Falklands : Legislative Council Friday, 22 February 2008 (Part 3)
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 25.02.2008 (Article Archived on 10.03.2008)
Legislation and Motion for Adjournment Speeches.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FRIDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2008
(Part 3: Legislation and Motion for Adjournment Speeches)
Orders of the Day – Bills:
The supplementary Appropriation 2007/2008 Bill 2008
The Financial Secretary Mr Derek Howatt:
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this is the second supplementary appropriation Bill to be presented for the current financial year. Its purpose is to authorise the withdrawal of an additional £511,000.00 from the consolidated fund to meet supplementary expenditure approved by the Standing Finance Committee for the following reasons:
1. £350,000.00 for Health and Social Services to supplement the Medical Treatment Overseas Budget to meet the expenses of patients currently undergoing treatment overseas, for patients with second referrals and patients with new referrals.
2. £7,000.00 for the Registry for the estimated cost of the recent by-election
3. £12,000.00 for Courts for additional work carried out by the Chief Justice
4. £10,000.00 for central legislation to enable an ex-gratia payment to be made.
5. £132,000.00 for the transfer payments. Of this sum, £17,000.00 was approved to fund additional claims for energy grants in Camp and £115,000.00 was approved for the Falkland Islands Development Corporation to fund the purchase of four additional animal transfer crates to be used by the ferry service in support of the meat industry.
I beg to move the first reading of the Bill.
This Bill was seconded by the Hon Mr Tim Thorogood, the Chief Executive and went through all the appropriate stages, was short-tracked and passed.
The Planning Amendment Bill 2008:
The Chief Executive Mr Tim Thorogood:
Mr Speaker, this Bill repeals Section 112.2 of the Planning Ordinance. At present this section forbids the Planning Officer from attending the consideration of a planning appeal to Executive Council. This means Executive Council cannot benefit from the professional advice and knowledge of the Planning Officer when considering an appeal. There is no real justification for this, as the planning Officer has no real vote on the Planning and Building Committee and so is not party to any decision taken by that Committee, which has been appealed.
Mr Speaker, I beg to move the second reading of the Bill.
The Motion to read the Bill a second time was seconded by the Hon Mr Derek Howatt, the Financial Secretary.
JR: I was just wondering if the Honourable Chief Executive might not consider that, in cases of appeals that the appellant might feel that, as they are not represented at all, that Government’s point of view is well represented and well defended in Executive Council.
TT: Mr Speaker, yes, I can understand that point of view. Nonetheless, the fact remains that the Planning Officer has not been party to the decision that was taken initially. Of course, they have given professional advice. We need to consider that Executive Council does need professional advice on each decision. Unfortunately, here in the Falkland Islands we only have a limited number of people who can undertake that role and for this reason I remain of the view that this is a sensible Bill.
The short track procedure was adopted and the Bill passed.
Motion for Adjournment Speeches:
Before Cllr Summers spoke to the Motion for Adjournment he handed out Legislative Council Ties to all who had made their first appearance at Legco. Previously they had been handed out to people who had left but Cllr Summers remarked that ties should be worn by those attending Legco.
MS: I am going to be very brief, not least because there is a very important Golf match going on today and it’s important that we don’t drag on too long.
I have just a few things to say. First is to congratulate my Honourable friend for bringing the Motion on Positive Discrimination. It’s unfortunate, I think, that it got sort of slightly confused but it’s important that we have these debates in the House. And, the administration of the policy is clearly very important to all of us going forward.
I only want to raise one substantive issue and it is this: that it’s come to my, and I guess other people’s attention in the last few days and weeks that some people in the community seem to think it’s appropriate to carry offensive weapons and knives in particular. It is not – I mean, absolutely it is not. Not only is it a bad thing to start with but it presages, perhaps, in the sort of thing that’s going on in the United Kingdom, where there are children murdered almost on a daily basis and half of them these days aren’t even reported because it becomes so common.
We have a zero tolerance policy here on drugs. It’s my view we should also have a zero tolerance policy on people carrying offensive weapons and knives in particular in the community where there is absolutely no need to do so.
And, it is regrettable, I suppose, but inevitable that it is kind of a cultural thing. And it is regrettable at the moment, it seems to be some members of the Chilean community who are carrying knives. They might not be the only members but those are the ones that I have heard about. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing in their country. It is not a cultural thing in our country. We don’t approve of it and we shouldn’t put up with it.
So I would like to encourage the whole nine members to support the sentiment and to encourage the Chief of Police to ensure that if there is any carrying of knives in our community, outside of people’s legitimate work requirements that he stamps on it very, very firmly and make sure that it doesn’t continue to happen.
Mr Speaker I support the Motion.
IH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, in rising to support the motion I would just like to add my welcome to our new Chief Executive, his wife and family. Having looked at his schedule over the next year or so I am not sure he is going to get much time to socialise but I hope he finds a few minutes to find his way around our community a bit.
I would also like to welcome back Councillor Birmingham to this assembly and congratulate him on his by-election win.
I was quite pleased to hear that the issue of freight rates – both land and sea – for the new coastal shipping service were under discussion at the last TAC Meeting because this is of undoubted interest to the people to whom the service will provide.
Now I believe that those involved in setting initial rates do now have some indication as to how much or to how charges will be made – how much they might be and how they are to be implemented. And, if this is the case, I would really urge that these initial figures be put out to the public as soon as possible before rumour control and mis-information actually cause more concern to the customer.
There was a remark – I am not sure if it was a remark made somewhere or something I saw written down along the lines that the Falkland Islands Government didn’t want to create a service that required even more of a subsidy than the existing one. On the face of it, that’s a perfectly sensible position to take. But it isn’t realistic because it does beg the question, Well on broader issues, I guess, but specifically on the matter of providing services to Camp, which is something that’s always been subsidised. It begs a question that should Councillors priority be to save money by reducing subsidies to services, and therefore in all probability actually reducing the services currently on offer.
Or should their first consideration be to not only maintain the current services but to actually improve on them? And there is a bit of a balancing act there and always keeping in mind there is a fundamentally important thing that I keep saying time and again and I will say it once more, that the cost to the customer has to be affordable to the customer.
I will just leave you with that thought. I support the motion.
RC: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, In deference to the Honourable Mike Summers, I would hate him to miss his golf match so I will be very brief. I, too would like to welcome the new Chief Executive. I look forward to working with him in the next three years, anyhow and also it is good to see my colleague, the Honourable John Birmingham who has been with me most of the time while I have been on Council.
Just brushing very briefly on what the Honourable Ian Hansen had to say about freight rates, I think people need to stop looking at what they think they see and actually trying to see exactly what is being said. I know it is confusing at the moment but I think people really, instead of going into the Penguin News and writing long condemnations of things which turn out to be fictitious, they actually try and get the facts. I do agree that we need more publicity on these issues and I believe in the long run the Camp will be served well but it needs to be very clear exactly what’s being proposed.
Just one other thing I would like to mention is the visit from the MPs from Britain from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association from Westminster, there is a great pleasure to have all four of them here. It was very good for us to be able to describe the Falklands, let them see life in the Falklands – what makes the Falklands tick. And, the more people who come from Westminster to understand that, the better understanding we will have and the better support we will have on issues which can appear to be quite confusing from the London end. And, so I do welcome their visit. It was very good of them to come and we look forward to another visit.
Other than that, just to say that I fully support what the Honourable Mike Summers said about carrying knives. It is unacceptable, it cannot be allowed although we do have to recognise that in the agricultural community people do need to carry knives as part of their work. But other than that if you are not carrying out your work it should not be allowed. I fully support that.
And, I support the Motion.
JB: In rising to speak to the Motion, I wasn’t aware that there was a problem with knives and I have to agree that we don’t want a problem. I don’t know how big an issue it is and I carry a pocket knife on occasion so there you are. (which is very useful for taking stones out of gold balls)
I am allowed, as Mr Speaker said earlier on to speak for 45 minutes (Mr Clifton meant 4 to 5 minutes) the issue of a very important golf match fills me with excitement in the same way that going for a swim in the bay would at the moment but I won’t keep Members waiting.
I would like to welcome the Chief Executive to the Islands and I notice he walks around – now there’s a thing, isn’t it - somebody who walks? I also walk as well. Perhaps he will get a bike next the same as I have.
Since I have been re-elected six weeks ago I have been trying to catch up on things – trying to get my head around the new committee system. I am still trying to do that. I am holding back on saying anything about the new system. Publically and actually in private to much because I think it needs a few months – at least half a year to get up and running. But my initial thoughts are that there really needs to be a balance between more involvement by elected representatives balanced out with allowing managers to actually manage their business. But I am sure we will come to that later on.
At the moment there’s a lady visiting from Chichester College which I think may be the third, possible the fourth visit from that college to which we have been sending students for some years. She’s been doing some talking to parents of students who are at the college, also parents of potential students.
I think the next time somebody comes from there or Peter Symonds we might actually have an open meeting for parents and students who are a little bit younger. And, I do declare an interest, having someone in Year 10.
I was asked at the public meeting the other day about Boxer Bridge. And, I can assure the public that the Director of Public Works has assured me that the bridge itself is safe and that it’s constantly under review. The approaches to the bridge need some works doing. But, of course, there will be, at some point in the future, the question of replacement and whether it would be replaced or not.
On Monday I accompanied the visiting MPs and Lords from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to Mount Pleasant and we had a very, very interesting day and I would like to thank the Brigadier for that. The trip on to HMS Clyde was quite exciting and, of course, it’s the newest ship in the Royal Navy and a heck of a lot more efficient than the previous one. What struck me was the competence and confidence out at MPA at the moment. And, I have to constantly remind myself - although when the Tornados (aircraft) do fly over you sometimes think of this – how important the base is out there and it’s very easy to come a bit complacent – and I try not to – as a community I think we should perhaps how it came about that there is what is a Military base out there and the reasons for that.
And, other than that, I support the Motion.
RS: Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, I would also like to welcome Tim. I think you will be my 5th Chief Executive with whom I have worked. It seems appropriate this morning after such an interesting debate about opportunities for Falkland Islanders that I can say how pleased I am that Karen Steen has got the Deputy Head’s position at the Infant/Junior School. It’s great news and I wish her well in her new appointment.
I would also like to briefly talk about the issues of Camp and we probably will be living in a greatly changing world in the Falklands over a number of years and probably in Camp greatly changing over the last 10. And, when change comes along people do become apprehensive and during the by-election and also reading the Penguin News there are people that think that’s negative or perhaps we are not doing enough. Perhaps it’s because we are not getting our views across that things are happening.
For instance, BFBS – we are working towards a reliable, quality service that’s direct into the homes. It hasn’t happened yet but we are working towards it, which would be a great improvement on what we have, especially if you’re a number of points along links from main positions like Mariah but even Mariah does have its off moments and we have snow-vision which is not novel but it’s not really great for people to watch. It has served us well and it was a great provision from nothing but hopefully what we have planned will be the next generation – will be an improvement and I hope it comes sooner rather than later. It is in the pipeline.
Cable & Wireless, again, things are beginning to happen – roads are being built, the infrastructure is being built and people are making good use of the remaining good weather of this year and hopefully the work will carry on when weather permits but at the end of the day we all want things to happen sooner rather than later but we have to be patient. We have to hope that being patient everything will go in and we’ll have a quality system, we’ll have a system that’s as people have had in Stanley for some little while. It will be a great advance. Also the possibility is that in the near future, mobile phones will be considered. This will be a great benefit to people that live in the rural community for things like emergencies. And, it will be a great thing for people that travel through Camp for breakdowns or emergencies. So, there are positive things happening – positive things on the move.
I know the Ferry has become rather controversial and Councillor Hansen has spoken about getting information out and I agree with that sentiment. I also think that it’s a community effort and we might not get it right the first time but we’ve all got to work together for people that are providing the service and the people that are receiving the service. We have had to look at bettering what we are providing and we are trying to be flexible enough but in the end that we are providing something that’s better to the majority of people and we might have to change some of our thinking about the concept of a ferry where there is a regular link between east and west for family and friends and the new opportunities it will bring for people that perhaps would want to move to Camp from Stanley, from elsewhere and have a viable living, whether that’s brought about by broadband, it possibly is. And, while I’ve heard over the years, many people thought about they’d love to go to Camp, perhaps these facilities we are providing will make it possible for people to move from talking about it to actually doing it. And, I know of at least two people that are in the process of actually doing it once broadband is in place.
Another area, of course, of concern is FIGAS and isolated communities do feel very vulnerable when they talk about a restriction or a reduction or a service being withdrawn that they relied on and we have worked very hard in trying to sort this problem out.
Mr Speaker, I support the Motion.
MR: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, in rising to support the Motion, first of all, I would like to welcome the Honourable Chief Executive to our table and to the immutable style of the Honourable John Birmingham returning to entertain us from time to time. We need a bit of livening up sometimes, don’t we? Let’s face it.
I’d like to add on to some of the comments that my Camp Colleagues have made and the Honourable Richard Stevens just made his last comment about FIFAS. And the way it operates and we will all have seen within the last week or so the report in the newspaper showing the ASSI Air Support Safety International teams view of how things can move forward. I think we all view this as being very positive. We were about to see that those three strips could have been closed down completely. ASSI believe and we should be quite clear at this stage that it’s not all done and dusted and confirmed yet. But provided we can go through the hoops which we are told we have to go through, those three strips should be able to remain in operation and fulfil the requirement which FIGAS does for everybody else around the Islands. And, I think a major contributing factor towards the ASSI recommendations is that they can see that FIGAS is operating in a very professional and well managed way. I think that was a crucial part of it from the discussions that we had with them.
Nobody’s talked about the Constitutional talks yet. I found them very, very interesting and although I was, to a great extent, listening, an awful lot of work that went into that and it was a privilege to be there. I would just make a quick comment that I would like to congratulate the Chair of our Select Committee, the Honourable Mike Summers for the work that he put in, in particular towards the successful work that was done on the Constitutional talks. Well done, Mike.
There being no more speakers, the meeting was adjourned.
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