A wall of silence around Government Senate Leader Milton Scott's shock call for the sacking of the three Independent Senators is being maintained.

And Premier Jennifer Smith continued to decline to comment on Sen. Scott's call in the wake of veteran politician and ex-Premier Sir John Swan's demand that Government distance itself from Sen. Scott.

Sen. Scott insisted on the last day of the Upper House that non-party Senators were voting with the Opposition to frustrate Government legislation.

And he called on Governor Thorold Masefield to sack the three Independents, claiming they had failed to live up to their mandate -- a claim denied by the Independents. Ms Smith refused to comment after Opposition Sen. Kim Swan challenged Government to say whether Education Minister Sen. Scott's statements reflected official Progressive Labour Party policy or whether he was speaking off his own bat.

A short statement issued by the Cabinet Office last week said: "The answer given in response to Sen. Kim Swan remains.'' Sir John -- who stood down as Premier and United Bermuda Party Leader in 1995 after the Independence referendum -- said last Monday that he was "shocked'' that Government had not spoken out on Sen. Scott.

And he said it was a "fundamental breakdown'' in the political process and showed that there was "political interference'' in all branches of Government.

Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon said: "I think Government should have distanced itself.

"But I also acknowledge that Government won't do that basically because it's evident that Sen. Scott is speaking on behalf of the Government and the Premier. The reason why they haven't distanced themselves is because they agree -- Sen. Scott doesn't do anything without approval.'' Independent Senators -- Senate president Alf Oughton, vice-president Walwyn Hughes and Jeanette Cannonier -- voted with the Opposition last month to block legislation drawn up to allow middle managers to join the same trades unions as the rank-and-file. They also combined to amend legislation aimed at raising the level at which rent control kicks in by axing a bid to remove exemptions from rent control for houses built after mid-1983.

And only a mistake by Sen. Cannonier, who accidentally voted with Government, prevented a controversial Act to allow funeral limousines to pass.

Ms Gordon also lined up behind Sir John over his criticism of Solicitor General William Pearce acting as Director of Public Prosecutions.

A DPP has had to be created after the appointment of PLP veteran Dame Lois Browne Evans as the first political Attorney General of modern times.

Sir John said the Solicitor General was a legal advisor to Government -- and that combining that with the role of senior prosecutor was politically compromising. And he added that a Government decision not to prosecute operators of hi-tech electronic gambling machines, despite an opinion from the Attorney General that the machines were against the law, showed that there was political interfence in the prosecution of offences -- which he said was illegal under the Constitution.

Ms Gordon said: "He is correct -- but that's why the United Bermuda Party believed in not having a political Attorney General.

"But if we have a political Attorney General, then we must have a non-political DPP.

"Since such a position has to be created, and it's in the Constitution, the person must be someone who does not have known political ties on either side of the political fence.''