a two-hour budget debate on human affairs last night.

Tempers flared after Opposition spokesman Dr. Ewart Brown said the hospital had racism "dripping out of its windows and doors'', with not enough black doctors on staff.

And Dr. Brown walked out of the Chamber when Mr. Barritt said the most important consideration was "standards''.

Dr. Brown, who returned to his seat after a two-minute protest, had hinted that the United Bermuda Party Government was bound by racist ties.

He said: "Saying good things and making lofty statements that we are going to tackle racism in Bermuda is not enough.

"Can you really bite the hand that feeds you? And if the racism is being generated by the actual glue that binds this Government together, can you really tackle racism? "There are some serious pockets of racism in Bermuda. I work in one every day -- the hospital.

"It's a hot pocket of racism, dripping out of the windows and doors.'' Dr. Brown, who encouraged Bermudians to fight racism, said 80 percent of the patients were black -- but a much smaller percentage of doctors were black.

But Mr. Barritt said: "I understand the spirit with which that is said. But it seems to me that when we go about interfering in this way, in somehow trying to manage the socio-economic mix, the one thing that we have to keep our eye on is standards.'' Dr. Brown immediately left his seat in protest at the comment. Shadow Health Minister Renee Webb shouted that Mr. Barritt's remark was "an insult'.

And Opposition Whip Walter Lister , making a point of order, said: "That has imputed bad motives to black people and as far as I'm concerned the remark should be retracted.

"This is an ideal example of racism at its worst.'' Mr. Barritt added: "Even before I have finished speaking, people have rushed out of the House in anger. But when someone presents themselves at the hospital, what they are looking for is not whether that person is male or female, black or white, but whether or not they are able to treat them. I have no objections whether everyone on that staff is black or whether all of them are female.

"If someone is qualified, they should have the right or the opportunity to serve there.

"All that matters is whether someone is qualified to practise. Let's not beat each other up if we are going to have an open discussion on this issue.'' Education and Human Affairs Minister Jerome Dill , back in the House of Assembly after being treated for a minor stroke, opened the debate by presenting the budget proposals for human affairs.

He said $2,843,000 would be made available, with more than $1.897 million being diverted to the National Drug Commission and $269,000 the Human Rights Commission.

CURE -- the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality -- will be able to spend $234,000.

And Mr. Dill said $550,000 had been sidelined to set up the proposed drugs court, designed to send offenders to treatment programmes instead of prison.

He said the department was also working with the NDC to set up a residential centre for men who need treatment for substance abuse.

Mr. Dill added that more resources would be pumped into the newly-created Bermuda Youth Counselling Service. And he said a new drugs assessment service would be set up for people referring themselves for treatment at rehabilitation clinics.

The Minister said the Human Rights Commission dealt with 50 complaints last year but Dr. Brown said the organisation was "a toothless tiger'' which would be given more authority under a PLP Government.

He added: "Suppose the new drug court recommends treatment. What are we going to do? "We are very, very short in that area and our capabilities for providing treatment have to catch up.'' Dr. Brown also claimed the National Drug Commission needed "foot soldiers so it could work from the bottom up instead of from the board room to street level''.

And he criticised the decision by Government to contract the Fair Employment Commission, from Northern Ireland, to conduct a $30,000 study into racism in business in Bermuda last year.

Department of Human Affairs 1998/9 estimates Ministry responsibility: To establish systems and policies to monitor and improve race relations, to facilitate the National Drug Commission's objectives and to involve parish councils in programmes.

Budget estimate: $2,843,000 (last year $2,226,000) Budget allocations Administration $443,000 Race Relations nil Human Rights $1,897,000 CURE $234,000