after Premier Pamela Gordon promised drugs treatment and rehab as part of a crackdown on the Island's drug menace.

But Ms Webb said: "The Progressive Labour Party has consistently implored Government to take every opportunity to incorporate comprehensive drug rehabilitation programmes with the Prison Service. The United Bermuda Party Government has consistently failed to do so.'' She added: "The overwhelming majority of Bermuda's prison population are incarcerated for drug-related offences.

"Government has done very little by way of rehabilitation for this group of persons who time and time again come back on to the streets and continue their drug trade and drug usage activity.'' Ms Gordon sent a clear message to drug abusers and dealers in a progress report on the Island's battle against drugs The four-page document was distributed with The Royal Gazette .

She told addicts that Government will help them with treatment -- but that addiction was no excuse for drug-dealing. She added that offenders would still be held responsible for criminal behaviour and for "hurting Bermuda's children and families, whether they are yours or someone else's''.

Ms Webb denied that the PLP's stance for seeking help for drug offenders was being "soft on drugs'' and backed the massive street dealers bust, Operation Cleansweep.

But she claimed that the spiralling drugs problem was a direct result of the United Bermuda Party's failure to provide resources for treatment and rehabilitation.

And she said Operation Cleansweep -- however commendable -- was a PR exercise in the run-up to a General Election.