Falklands : Falklands Summary of Executive Council Meeting 29th July 2010
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 08.08.2010 (Article Archived on 22.08.2010)
Executive Council on the 29th July considered a total of 26 papers. MLA’s Jan Cheek and Roger Edwards attended along with Glenn Ross who was standing in for Dick Sawle who was absent overseas.
Summary of Executive Council Meeting 29th July 2010
Executive Council on the 29th July considered a total of 26 papers. MLA’s Jan Cheek and Roger Edwards attended along with Glenn Ross who was standing in for Dick Sawle who was absent overseas.
The first four papers were of a financial / fiscal nature. Exco agreed the retrospective funding to transport plant and materials to Beaver Island in order to commence the upgrade of the airstrip in line with this Assembly’s desire to assist in re-opening the closed Island airstrips to Islander Aircraft.
The next paper Members approved the introduction of an additional appointment charge for those who choose to wear contact lenses who have not had them prescribed for specific medical purposes.
The third paper considered detailed policy points on the proposed re-introduction of the Medical Services Levy. Full details will be seen in the paper which will be made public but two items of interest now is that all bounties, Fire, Police and FIDF will be exempt MSL and because an anomaly discovered whereby Self Employed persons who themselves employ people could be paying in excess of 2.5% it was agreed all Self Employed persons will pay a flat rate of 1.5% on employment earnings.
Final paper in this section considering the Fisheries Scientific Budget will be looked at again next month.
The next four papers covered Environmental, Lands and Planning topics.
We were asked to consider an application from Cape Dolphin Ltd. To vary a condition in the licence granted to purchase that farm. Members accepted the advice of the Lands Committee, on the advice of DNR, to approve the application.
An application for a licence to hold land at Fitzroy was approved and the person involved will be advised shortly.
A request for a licence to shoot up to 6 Crested Caracara at Teal Inlet was approved. A further paper considering the delegation licences to shoot Crested Caracara will come before Exco in the near future.
Finally in this section, a late paper, produced by DNR and Senior Crown Council, considered an application for the ‘wet storage’ of up to 2000 tons of chain on the seabed at Port San Carlos. Exco advised the Governor to approve the application.
Under Legislative and Legal we had five papers. The first of which agreed the establishment of a working group on access to information. The paper with the proposed Terms of Reference and work programme will be made public in due course.
As agreed during the Budget Select Committee the increase in the Banking Licence requires amendment to the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Order 2010 be made by the Governor and published in the Gazette.
Paper 172/10 considered the priority of ongoing legislative drafting for the remainder of 2010. The Statistics Bill and Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill should be delayed until the November meeting of the Legislative Assembly. July Legislative Assembly will consider the Mental Health Bill and the Falkland Islands Status (Amendment) Bill, October will consider the Public Health (Prohibition of Smoking) Bill, Livestock and Meat Products Bill and a Bill for the Medical Services Levy, and finally in November we will consider the Taxes (Amendment) Bill (provisionally) and the two Bills previously mentioned.
The next paper sought approval for various matters relating to the proposed new statistics legislation, Exco approved the five recommendations including the appointment of a Senior Economic and Statistical Analyst as the Statatician which really means the re-titling of an existing post in the Policy Unit.
An update on the review of Falkland Islands Employment Law was noted. Members agreed there should be a minimum wage and this Law is one of the 8 Top Priorities of this Assembly as stated soon after the Election in November 2009. It is hoped work will be completed by October and a paper to Exco in November.
In the next, Human Resources, section Exco considered a paper on Career Breaks for Public Officers. Members felt that further briefings and slight amendments to the paper would be in order and asked that the paper be brought back to the August Exco.
Criminal Record Checks (CRC) was next reviewed and Members agreed a policy of CRC for all future staff employed within roles designated as ‘sensitive’ e.g. Teachers, Care Workers etc..
New Learning Support Assistant posts for school children was approved subject to funding being approved at SFC. The cost of this important work is escalating and Members noted an across the board review should be carried out to see how best to provide this assistance in the future.
On a similar note, support provision for a post 16 young person was recommended.
And finally the request to suspend dog dosing for one treatment in order that the D of Ag can conduct a trial on all dogs in the Falkland Islands in the continual mission to eradicate hydatidosis was approved.
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