Mr. Lister said the seminar also highlighted the importance of local sporting organisations to be incorporated.

"Overseas this is almost a requirement for sporting bodies,'' he pointed out.

"They need to incorporate to protect those running the organisation from liabilities.'' Noting that legal costs have been a deterrent to most clubs incorporating in Bermuda, Mr. Lister said the Ministry had created a template which all sporting organisations can use.

"This eliminates much of the legal costs for them,'' he explained.

Streamlining in the office of the Registrar of Companies will also greatly help the situation for local sporting bodies, according to Mr. Lister.

PLP MP Randy Horton defended Government's spending on business trips and limousines and charged that the UBP always raised it as an issue because it missed them.

"It is important for our Ministers and the Premier to travel,'' he said.

"Partnerships are very important for allowing us to represent our people in a global economy.'' While noting that faxing teleconferencing, e-mailing and various other forms of electronic and digital communication were helpful, Mr. Horton maintained that face-to-face contact was crucial.

"Nothing can take away from face-to-face meetings between our leaders and overseas business and governments,'' he said.

Mr. Horton also defended the use of limousines, saying "we need to be productive every minute that we can''.

He noted that in the hour-long drive from New York's JFK Airport to the city, use of a limousine meant that Government leaders were able to actually work and conduct business on the drive.

"The people of Bermuda need to understand that we're talking about productivity and they need to understand that the travel this Government is taking is not frivolous,'' he said.

Opposition MP C.V. (Jim) Woolridge blasted Government spending, saying what Tourism Minister David Allen calls road shows are really "briefing tours'' which do not translate into increased tourists to the Island.

"The hotels don't participate because it's too expensive,'' Mr. Woolridge said. "When you take the gombeys, pay the airlines, hotels, add in the per diem payments, and you invite 600 to 800 people who as soon as you finish are moved on to the next one.'' Mr. Woolridge added: "You should do focussed marketing where you can deal with people one on one.

"Fish where the fish are. We have 80 million people on the eastern seaboard who speak the same language who can afford to come here, why were we in Strasbourg?'' Mr. Woolridge called for a referendum on capital punishment, and, speaking about corporal punishment, added an anecdote about the discipline techniques of one-time headmaster Victor Scott.

About capital punishment, he said there were "safeguards'' like the prerogative of mercy committee and a jury trial to ensure justice was done, making the loss of the death penalty for fear of mistakes unnecessary.

Mr. Woolridge -- a former Works and Engineering Minister -- said an estimate for the replacement of the Causeway between the main Island and St. David's was pegged a few years ago at around $60 million.