US lawmakers' understanding of the value to their country of the Bermuda re/insurance industry has improved significantly, Premier Ewart Brown told an insurance industry audience yesterday.

In his opening remarks at the Bermuda Captive Conference at the Fairmont Southampton hotel, Dr. Brown emphasised that the industry had the full support of Government.

The Premier was brief in his comments — he took up only about five of the 20 minutes allocated to him on the conference schedule — thereby causing the first panel discussion to start early.

The sixth Bermuda Captive Conference, which continues today and tomorrow, has attracted 510 attendees, some 150 more than last year's event, and has resulted in the host hotel being full to capacity.

Dr. Brown referred to his visit to Washington earlier this month and said the Island delegation had spent a couple of days putting the Bermuda case to legislators.

"We believe there is a considerable shift in terms of the understanding of what types of business we do and what they mean to us in Bermuda and what they mean to the US," Dr. Brown said.

"I would say we are seeing new levels of understanding with the key players in the US legislature."

Dr. Brown said he had found similarly encouraging signs on the other side of the Atlantic. Last week, he said he met the new British Minister responsible for the British Overseas Territories, who seemed "surprisingly supportive" of Bermuda.

The Premier told delegates he was delighted to see the conference attract more participants than last year.

"My Government intends to make your environment as productive as possible," he added. "Anything we can do, legislatively or otherwise, in order to make your businesses successful and to make Bermuda a beneficiary of your success."