Falklands : Falklands Summary of Executive Council Meeting Held on 24 February 2011
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 05.03.2011 (Article Archived on 19.03.2011)

Sitting on Executive Council in February were the Hon Sharon Halford, Hon Jan Cheek and the Hon Glenn Ross. This was Attorney General David Pickup’s final EXCO.

Summary of Executive Council Meeting Held on 24 February 2011

Sitting on Executive Council in February were the Hon Sharon Halford, Hon Jan Cheek and the Hon Glenn Ross. This was Attorney General David Pickup’s final EXCO.

There were 22 papers to be considered and some will not be reported on here but have been forwarded to the budget sessions.

We reviewed and approved a paper setting the minimum wage level for 16 and 17 year olds at £3 pounds per hour. At this point we have also agreed to the same inclusions and exclusions as presently exist for employees who are 18 years and over.

We remitted to the legislative assembly meeting of the 25^th of February a paper detailing the supplementary appropriation of £1,172,750.

£172,750 is to be advanced from the contingencies fund as approved by SFC at its meetings of the 20^th October 2010 and 27 January 2011.

The remaining £1M relates to relates to changes to the accounting treatment of funds allocated in support of shipping, so that they must now be appropriated from the Consolidated Fund as an operating subsidy rather than financed as a loan from the Capital Equalisation Fund.

We agreed to support the relocation of the Museum to the Government Dockyard site and estimated funding to be included in the Capital Programme. We noted that there is an ambitious target for the move to be completed by June 2012. We also agreed that the funding is to be a grant rather than a loan. The Museum and National Trust receive a subvention and any repayment would likely result in an increase of that subvention.

We then considered a paper that sets out the RFIP pledge. It provides a clear view of what the police force is there for and what we can all expect from it. This will be made available to the wider public.

We agreed a paper from the Legislative Drafter recommending that the Governor make an order amending the Stanley (Various roads) One Way Traffic Order.

This allows the Police to drive directly from their car park onto Ross Road, which was not a problem until the fairly recent reversal of Pencil Lane.

We agreed to the St Mary’s Walk (Parking Control) order with the aim of making parking easier for outpatients attending the KEMH. The order contains a provision for it to come into force on a date fixed by the Governor by a notice in the Gazette. There is no promise but effort will be made for that to be from the 1^st of March.

AOB We agreed to waive fees for one week in March for a Festival of Sport; we hope that this will become an annual event.

We agreed that funding be allocated for the 2013 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting to be hosted here in the Falkland Islands.

END

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