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Order of the day for the Dec. 17 2013 sitting of the House of Assembly
Citation preview
THIRD SITTING OF THE THIRD SESSION
OF THE SECOND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
TO BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, 17th
DECEMBER, 2013
AT THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA
AT 10:00 A.M.
ORDER OF THE DAY
1
ORDER OF THE DAY
1) Prayers
2) Confirmation of Minutes
Confirmation of Minutes for the Meeting of Tuesday, 19th
November, 2013
3) Announcements by the Speaker
4) Statements by Ministers
5) Presentation of Papers
a) The Premier and Minister of Finance to lay on the table the following
document:
i. Twelfth Special Report “Game of Chance” to the House of Assembly
from the Complaints Commissioner; and
ii. British Virgin Islands International Finance Centre Annual Report
2012
b) The Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour to lay on
the table the following documents:
i. British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust Financial Statements for
the year ended December 31, 2009 and Independent Auditor’s Report;
ii. British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust Financial Statements for
the year ended December 31, 2010 and Independent Auditor’s Report;
iii. British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust Annual Report 2009 ; and
iv. British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust Annual Report 2010.
c) The Minister for Health and Social Development to lay on the table the
following document:
i) 2010 Social Security Board Annual Report.
2
7) Notices of Motions Given Orally
a) The Premier and Minister of Finance to give notice that, at a later stage in the
proceedings, he would seek leave to move the Motions standing in his name under
Items 9(1)(i) and (v) on the Order of the Day.
b) The Minister for Health and Social Development to give notice that, at a later stage in
the proceedings, he would seek leave to move the Motion standing in his name under
Item 9(1)(ii) on the Order of the Day.
c) The Attorney General to give notice that, at a later stage in the proceedings, he would
seek leave to move the Motions standing in his name under Items 9(1)(iii) and (iv) on
the Order of the Day.
d) The Leader of the Opposition and the Member for the Ninth District to give notice
that, at a later stage in the proceedings, he would seek leave to ask the questions
standing in his name under Item 8(i) and (ii) on the Order of the Day.
e) The Member for the Third District to give notice that, at a later stage in the
proceedings, he would seek leave to ask the questions standing in his name under
Items 8(iii) through (vi) on the Order of the Day.
f) The Member for the First District to give notice that, at a later stage in the
proceedings, he would seek leave to ask the questions standing in his name under
Items 8(vii) through (x) on the Order of the Day.
8) Questions and Answers to Questions
i) The Leader of the Opposition and Member for the Ninth District to ask the
Honourable Premier and the Minister of Finance the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance tell this
Honourable House:
a) how many Statutory Bodies, Authorities, Commissions, Trusts and
other similar bodies there are?
b) how many are revenue producing? and
c) how much has been paid into the Treasury so far for the year 2013?
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance tell this
Honourable House how much has been paid by the Government to maintain and
operate these Statutory Bodies and provide this Honourable House with a detailed list
of the costs.
3
Question 3
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House the number of civil servants on the Government payroll as of
30th
November, 2013, and further how many are pensionable, how many are
temporary and how many are on contract?
Question 4
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance agree that
with the expansion of Spanish Town in the Valley, Virgin Gorda there is need for the
houses to be numbered and the unnamed roads in the village named.
ii) The Leader of the Opposition and Member for the Ninth District to ask the
Honourable Minister for Communications and Works the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House the number of all vehicles on the island of Virgin
Gorda at the end of the month of November 2013 and how the figures compare with
the number of vehicles on the island as at 30th
November 2012.
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House if and when work will be started to repair a portion
of the public road from the Pump Well to the Roman Catholic Community Centre in
the Valley, Virgin Gorda.
Question 3
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House when work will begin on erecting guard rails on
the public road leading from Nail Bay, Virgin Gorda to Cedar Hill and then to the
Bond, North Sound, Virgin Gorda.
Question 4
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works tell
this Honourable House, that with the increased traffic in Virgin Gorda, if he would
increase the traffic signs and stop signs, install the white line in the centre of the road
and also the reflector lights on the side of the road, especially on the sea side.
4
Question 5
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House that as a result of the increase in traffic in Virgin
Gorda, if he would make an effort to widen some of the main roads such as Bath
Road, Reamer Hill Road and Crabbe Hill Road and to widen the narrow corners
throughout the village.
iii) The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Premier and Minister
of Finance the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
present this Honourable House with:
a) the revenue and expenditure for the month of November and 1st half
of December 2013, and indicate whether we are on par with budget
projections.
b) a comparison of the same figures in (a) above, with those of 2012;
and
c) indicate where the revenues in (a) above were derived in dollar
amount.
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
provide this Honourable House with Treasury Statements for the months of
November and the 1st half of December 2013.
Question 3
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
provide this Honourable House with:
a) a register of all revenue received from the Financial Services
Commission (FSC) indicating the dates received and individual
amounts during the month of November, and to date in December
2013; and
b) a comparison of the figures given in (a) with the same period in 2012.
5
Question 4
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House what the total revenue received from FSC is to date broken
down by month (please indicate your cutoff date) for the year 2013, and that of the
corresponding date in 2012?
Question 5
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House what were the contributions to the Reserve Fund for
November and for December as of present 2013?
Question 6
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House:
a) what is the current balance of the Reserve Fund? and
b) what is the current balance of each of the other established Funds.
Question 7
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House:
a) The dollar amount of all unpaid vouchers at the treasury; and
b) The date of the longest outstand unpaid voucher.
Question 8
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House whether, as required by the Protocols for Effective Financial
Management signed on April 23rd
2012 between the Government of the Virgin
Islands and the Government of the United Kingdom, he has obtained from the
Secretary of State written approval before:
a) Completing the Medium Term Fiscal Plan (MTFP)? and
b) Proceeding with any new projects with a lifetime forecasted value of
more than 5% (in our case 4%) of the annual forecasted Recurrent
Revenue?
6
Question 9
Madam Speaker, with regard to Question 8 above, could the Honourable Premier and
Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House:
a) in terms of the MTFP, the date or dates on which such approval was
sought, and the date or dates on which the approval/s was granted,
and present this Honourable House with copies of both the requests
for approval and approval from the Secretary of State, along with his
[Premier] MTFP;
b) as it relates to proceeding with new projects, tell us the names of each
project, the date or dates on which such approval/s was sought, and
the date or dates on which the approval/s was granted, and present
this Honourable House with copies of both the requests for approval/s
and the approval/s from the Secretary of State for each of the projects
such approval has been granted for?
c) if in the case of (b) above, approvals were denied or are still pending,
tell us the names of each project, the date or dates on which such
approval/s was sought, and present this Honourable House with
copies of each request; and
d) tell this Honourable House:
i. how many MTFPs were to have been prepared and submitted
to date in accordance with the Protocols for Effective
Financial Management, since it was signed on April 23rd
2012
between the Government of the Virgin Islands and the
Government of the United Kingdom? and
ii. how many MTFPs were actually prepared upon obtaining
written approval from the Secretary of State?
Question 10
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House whether as provided for by the Protocols, the Government of
the United Kingdom has to date requested any of the following:
a) details on the composition of debt?
b) updates on capital projects?
c) details of proposed capital investments, PFI, PPP, and alternative
forms of private finance? and
7
d) if the answer to any of the above questions is “yes”, could he please
tell us:
i. the dates for which each request was made;
ii. whether the information was submitted, and if it wasn’t why
not; and
e) could he please furnish this Honourable House with the information
sent to the United Kingdom?
Question 11
Madam Speaker, with regards to the IPOC International Growth Fund Limited and
three others, I am aware of a $10 million disbursement to the Peebles Hospital
construction project which did not show up on the “IPOC Funds Appropriation
Budgeted Appropriations and Expenditure” Chart presented to this Honourable
House by the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance at its last sitting. Could
the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please:
a) tell this Honourable House why that transaction was omitted from the
chart; and
b) present this Honourable House with a spreadsheet indicating all
transactions that utilized any money from the Fund, (temporary or
otherwise) indicating clearly:
i. the dates drawn;
ii. the purpose for which the monies were used; and
iii. if the monies were eventually paid back into the Fund, give
the dates it was paid back, and its source (whether Bank Loan
of Consolidated Fund).
Question 12
Madam Speaker, if the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance is in a better
position now than when I last asked, whether the arrangements made with McAlpine
for the development of Prospect Reef Hotel is a Sale, a Lease, or a Partnership, and
his answer was “The Prospect Reef Hotel development is at the early stages of the
process. Cabinet has agreed that McAlpine was successful in being awarded the
opportunity to develop the Prospect Reef site and McAlpine has agreed to pursue the
development. We are now at the early stages of negotiating a development agreement
which will among other things detail the obligations of both parties including how
the arrangements for the Prospect site will be handled. Therefore, the specifics of the
arrangements have not yet been negotiated or agreed”, could he please tell this
Honourable House whether the arrangement made is a Sale, a Lease, or a
8
Partnership?
Question 13
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House whether:
a) his Government is currently providing subsidies to any commercial
airline in the form of Revenue Guarantee, or through indirect
concessions?
b) if the answer to (a) is “yes”, could he tell us the names of the carriers,
the nature of the subsidies, and provide us with a copy of the
Agreement? and
c) if the answer to (a) is “no”, has there been any request for such
assistance, and what was the reason given for it?
Question 14
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House, if following the French action to add the territory to a list of
“uncooperative jurisdictions” in August and consequently labelling us "an un-
cooperative Tax Haven" and ultimately placing us on their Black List, he was able to:
a) determine the cause of the French action: if “yes”, please tell this
Honourable House what was their reason; and if “no”, why not?
b) remedy the cause: if “yes”, what was the remedy? and if “no”, why is
it not fixed? and
c) who was the person or persons responsible for such a costly misstep?
iv) The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Minister for Health
and Social Development the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House whether:
a) he has procured and tendered the remaining medical equipment
estimated to be around $10 million for the Peebles Hospital project as
yet?
b) if “yes”, who was the winning tenderer, and what was the cost? and
c) how were they funded?
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Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House whether:
a) he has concluded the search and recruitment for the additional staff
and technicians including doctors and nurses for the new Peebles
Hospital?
b) if the answer to (a) is “yes”, what is the cost?
c) if the answer to (a) is “no”, why not, and when do you expect this to
happen? and
d) was the recruitment carried out by consultants or by the British Virgin
Islands Health Authority (BVIHA) and or the Ministry?
v) The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Minister for
Communications and Works the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House:
a) what was the total quantity of water received from each of the water
producing plants on Tortola for each month of the year 2013
b) what was the cost for the water received in (a) above per 1000
Imperial Gallons for each month?
c) what was the cost for the water received in (a) above for each month?
and
d) in the case of the Baughers Bay Plant, please give the operational cost
including material and spares for the year 2013 up to date.
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House when I can expect to see some badly needed
repairs to potholes and asphalt-peeling to the portion of Drake’s Highway from Fort
Burt to Fort Recovery, including the recently surfaced stretch from Albion to
Palestina?
10
vi) The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Minister for
Education and Culture the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Education and Culture please tell
this Honourable House whether water is still being trucked in to the prison at Balsam
Gut?
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Education and Culture please tell
this Honourable House:
a) what is the outstanding arrears for the transportation of high school
children?
b) what was the last date bus drivers were paid for the transportation of
high school children? and
c) what was the length of the intervening period between the last
payment and the prior one?
vii) The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Premier and Minister
of Finance the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, now that the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance is fully
aware of the existence of the Auditor General’s Report on the Cruise Pier Project and
is constitutionally mandated receipt of said Report, then could the Honourable
Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House when would the
said report be laid on the table of this Honourable House in accordance with Section
109(3) of the Constitution of the Virgin Islands?
Question 2
Madam Speaker, if the answer to Question 1 is not in the affirmative then could the
Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please explain to this Honourable
House why not?
Question 3
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House of the total amount of money expended on travel
abroad on official duty by all elected Ministers of his Cabinet including the Premier
from November 2011 when his administration took office to present, inclusive of per
diem, incidentals, airline tickets, hotel, ground and other transportation, and all other
11
travelling expenses and related travelling expenses?
Question 4
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
provide this Honourable House with a breakdown of each Cabinet Member’s travel
on official duty as stated above in Question 3 inclusive of the following for each
travel: date, place, cost, purpose of trip and benefits to the Territory for each trip as
well as any report(s) done after each trip by each Member?
Question 5
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House of the total amount of money expended on travel
abroad on official duty by all Public Officers inclusive of all Statutory bodies
including their Board Members from November 2011 when his administration took
office to present, inclusive of per diem, incidentals, airline tickets, hotel, ground and
other transportation, and all other travelling expenses and related travelling
expenses?
Question 6
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House when was the Reserve Fund officially established and, to
date, list the amount(s) and date(s) of each withdrawal from the Reserve Fund since
being established?
Question 7
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House if his Government has any policy or programme
established for first time home owners that are Virgin Islanders struggling to get their
first home? And if such a programme or policy exists, then could the Honourable
Premier and Minister of Finance please furnish this Honourable House with a copy of
such?
Question 8
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House of the total Public Debt to date, and kindly state, using
percentages, what is attributed to the makeup of the total Public Debt stated?
Question 9
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House if the United Kingdom has already given their approval in
writing for the Cruise Ship Pier Development Project and/or the Terrance B.
Lettsome Airport runway expansion project?
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a) if the answer is in the affirmative, please provide this Honourable
House with a copy of such approval for one or both of the mentioned
project(s)?
b) if the answer is not in the affirmative then please inform this
Honourable House if his Government has, to date, sought in writing
permission from the United Kingdom for either or both of the
mentioned projects and provide copies of such to this Honourable
House?
Question 10
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House of all projects exceeding the petty contract limit of one
hundred thousand dollars that were approved by his Cabinet since taking office in
November 2011 inclusive of the amounts approved for each project?
a) for each project, please state if the projects were tendered or not?
b) for each project, indicate if a single contractor or multiple contractors
were awarded the project?
c) for each project, state when the project commenced and if it has been
completed and what was the final cost upon completion?
d) for each project, please state if multiple contractors were used
through petty contracts or purchase orders or a combination of both?
and
e) given the answer to (d) is in the affirmative, please inform this
Honourable House if his Government has engaged contractors for any
of the mentioned projects in a manner that could be referred to as
contract splitting?
Question 11
Madam Speaker, given the passage of the Public Finance Management Act, 2004 and
Public Finance Management (Amendment) Act, 2005, could the Honourable Premier
and Minister of Finance please inform this Honourable House if since retaking office
in November 2011 and to date, whether or not his Government has engaged
contractors to any capital project in a manner that could be referred to as contract
splitting as defined by the said Acts and/or the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC)
Report?
13
Question 12
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House:
a) of each contracted amount, purchase order or otherwise, and dates of
each to PWC to provide services to the Government of the Virgin
Islands inclusive of services provided by PWC to any Statutory
Body?
b) if the works for which contracts were issued to PWC were done in
accordance with Section 11b: Tendering and Procurement of the
Protocols for Effective Financial Management?
c) the scope of work for each service provided by PWC to the
Government of the Virgin Islands and the Statutory Bodies?
d) for each service rendered by PWC, provide the amounts and dates of
each payment made to the company to date?
e) if to date there exist any balance on any of the contract(s), purchase
order(s), or otherwise?
f) if “yes”, how much is the said balance for each?
g) provide a copy of each contract, purchase order and engagement letter
to PWC? and
h) provide the Head and Subhead from which each such payment was
made and the respective Ministry and/or Statutory Body that
originated the charge against the Head and Subhead for each project?
Question 13
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House when the Building in Carrot Bay that was purchased
by the last Administration to House the Post Office will be opened?
a) what all services will be provided at the facility when opened? and
b) will there be an official opening ceremony?
14
Question 14
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please
inform this Honourable House if his Government intends to negotiate with land
owners in Carrot Bay in order to construct new public roads in the hills of Carrot
Bay? If so, when?
Question 15
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House whether or not the works being carried out on the
construction of the new Park being constructed on the grounds neighbouring the
existing Queen Elizabeth II Park across from the Governor’s residence has engaged
contractors, thus far, in a manner that can be referred to as contract splitting as
defined in the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Act, 2005 and/or the PWC
report?
Question 16
Madam Speaker, in reference to the project mentioned in question 15, could the
Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please inform this Honourable House of
the following:
a) the full cost of the project?
b) if the project was tendered?
c) who is the project manager for the project and which Ministry is
responsible for the construction phase?
d) if the project was approved by Cabinet and if “yes”, when and how
much was approved by Cabinet for the construction of the new Park?
and
e) if the project was fully budgeted for in the 2013 Budget Estimates and
if “yes”, under what Head and Subhead and the amount allotted for
the project in the budget?
Question 17
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please tell
this Honourable House which Ministry in his Government has been given the
responsibility to design, cost and oversee all matters, including construction, of the
proposed fisherman dock to be built in Carrot Bay?
15
viii) The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Minister for Health
and Social Development the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House:
a) what is the overall cost expended by his Ministry and/or Government
for works done since taking office in November 2011 and to date, on
the Senior Citizen Project including all roads, walls and earth works
at Spooner’s and neighbouring areas inclusive of all cost: material,
technical expertise, and all soft and hard costs to date?
b) if the project was tendered?
c) the amount of each contract and Purchase Order issued by the
Government for the said project along with the respective
contractor/company?
d) which Head and Subhead each payment was made from along with
the respective Ministry that each payment originated? and
e) if the methodology used to do this project could be considered to be
contract splitting as defined in the Public Finance Management
(Amendment) Act, 2005 and/or the PWC report?
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House of the total cost expended to date on the
construction of the new Peebles Hospital since his 2007 Government signed to
construct the project with Carimex inclusive of all costs: technical/experts fees, etc.?
Question 3
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House what percentage of the public debt to date is
attributed to the funding for the total Hospital project since his 2007 Government
signed to construct the project with Carimex?
Question 4
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House of the total of all outstanding unpaid claims to date
for the Peebles Hospital Construction Project since his 2007 Government signed to
construct the new Peebles Hospital Project with Carimex?
16
Question 5
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development
please tell this Honourable House whether or not any company or institution is or was
contracted by the Government of the Virgin Islands to formulate the National Health
Insurance scheme? If “yes”, please disclose the name(s) of the company or institution
and the date(s) of each contract(s)?
Question 6
Madam Speaker, if the answer to Question 5 is in the affirmative, could the
Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please tell this Honourable
House if the tender process or any other form of competitive bidding was sought by
the Government of the Virgin Islands as part of the process in the selection of the
current or former contractor(s)/consultant(s) who is or was undertaking the
formulation of the National Health Insurance Scheme?
Question 7
Madam Speaker, if the answer to Question 5 is in the affirmative, could the
Honourable Minister of Health and Social Development please tell this Honourable
House what is the total money expended to date to the said contractor(s)/consultant(s)
by the Government of the Virgin Islands since the commencement of this project;
The National Health Insurance Scheme?
Question 8
Madam Speaker, given that there exist plans for the construction of a new Capoon’s
Bay Clinic, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please
inform this Honourable House if his Government will be moving forward with this
project and if so, when will the project commence?
ix) The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Minister for
Communications and Works the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House:
a) of works done since taking office in 2011 to date on the parking lot
project across the road from the Peebles Hospital inclusive of all
costs: material, technical expertise, and all soft and hard cost to date?
b) if the project was tendered?
17
c) the amount of each contract and Purchase Order issued by the
Government for the said project along with the respective
contractor/company?
d) which Head and Subhead each payment was made from along with
the respective Ministry that each payment originated? and
e) if the methodology used to do this project, thus far, could be
considered as contract splitting as defined in the Public Finance
Management (Amendment) Act, 2005 and/or the PWC report?
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House:
a) what is the overall cost expended by his Ministry/Government, to
date, on works done since taking office in 2011 on the Craft Alive
Project inclusive of all costs: material, technical expertise, and all soft
and hard costs to date?
b) if the project was tendered?
c) the amount of each contract and Purchase Order issued by the
Government for the said project along with the respective
contractor/company?
d) which Head and Subhead each payment was made from along with
the respective Ministry that each payment originated? and
e) if the methodology used to do this project, thus far, could be
considered as contract splitting as defined in the Public Finance
Management (Amendment) Act, 2005 and/or the PWC report?
Question 3
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please inform this Honourable House:
a) what is the overall cost expended by his Ministry/Government of
works done to date, since taking office in 2011 on the Manse Road
now named the Paul P. Wattley Road inclusive of all costs: material,
technical expertise, and all soft and hard costs to date?
b) if the project was tendered?
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c) the amount of each contract and Purchase Order issued by the
Government for the said project along with the respective
contractor/company?
d) which Head and Subhead each payment was made from along with
the respective Ministry that each payment originated?
e) if there exists any pending land issues and clearly list them and state
how the Government is working towards resolving them and include
all potential/projected costs to the Government of the Virgin Islands
in order to clear all of the land issues? and
f) if the methodology used to do this project, thus far, could be
considered as contract splitting as defined in the Public Finance
Management (Amendment) Act, 2005 and/or the PWC report?
Question 4
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please inform this Honourable House:
a) what is the overall cost expended by his Government on works done
to date since taking office in 2011 on the Georgie Hill/George Hill
Road Project in Greenland, inclusive of all costs: material, technical
expertise, and all soft and hard costs to date?
b) the budgeted or Cabinet’s approved value of the said projected?
c) if the project was tendered or if any competitive bids were sought?
d) the amount of each contract and Purchase Order issued by the
Government to date for the said project along with the respective
contractor/company/supplier(s)?
e) which Head and Subhead each payment was made from along with
the respective Ministry that each payment originated?
f) if this project was budgeted for, and if “yes”, when and where? and
g) if this project was approved by Cabinet, and if “yes”, what date was it
approved and for what amount?
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Question 5
Madam Speaker, from the Designs and Bill of Quantities, could the Honourable
Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House:
a) what is the total cost of the Georgie Hill/George Hill Road Project in
Greenland?
b) given the amount of money spent on this project to date, if his
Ministry intends to request approval for any additional funding for
this project this year, or otherwise?
c) if “yes”, please itemize what the additional funding will be expected
to cover?
d) if to date the project has exceeded the budgeted amount?
e) the date that the works commenced on this project and list all
persons/Government agencies used to oversee this project to date?
f) the total of all remaining unpaid expenses to date for this project and
the reasons why they have not been paid as well as furnish this
Honourable House with a listing of the aforementioned;
g) what entity, private or public, supervised or is currently supervising
this project and their locations? and
h) if the methodology used to do this project could be considered as
contract splitting as is defined in the Public Finance Management
(Amendment) Act, 2005 and/or the PWC report?
Question 6
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please confirm for this Honourable House whether or not there exist any pending
land issues on the Georgie Hill/George Hill Road Project in Greenland? And if so,
please list them and clearly state how his Government is working towards resolving
them and include all potential/projected cost to the Government of the Virgin Islands
in order to clear all land issues?
Question 7
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please confirm for this Honourable House whether or not the pumps for the Capoon’s
Bay Drainage Project in the First District are currently in the possession of his
Ministry?
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a) if “yes”, please tell this Honourable House when will the pumps be
installed seeing that the rainy season is upon us?
b) please tell this Honourable House from what date was the pumps in
the possession of the Ministry/received by his Ministry? and
c) other than the installation of the pumps please tell this Honourable
House what other works will make up this phase of the project and
when will the works commence?
Question 8
Madam Speaker, can the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works
please tell this Honourable House:
a) when will the public meeting to discuss the new Sopher’s Hole
Jetty/facilities design be held in the First District?
b) what is the proposed cost of the project? and
c) what is the scheduled commencement time for the project?
Question 9
Madam Speaker given that the Frenchman’s Cay Bridge is currently in need of urgent
attention, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please
inform this Honourable House when this matter will be addressed by his Ministry?
Question 10
Madam Speaker given that all of the bridges on the main road of Carrot Bay are
currently in need of urgent attention, could the Honourable Minister for
Communications and Works please inform this Honourable House when this matter
will be addressed by his Ministry?
Question 11
Madam Speaker, given that the roads in the First District are in extremely bad shape
and in dire need of urgent attention, could the Honourable Minister for
Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House when these matters
will be addressed including the patching of the many huge holes in the roads in the
First District?
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x) The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Minister for Education
and Culture the following questions:
Question 1
Madam Speaker, given the proven importance during the last three years of the
Power School technology in the real time monitoring of students’ academic
performance, among others, at the secondary school level of our public schools by
parents and education officials; could the Honourable Minister for Education and
Culture please tell this Honourable House when will the same technology be
extended to all the public primary schools whereby parents, among other education
officials can monitor students’ academic performance, among other performances, at
the primary level?
Question 2
Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Education and Culture please
inform this Honourable House:
a) if a consultant is currently engaged by his Ministry or any other
Ministry to work along with the Ministry of Education and Culture on
the implementation of the Power School technology in all of the
public primary schools as well as to work on/assist on all other Power
School related matters?
b) if the answer is in the affirmative, the name of the company, the
contracted amount and the duration of the contract?
c) which Ministry is the contract being charged to as well as the Head
and Subhead from which the contracted amount is being charged? and
d) given that the Honourable Minister previously informed this
Honourable House of the total money his Ministry has spent on
consultancy since taking office in November 2011, could he please
confirm for this Honourable House if the contracted amount for the
consultant in question was included in the previously stated total
expended by his Ministry in consultancy work?
Question 3
Madam Speaker seeing that we all seek to implement what is best for our education
system in order to maintain a high standard in education especially in the area of
discipline, could the Honourable Minister for Education please inform this
Honourable House if it is now a policy of the Ministry and Department of Education
that the suspension of a student by school authorities during examination time, no
matter the offence by the student, is now totally forbidden?
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9) Public Business
1) Government Business
Second and Third Readings
(i) The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Second and
Third Readings of the Bill entitled, “Arbitration Act, 2013”.
(ii) The Minister for Health and Social Development to move a motion for the
Second and Third Readings of the Bill entitled, “Public Assistance Act,
2013”.
(iii) The Attorney General to move a motion for the Second and Third Readings
of the Bill entitled, “Interpretation (Amendment) Act, 2013”; and
(iv) The Attorney General to move a motion for the Second and Third Readings
of the Bill entitled, “Law Revision Act, 2013”.
(v) The Premier and Minister of Finance to move the following motion:
WHEREAS the Appropriation Act in respect of the 2014 financial
year may not come into operation by the beginning of the financial year;
AND WHEREAS section 105 of the Virgin Islands Constitution
Order 2007, (U.K.S.I. 2007 No. 1678) gives power to the House of Assembly
by resolution to empower the Minister of Finance to authorise the withdrawal
from the Consolidated Fund of monies necessary to carry on the services of
the Government after the start of the new financial year, and the use of those
funds for up to four months or the coming into operation of the Appropriation
Act, whichever is the earlier;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the House of
Assembly of the Virgin Islands approves
(a) the withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund of
i. an amount of ninety-nine million, five hundred and seventy-
six thousand, three hundred and thirty-three dollars
($99,576,333) in respect of the Recurrent Budget of the
Territory for part of fiscal year 2014;
ii. an amount of seven million, one hundred and forty-three
thousand, six hundred dollars ($7,143,600) to fund approved
capital projects, the cost of which is to be met from local
resources;
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iii. an amount of four million dollars ($4,000,000) to fund the
Reserve Fund;
(b) the continuance of expenditure on approved capital projects financed
from external sources and like projects which may be approved not later
than 30th
April, 2014.
2) Private Members Business
10) Other Business
11) Adjournment