brought up in the House of Assembly on Friday.

MP Maxwell Burgess (UBP) said: "I once said I was not opposed to hanging those who sold drugs to our kids and some people called me a reactionary.

"Then, lo and behold, here we have a child, 11 years old, with drugs. If a society is incapable of protecting its children, it's incapable of protecting its future.'' Mr. Burgess said the same principle applied to teenage mothers: "We can't keep allowing our children to have children.'' He said he was not opposed to a "good flogging'' for any man caught with younger girls.

Mr. Burgess' comments were taken up by fellow UBP MP Grace Bell , who said authorities could also protect children from paedophiles by identifying known sex offenders.

The Courts should also get serious about prosecuting cases of unlawful carnal knowledge, she said.

"Very often our teenagers are being impregnated not by the younger boys but by the older men. The courts need to start acting,'' she said.

Deputy Speaker Stanley Lowe (PLP) then rose to draw the House's attention to an editorial in The Royal Gazette which, he claimed, impugned the character of Parliament and Parliamentarians.

Mr. Lowe took offence to the words: "Let's be straightforward about this, there are already a number of people in Parliament who have very little to offer Bermuda in terms of experience and talent and brains.'' This must not go unchallenged, he told the House, saying the matter should be taken up with the House Rules and Priviledge Committee.

Taking up the issue of child protection, Shadow Health Minister Renee Webb pointed to the recent case of the death of two-year-old D'shun Dill, which was killed by his father, as an example of where the system did not work for the child.

She called on the House to consider an independent inquiry on how the Department of Child and Family Services lost the child.

"I'm not out to blame the Minister or anyone in the Department,'' she said.

"But we must use this case as a stepping stone to make sure it does not happen again. What are we here for if we can't protect the children.'' Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness said all members of the House, and Government, feel the issue of child protection is paramount.

Mr. Edness said he could not comment on the call for an inquiry, but he did note that the House will be debating the report on child abuse next week.

Grace Bell