legislation. An extra sitting of the House of Assembly will be held next Friday, Government whip Mr. John Barritt said last night.

This will give MPs the chance to debate an Opposition motion on a Commission of Inquiry.

And with this debate over, the Senate should then be able to continue discussing the Independence Referendum Act 1994.

On Wednesday Independent and Opposition senators put the bill on hold.

They decided the House of Assembly should first debate the Progressive Labour Party motion. Yesterday PLP leader Mr. Frederick Wade said he was pleased by the additional House sitting. "It's fine by me,'' he said.

Mr. Wade pointed out he had regularly lobbied Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan for another sitting after the Budget debate.

But his plea had been repeatedly rejected.

"I think he was hoping to derail my motion. He did not wanted it debated at all. The Premier last night, however, came up to me and said that in light of what occurred in the Senate he would now have a March 11 sitting.'' Mr. Wade, however, said he could not take Sir John at his word.

"I'm afraid his word means nothing to me, because of his behaviour over the last two weeks. If there is another sitting I am prepared to do my motion.'' Some Government members had feared Mr. Wade could stall moves towards a referendum by delaying debate of the motion, which calls for MPs to reject a Commission of Inquiry.

But Mr. Wade said yesterday he had resisted the temptation.

"I haven't any intention of being obnoxious or difficult by delaying the motion. I could have delayed it until November if I wanted to and there was nothing they could do about it. I must say it was very tempting, but I resisted the temptation.''