Throne Speech in the House of Assembly on Friday night by emphasising how Bermuda had benefited from securing strong relations with "people at the top''.

This, he said, had helped Bermuda through the recession by maintaining and adding airlift to the Island.

"Decisions are made at the top,'' he said. "We have developed strong relations with the people at the top and this has been our salvation.'' Mr.

Woolridge also stressed the importance of convention business and said he would be pushing hard to get more group business.

He said he would be supporting the Elbow Beach Hotel in its bid to get planning approval for major expansion plans, which although under revision, may include a 20,000 square-foot convention centre and six-storey addition.

He said the hotel's controversial plans would be a big boost to tourism and the economy.

Turning to the issue of cruise ships, the Minister said that in the next four weeks he would be announcing the name of the fifth cruise ship, to visit St.

George's regularly in 1994.

Responding to calls for a sixth cruise ship, he said Bermuda could not handle it.

There was not enough dock space in the event of bad weather, not enough tenders to serve it and transport services would be stretched to capacity, he said.

Mr. Woolridge said Government was still working to secure a contract of "long term value'' for the vacant Club Med property.

And he said advertising in Europe would be stepped up once a flight out of the continent was secured. After warning that Bermuda should not be too keen to let international business overtake tourism -- as the latter industry employs more Bermudians -- Mr. Stuart Hayward (Ind.) moved quickly to environmental issues in his response to the Throne Speech.

Mr. Hayward said he noted there were a lot of self-congratulatory phrases in the Throne Speech, rather than statements of action.

And he said if Government was serious about promoting healthier lifestyles, it should lead the way by banning smoking in the House of Assembly anti-chamber and allowing MPs to have dinner breaks (when the House is in session at night) and breaks at a reasonable hour.

Mr. Hayward had several criticisms following a recent visit to Government's recycling centre.

He said tin cans were being allowed to sit outside, increasing their chances of rusting, thus decreasing the chances of overseas centres wanting them.

Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness accused Mr. Hayward of making statements designed to "frighten people''.

He went on to say Government's cautious management of the economy before recession struck had enabled it to survive as it did.

"Our policies of no debt and balanced budgets softened the blow,'' he said.

With regard to the rising trend of abuse against women and children, Mr.

Edness said he was going to look into four areas: toughening legislation, developing educational programmes for women on how to protect themselves and the importance of reporting abuse, reinforcing and enhancing treatment programmes for victims and the possibility of a programme to treat people with the "propensity'' to rape or abuse.

He said credit was due to Single Parents in Action for getting the ball rolling on cracking down on delinquent fathers.

Mr. Edness said community action programmes played a tremendous role in tackling the drug problem.

The real key, however, lay in education and prevention, he added.

Mr. Edness urged adults who knew of drug activity in their area to call the Police -- or their MPs.

"Drugs have the potential to destroy our economy and the moral fabric of our society. It's a terrifying problem.'' Mr. Edness went on to mock the PLP for "jumping on the backs'' of political parties in other countries when it suited them.

But he claimed the Opposition were quick to detach themselves if politically convenient.

Mr. Eugene Blakeney (PLP) underlined the importance of civil servants to a Government -- as opposed to Ministers who were "here today and gone tomorrow.'' "When we are the new Government we will have the same civil service as the United Bermuda Party.'' It was time for the UBP to stop their scare tactics about a hypothetical PLP Government, he said.

Environment Minister the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto praised Government's continued fiscal constraint, and management of affairs.

And she attacked the PLP for allegedly having a secret agenda.

If they ever won power it would be produced from their back pocket within 48 hours of taking office, she said.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto, defending Government's environmental record, pointed out that Clean Air Act regulations would be introduced in the forthcoming Parliamentary session.

And she emphasised the National Parks management scheme was being implemented.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said Government's long-term planning was proving correct.

The controversial fish pot ban, for instance, had now led to an increase in fish stock which was the envy of many other countries.

Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome criticised Government for soft-pedalling on plans to amend the Criminal Code, and not clamping down on sex abuse of women and children.

Mr. Bascome underlined the plight of the homeless, saying there weren't enough single room occupancy dwellings. Homeless folk often found it demeaning going into a shelter, and wanted privacy.

Mr. Bascome said special services were needed to cope with many homeless people who suffered from substance abuse and mental disorders.

There should also be an end to jailing people "of no fixed abode'' who could not afford court fines.

Community and Cultural Affairs Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons said the theme for the 200th anniversary celebrations for Hamilton would be: "Hamilton, our city and her people.'' He spoke of Government's commitment to forging partnerships and joint initiatives to boost community projects.

Mr. Gibbons revealed talks had been held with the Bermuda Public Services Association to set up seminars to help people find jobs.

It would aim, among other things, to help people write resumes and cope with interviews.

Works and Engineering Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira once again went over his waste management and recycling plans set to kick off today. The Island will move to stuffing blue bags with tin cans and bottles and, in a separate blue bag, newspapers, he said.

Dr. Terceira said the incinerator was one third of the way finished. And he stressed its emissions would be monitored by the Biological Station and an independent board.

Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen barrelled into a heated attack on Government tourism policies and blasted UBP MPs for comparing Bermuda with Japan, Hawaii and other tourist destinations.

"You just can't compare the plight of tourism here with the Far East and Hawaii where they have many other industries to rely on and we have only one other,'' he said.

He added that just because tourism in Hawaii was down more than in Bermuda, did not mean Bermuda had fared better.

"That 12 percent decline did not impact on their economy as much as the smaller decline here impacted on ours,'' he said. "There are very few countries which depend on tourism to the extent Bermuda does.'' Mr. Allen commended a recent speech to Hamilton Rotarians by Mr. James Masters, who is chairing the UBP's Tourism Planning Team.

Mr. Masters had called on "those in positions of responsibility'' to get through the denial phase and accept the need for change.

"Well, I wonder who he could be talking about,'' said Mr. Allen.

Mr. Allen said increasing the visitor airport and cruise ship tax was the most "damaging thing'' Government had ever done to tourism.

Education Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons gave an update on his middle school plans and brought it to MPs' attention that the Bermuda College is to offer two new degree courses, in risk management and tourism.

And he said that as of today Skills for Adolescents would be taught in 12 Primary Seven classes Island-wide.

Mr. Simons said he was particularly impressed with a section of the course that required parents to attend and take part.

Shadow Youth and Sport Minister Mr. Dennis Lister concentrated on the National Stadium, calling for Government to "come clean'' on who will be managing it and what facilities were to be added and when.

He said he was also still not clear on how Government was requiring its $80,000 grant to the Bermuda National Squad to be spent.

And he seized the chance to say it was only FIFA's threat not to allow the squad to play its home games at the stadium because of its inadequacy that got Government to act.

Mr. Phillip Smith (UBP) spoke of the damage to the Island's tourism image by strike threats from the Bermuda Industrial Union.

"I feel threats have done just as much damage as the recession.'' Mr. Smith applauded Government's economic management, saying Bermuda did not labour under the same national debt as other countries, such as the United States.

He also underlined the importance of training, praising the Stonington complex.

Shadow Education Minister Miss Jennifer Smith pointed out the problems faced by students hoping for higher education at Bermuda College.

Many were denied because they had not reached the necessary standards, or weren't qualified in the correct subjects.

It was a failure of the high schools -- not overexacting standards at Bermuda College, said Miss Smith.

She added a minimum standard of attainment should be set at high schools.

Miss Smith spoke of the need to improve the safety of pre-schools, such as Springfield, which was deemed unsafe.

She called on Government to let the PLP have the chance to discuss properly the long-awaited Education Act in a bid to reach multi-party consensus.

Miss Smith said there were also unanswered questions about the proposed new national curriculum, such as what standards it would be setting.

Transport Minister the Hon. Ralph Marshall said his ministry had not featured greatly in the Throne Speech because it was in "good shape'' -- although taxi drivers did have some grievances.

Nevertheless, some new measures were being looked at, he revealed.

These included relaxing the need for public service drivers to renew their licences every year.

The possibility of renewal every three or five years was now being examined, said Mr. Marshall.

Examination of private cars may also be carried out every other year, instead of yearly, he added.

Mr. Marshall said Government was determined to solve problems in the taxi industry.

Government was now going to appoint a taxi advisory committee to the Minister which would allow all taxi factions to come under one umbrella.

Opposition whip Mr. Stanley Lowe attacked the "exasperating'' length of the Throne Speech, saying it had dragged on for between 30 and 35 minutes.

It had amounted to an election speech -- although the Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan was now having second thoughts since the United States election, said Mr. Lowe.

Government whip Dr. David Dyer said it had taken the PLP about two years to believe the Country was in economic difficulties.

The party and the Bermuda Industrial Union had completely failed to understand how the Country was managed.

Labour Minister Mr. John Irving Pearman wasted no time delving into the issue of Bermuda status, especially where the Portuguese were concerned.

He cited Ministry statistics in an effort to prove Azoreans were being treated fairly when it came to status grants.

He said the number of Portuguese who had received Bermuda status was consistent with the nationality's ratio of the Island's population (12.5 percent).

"No nationality is treated any differently,'' he said.

Mr. Pearman mocked the PLP's "changed'' stance on the issue, saying, that at a recent forum, what they were really saying was: "Vote for us an we'll give you status''.

The Hon. C. V. Woolridge The Hon. Clarence Terceira.