The first Executive Council items this month were one of the drilling company’s oil spill contingency plans and a safety case for the rig to drill in deeper water. These are part of the regulatory approvals and systems that have to be in place before each company’s exploratory drilling commences.

We referred two papers for consideration at budget select committee, one regarding a subsidy to the Pension Board for administration costs and the other on the Exercise Referral Practitioner post.

Executive Council agreed that negotiations could be started with the MOD on possible provision of some wind power.

We discussed a proposal for a South Atlantic environmental research institute and agreed that there should be a presentation of the proposal and business plan to all MLAs.

Next we discussed and agreed the release of more housing plots at Mink Park in advance of the finalising of the new housing policy. It is intended that the release of these plots by mid year is a ‘one off’ to help reduce the acute shortage of affordable housing. The process will include an element of subsidy which will be more favourable to first time buyers. Most importantly there will be a claw-back of the plot subsidy if the houses are sold within ten years. This will be 100% of the subsidy for the first five years and on a reducing scale from year six to year ten.

Discussion continued on the provision of a lease for Stanley Golf Club.

A licence to hold land was agreed for Marmont Row Management Ltd to cover the common areas in the development.

Provision of office accommodation for BAS was agreed, as was a paper on a waste disposal licence for the abattoir.

We noted the paper on legislative drafting priorities and highlighted a couple of items, firstly the need to deal with some anomalies in immigration matters and also the fact that we would like an early opportunity to debate the bill on smoking in public places which was due around now but still needs some work.

We greed the exclusion of an area of FIC land at Fairy Cove from traffic regulations to allow it to be used by the FI Motorcycle Association competitions including riders who do not hold licences.

The Public Accounts Committee (Amendment) Bill was remitted to Legislative Assembly.

An application for a Bareboat charter to be registered was agreed.

Finally we recalled the existence of the ‘Battle Day Letter’ of 1994 to the UK Foreign Secretary in which the council of the day expressed their wish, should oil be found in commercial quantities, to contribute to the cost of defence once essential Falklands infrastructure was up to standard.

END