talks in London last week.

But Deputy Governor Tim Gurney denied that a reduction in the power of the Governor was around the corner following the second Overseas Territories Consultative Council meeting with British Government junior Foreign Office Minister Baroness Scotland.

And Bermuda -- which is experiencing a rise in reports of domestic violence -- could get some timely advice.

Mr. Gurney said: "There was a presentation from the Lord Chancellor's department about changes in Britain and the need to share experiences on domestic violence and child abuse.'' He said the session also looked at reforms of legal and judicial systems to help tackle those issues better.

And Bermuda -- which is currently undergoing a shortage of judges -- could also benefit from judicial training in London.

He said: "There is the offer of ongoing training, maybe for people in the Department of Public Prosecutions.'' Bermuda's financial sector could also benefit from technical support being offered by Britain to help it keep up with international standards.

He said London had recognised the importance of the financial sector to the Overseas Territories.

"The UK wants the overseas territories to progress with well regulated controlled industries that attract quality business.

"The UK wants the right degree of regulation, the right tax paid in the right places at the right time with financial crime tackled concurrently.'' Mr. Gurney said he was pleased to say that Bermuda already had a clean bill of health in this area.

But he added: "There is always fine tuning of any system. London hopes to assist with advice and information.'' The conference had also discussed the role, power and methods of appointing Governors, said Mr. Gurney.

He said: "That's something that comes up perennially -- there was some discussion of it but they were not proposals.

"Baroness Scotland explained that action was being taken in London to further improve the training and qualities of Governors.

"She pointed out that the better the personal relationship of the Chief Minister and the Governor in the overseas territories, the better the governance could become.'' He said the Foreign Office had surveyed Governors to see if they thought they needed more training and briefing before taking up their posts.

He said: "The answer, not surprisingly, was yes, so the Foreign Office will improve the training and briefing package for Governors.

"The Foreign Office always reviews training as any organisation does.'' Mr. Gurney was asked if a reduction of the power of Governors was likely.

He said: "The Consultative Council is really a forum to raise issues -- it's a consultative process.

"Chief Ministers raise what's on their minds so London can be aware.'' The Overseas Territories Consultative Council meeting, hosted by Baroness Scotland last week, was attended by Premier Jennifer Smith, Attorney General Dame Lois Browne Evans and Chief of Staff Sen. David Burch.

Yesterday Sen. Burch said the Premier was in Cabinet but he said he expected her to talk about it today.