Bermuda.

Mr. Ralph Trott believes that prisoners on community service should be used as "volunteers'' to give food handouts to the homeless as part of community service.

With past experience of the criminal justice system, Mr. Trott is seeking to speak to Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness about his idea. Mr.

Edness said yesterday that "soup kitchens'' for the homeless may soon start on the Island.

Mr. Trott said: "Mr. Edness was on the radio talking about how the new scheme could get underway, but they cannot do it without volunteers. I would suggest that they use people on community service as volunteers to provide the work at these soup kitchens or whatever they are.

"If the volunteers are needed so badly then why not turn to the courts and work together to put more people on a scheme like this as community service.

Last week Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis said that people should realise that community service is a direct alternative to prison.

And many officials, according to Mr. Trott, will see a scheme using potential prisoners on community service as one answer to rising prison populations.

He said: "It will show the Ministry first hand how the criminal justice system is working in Bermuda if they have convicted men and women working for them helping the homeless.

"It will certainly get the programme off the ground and if it helps the homeless problem then it will be a good thing.'' Mr. Edness yesterday flew off to the Turks and Caicos Islands, hoping to boost the lot of Bermuda's needy children.

The plight of youngsters is likely to be on the agenda of the third annual conference for the United Kingdom's dependent territories.

Other countries represented include the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, and Montserrat. The talks kicked off yesterday and will last through the week.

Mr. Edness explained the conference was started to give the dependent territories a single voice.