Clean air regulations that will affect Belco, hotels, and those who burn backyard waste were passed in the House of Assembly without objection yesterday.

But the Opposition benches were nearly empty when approval was given, and the air in the Sessions House most of the day was acrid.

Progressive Labour Party MPs left the House en masse after their motion to adjourn the debate was defeated, leaving only two members present.

And Independent MP Mr. Stuart Hayward, who was described in the House yesterday as the Island's chief environmental watchdog, rose to go to the washroom and missed his chance to speak.

The National Trust, which blasted Government on Tuesday for lack of consultation, had asked that the debate proceed but approval of the regulations be deferred.

When it was all over, Environment Minister the Hon. Gerald Simons said he was pleased The Clean Air Amendment Act 1993 and The Clean Air Regulations 1993 passed without objection.

But "it's unfortunate that we were sidetracked'' by the Opposition motion to adjourn, he said.

The regulations set limits for the presence of contaminants like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone in the air around controlled plants.

Under the Clean Air Act 1991, its amendment passed yesterday, and the new regulations, plants like Belco, Government's Tynes Bay incinerator, and hotels with boilers will have to apply for operating licences. If they do not meet air quality standards, they will have to provide a plan and timetable for doing so.

Plants will have to report uncontrolled air emissions and other matters to the Ministry.

Residents will be affected, too. Under the regulations, only plant waste can be burned without a permit, and only then if it does not disturb the neighbours.

Mr. Simons said the Island's air standards would be "as high as the strictest in Canada,'' but "so long as we are flexible administration should not be carried out in a harsh manner.'' Shadow Environment Minister Mr. Julian Hall said the regulations were so flexible that they could be ignored "willy nilly.'' And he said another three months were needed to give MPs time to prepare for the debate.

Mr. Hall's motion to adjourn the debate was defeated 22 to 12, as Government members argued that all MPs who wished to speak should have a chance.

But minutes later, Mr. Hayward returned from the washroom to find the debate had ended.

"It is tragic that the Government would feel so insecure that it would want to shut off debate on an issue that is so important,'' Mr. Hayward said outside the House. "It was obviously engineered -- that I have no doubt about.'' But Mr. Simons said it was "an unfortunate occurrence.'' "I was hoping to hear from Mr. Hayward during the debate -- unfortunately, he was not in the House,'' Mr. Simons said. "It was my impression that for some reason unbeknown to me he had consciously absented himself from the chamber.'' MPs later passed legislation giving rights to foreign-born children of Bermudian women.

The law put women on the same footing as men.

The House approved The Bermudian Status by Birth or Grant Register Amendment Act 1993 and The Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1993.

Opposition MPs, however, used the occasion to make an impassioned plea for independence.

Only this way would Bermudians have full citizenship.

The PLP also attacked the register, saying it was open to misuse and abuse.

Shadow Environment Minister Mr. Julian Hall said those who should not be on it were, and vice versa.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Mrs. Lois Browne Evans spoke of the problems people encountered in proving they were Bermudian.

It was difficult to get even a passport from the Immigration Department.

Opposition MPs slammed much of the legislation for being incomprehensible.

And they called for Government to provide information leaflets to make legislation easy to understand.