to Government Whip Ottiwell Simmons. For Minister of Finance Eugene Cox is to introduce a bill in the House of Assembly to increase pensions to ex-Government workers and some others by between 0.5 and 4 percent.

Mr. Simmons said: "We're intending to give increases to those who worked in the Government services.

"Mr. Cox is aiming to make these increases available this side of Christmas, hopefully.'' And the increase -- a routine hike done at roughly two-year intervals -- will be backdated to July, boosting the extra Christmas cash available to the elderly ex-workers.

The only other item on the agenda for the House of Assembly is consideration of the first supplementary estimate for the financial year 1998/99.

SENIORS SR