Falklands : Summary of Falklands Executive Council Meeting 23rd July 2009
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 29.07.2009 (Article Archived on 12.08.2009)
The agenda for this month’s meeting of Executive Council was considerably lighter than that of previous months.
The agenda for this month’s meeting of Executive Council was considerably lighter than that of previous months.
Summary of Executive Council Meeting 23rd July 2009
The agenda for this month’s meeting of Executive Council was considerably lighter than that of previous months.
Following comments made last month with regard to on-going work on fishery resource rents and economic efficiency tests, the Director of Fisheries provided an update in order to clarify the position. The review of resource rents is in the process of being commissioned, it is intended that a report should be provided on this work in May 2010, following which new procedures for the setting of resource rents may be implemented for 2011. The Economic Efficiency Test is one of a suite of 3 tests set out in the Fisheries Ordinance, the other being Effective Control and Active Involvement. These tests were provided for in the legislation to enable FIG to influence fisheries development. These regulatory tests are in fact secondary drivers when compared to the primary driver which is the transferable quota system itself. The transferability allows normal economic forces to drive efficiency and development. With regard to the Economic Efficiency Test itself, consideration of the making of regulations to enable the collection of the data required is currently taking place. There will be an informing and consultation phase with FIFCA followed by the implementation of the test in due course.
Following the completion of the recent budget process and the subsequent application of the 5.2% inflationary uplift across a number of services, the Department of Health and Social Services requested that Executive Council consider and approve the necessary changes to their service charges. Member approved the changes.
Members considered an application for a further post of Learning Support Assistant for the Infant and Junior School. This late application was made due to lack of appreciation of the level of support required for 3 children in the community who will enter school in September this coming academic year. Members approved that a part-time LSA could be established and referred the matter to the Standing Finance Committee.
Members were asked to consider the possible closure of Goose Green School in order to assist the Infant Junior School with teaching resource, which has arisen due to an early contract termination. Whilst the number of children attending Goose Green School is close to the threshold for closing it is not clear that the number of attendees will drop below the threshold in September 2009. Members therefore concluded that they did not support the closure of the Goose Green School and approved that an interim LSA be recruited to assist the form teach of Year 6, to cover the period required until a new teacher can be recruited. Funds for the temporary LSA post will be met from within the existing budget.
A report from the Overseas Territory Prisons Advisor, Mr Keith Munns was presented to Executive Council, Members noted the recommendations many of which have already been successfully implemented, and agreed that a full report will be made public following a further visit by Mr Munns, this week, who will include any further recommendations regarding the operation of the new prison facilities.
As a direct result of the increasing costs of asphalt materials (by around 60%) over the past 4 and a half years, the Stanley Runway re-surfacing project is now short of funds totalling £70,000. Members agreed that this project must be completed and therefore recommended to the Standing Finance Committee that £70,000 should be drawn from the Capital Equalisation Fund for the 2009/10 financial year in order that this shortfall be met.
A report on BFBS TV was provided to Members for consideration. Work on this project is on-going and progress has been made on both Stanley and Camp TV provision. Satellite dishes which will enable TV reception for the majority of camp locations are also about to be ordered. A further update will be available in due course.
As a result of the work required in relation to the introduction of the General Migrants Points System being incomplete, Members were asked to approve a further period of suspension of two months of Section 18 of the Immigration Ordinance in respect of the issue of PRP’s. Recognising that the introduction of a system that is not complete cannot take place, Members reluctantly approved the suspension of Section 18, which will result in the Moratorium being lifted on 1st October 2009.
This concludes the Executive Council summary for July 2009.
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