St George North MP Gline Clarke yesterday said the 82.8 acres of land in which Government is investing through the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII) with the European-based entity Rosewod, could fit about 800 house spots.

In a speech punctuated with points of order from the Government bench, Clarke added that the new Government had said it would review all investments proposed under the last administration – including the one at Harrisons, St Lucy – but it was now talking about "getting in bed with billionaires" on "hotel and brand name projects".

Saying the new Government was on record as saying it would not sell, lease or give away coastal land to foreign investors, Clarke, a former Minister of Housing and Lands, said the National Housing Corporation could have used this land on the tip of St Lucy to house poor people.

"Government is saying one thing and doing another. So far I have not seen any programme of Government that suggests the advancement of housing. Government's priority seems to be to attract foreign investment," Clarke told the House during yesterday's debate on a resolution to approve the vesting in the BTII of Crown land in Harrisons for tourism development.(RJ)