proposed Belmont development should be welcomed.

This newspaper reported yesterday the deal was up in the air because Government had not given assurances to the Canadian backers of the deal that the leases -- which non-Bermudian owners of the property would lease back to the hotel's managers to enable them to be rented to visitors -- would be allowed.

Now according to Tourism Minister David Allen and Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox, Government backs the plan, but the deal is on hold for different reasons; the Elbow Beach Hotel, the hotel partner in the deal, has withdrawn, and the developers have not answered unspecified queries about the project.

At least the developers now know that they can proceed with the leases, something they apparently did not know before.

And the Ministers are right in saying that the project should not proceed without a hotel partner who can market the property and provide the management it requires. The fact that Elbow Beach has withdrawn from the plan is a blow, and it is to be hoped Government and the backers are actively seeking a replacement.

It is also good to hear that the Tourism and Home Affairs Ministries are working together to help new developers and that there is a fast-track procedure for assisting backers through the red tape.

But Ms Cox and Mr. Allen should ask if that is enough. Plans for new hotels over the last two to three years have had a sorry record and part of the reason for that is the cumbersome process by which a property gets approval.

Much of the blame for this should be laid at the previous Government's feet, whose record, as Mr. Allen noted yesterday, was dismal -- not a single new hotel development in 26 years. Of course, many will also recall that the leading objector to the major hotel proposal of the last 20 years, the Ritz Carlton, was Shadow Tourism Minister David Allen.

Nonetheless, there are a number of major hotel developments proposed in the last two to three years which seem to be going nowhere. Belmont, Camberley, DeVille and Morgan's Harbour all appear to be at a standstill and only the relatively small but highly innovative eco-resort at Daniel's Head is going anywhere.

Many of these plans were understandably put on hold when the General Election was called, but precious little seems to have occurred in the seven months since the Progressive Labour Party came to power.

There are, doubtless, different and unique reasons for the delays in each case, but the slow grind of Government bureaucracy may well be a factor in all of them.

It has been suggested that a Cabinet-level official should be appointed to cut through the red tape and act as a "point man'' with the other Cabinet Ministers concerned.

This seems to make sense and the Minister could take the potential developers through the entire process. That in turn would free the Tourism Minister to do his major job -- promote the Island to visitors.

This idea is a not a new one: Premier Jennifer Smith said after taking office that she intended to appoint a "scissor man'' to cut through red tape and in the past, the Cabinet has had Ministers without portfolio who were supposed to act as troubleshooters.

Ms Smith should take up this idea again.