on the Commission on Competitiveness report.

Going into the debate, Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul said he expected one day would be enough to consider the 417-page tome, which contains 94 different recommendations.

But the House adjourned shortly before 8 p.m., with only 11 MPs having spoken.

A special session of the House is to convene on Wednesday to conclude the debate, which was commissioned by the Premier in 1992 and written mainly by volunteers from the business sector.

Dr. Saul, who said more than half the recommendations had already been acted on, felt Bermuda should remain on the "cutting edge'' of world competitiveness while minding its pocketbook.

Shadow Finance Minister Mr. Eugene Cox blasted Government for protecting businesses from foreign competition while "leaving Bermudian workers at the mercy'' of more experienced help brought in from overseas.

The debate featured verbal sparring between Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V.

(Jim) Woolridge and his Progressive Labour Party shadow Mr. David Allen. The pair did not knock heads during the recent Throne Speech debate because Mr.

Woolridge was abroad when it began.

Mr. Allen said the report was an "indictment'' of the Minister and his Tourism Board, and he could understand why it talked about setting up a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation (quango) to run Tourism.

Still, he was opposed to having Tourism less accountable to Government.

Mr. Woolridge, in turn, attacked Mr. Allen for only having negative ideas.

"Some of the things that are said are designed to destroy, rather than be constructive,'' he said.