we want to be consuming healthy fish. Right now, you can get the biodegradable corn starch bags instead of plastic bags so there are alternatives to plastic."

The Public Works Minister said "some severe laws and penalties" would be introduced to punish fly-tippers, as well as householders who put dangerous items in their trash, such as animal faeces and acid.

He said refuse workers deserved to be treated with dignity. "When we find this in future we will do what is necessary to track down the people that put that trash out there."

Mr. Burgess discussed plans to form a water authority, similar to the one in the UK, to regulate water production on the Island.

He said the statutory body would oversee the quality and price of water and regulate "everything to do with water".

He also outlined how work was under way to produce more water in the east, west and central areas, which should help alleviate water shortages in the future.

The Minister said how pleased he was with the new War Memorial outside the Cabinet Office — and praised volunteer Carol Everson for doing the necessary research.

"She has done it without any remuneration," he said. "Every time I look at that War Memorial down there, since it's been completed, I see my grandfather's name and I see Carol Everson. I see her in that War Memorial.

"She has left her indelible print on that War Memorial."