infrastructure to be implemented.

This comes after a Magistrate's plea that the legislature take a "serious look'' at sentencing powers concerning children.

Last week Magistrate Carlisle Greaves complained that the Young Offender's Act was "not working'' before sending a 15-year-old boy with convictions for stealing and breaking and entering to an approved society for the tenth time since 1994.

The Children's Act, passed last summer, only cursorily deals with a Magistrate's powers in sending a child to a residential home for "care'' or "supervision''.

But Acting Health Minister Arthur Hodgson -- who until last summer was a magistrate -- yesterday said the future will see proper facilities for youngsters who run afoul of the law.

"I do believe there are plans afoot to build a secure facility for persons who need to be going to what we call an approved society,'' Mr. Hodgson told The Royal Gazette . "At the moment we don't have an approved society that can deal with children that need to be in a secure environment.'' Mr. Hodgson said a revamp of the Young Offenders Act of 1950, improving Magistrates' sentencing powers, is in the pipeline.

"The PLP always felt that idle prisoners just sitting around is not satisfactory,'' he added. "Any rehabilitation programme must involve work.'' Permanent Secretary for Health Donald Scott said: "The Children's Act was passed last year but it has not yet become operative because the machinery required to administer it needs to be in place first.'' The new Act covers areas of a young person's care that were not included in the 1940's legislation like child abuser lists and mandatory reporting by the public and administrators.

Four committees will be working throughout the autumn to prepare guidelines and protocols for protecting children from abuse and neglect.

The committees will give recommendations on a child abuse register of sexual predators, mandatory reporting by the public and authorities, providing a litigation guardian or independent social worker.

A fourth committee, the prevention task force, will report on methods that will reduce disruptive behaviour by young people.

Central to the committees' work is an information campaign telling the public and parents their responsibilities in raising a child without exposing them to harmful behaviour.

The related protocols and codes of conduct to the Children's Act are expected to be operating by early next spring while any amendments to the Young Offenders Act are expected in the near future.

Shadow Health Minister Kim Young called on the Government to improve the lot of Bermuda's children by tabling the Parental Responsibility bill, which was shelved last year.

"It's generally felt that parents are abrogating their responsibilities, so we should bring it forward,'' she said. "Parental responsibility is even more important now, with the courts telling you to go to counselling and guidance workshops.'' Mrs. Young said an important aspect of the Parental Responsibility bill is the civil liability of parents for property and financial loss caused by their children.

"My call is for Government to work extremely fast to do this,'' she added.

Work plan: Arthur Hodgson