FIRST SITTING OF THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE SECOND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, 10th NOVEMBER, 2014 AT THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA AT 10:00 A.M.
ORDER OF THE DAY
ORDER OF THE DAY 1)
Prayers
2)
Confirmation of Minutes Confirmation of Minutes for the Meeting of Thursday, 25th September, 2014
3)
Announcements by the Speaker
4)
Statements by Ministers The Premier and Minister of Finance to move the following motion:
WHEREAS Standing Order 11 of the House of Assembly Standing Orders outlines for each sitting the order of business of the House of Assembly, unless the House directs otherwise; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House directs that the business of the order of the day as outlined in Standing Order 11 be, for the purposes of this First Sitting of the Fourth Session of the Second House of Assembly, varied to allow for Item 4 – Statements by Ministers and Item 7 – Questions and Answers to Questions to be taken immediately after Item 8(1)(ii) on the Order of the Day. 5)
Presentation of Papers a)
b)
The Minister for Health and Social Development to lay on the table the following documents: i)
Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly, Annual Report 2013;
ii)
Department of Waste Management Annual Report 2013;
iii)
National Domestic Violence Protocol for the Virgin Islands; and
iv)
Protocol for the Prevention, Reporting, Investigation and Management of Child Abuse and Neglect.
The Minister for Communications and Works to lay on the table the following document: i)
Public Works Department Annual Report 2013.
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6)
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 8(1)(i) and (iii) on the Order of the Day.
b)
The Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour 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 8(1)(iv) 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 Motion standing in his name under Item 8(1)(v) on the Order of the Day.
d)
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 7(i) and (ii) on the Order of the Day.
Questions and Answers to Questions (i)
The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance the following questions: Question 1 Madam Speaker, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House, since taking office in November 2011, to date, what is the total amount of money paid to PriceWaterHouseCoopers by the Central Government and if each such hire involved competitive bidding and/or the tender process? Question 2 Madam Speaker, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House, since taking office in November 2011, to date, what is the total amount of money paid to PriceWaterHouseCoopers by each Statutory Body of the Government of the Virgin Islands and if each such hire involved competitive bidding and/or the tender process? Question 3 Madam Speaker, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House what is the total amount of public debt as of 31st October, 2014? Question 4 Madam Speaker, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please furnish this Honourable House with a detailed breakdown of each component that forms part of the current total public debt, to date, and the amounts that each component 2
contributes to the public debt in dollars and in percentage? Question 5 Madam Speaker, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please give this Honourable House an update on the current status of the project in Carrot Bay to construct a fisherman’s dock in the vicinity of the landfill area as well as include timelines and dates for each phase of the project? Question 6 Madam Speaker, given the ongoing significant increased concerns about crime in the Territory, especially in the First District, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please inform this Honourable House of: (a) what is the estimated cost to rectify the problems with the West End Police Station Building? (b) when would the problems with the West End Police Station Building be fully addressed and rectified? (c) when would the West End Police Station be fully functional and once again accessible to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? and (d) if there are any plans to permanently close the West End Police Station? If yes, why? Question 7 Madam Speaker, to date, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please inform this Honourable House of: (a) (b) (c) (d)
the dollar amount of all unpaid vouchers at the Treasury; the date of the longest outstanding unpaid voucher; the balance of the Consolidated Fund; and, the balance of all other established Funds?
Question 8 Madam Speaker, according to Section 61(3) of the Virgin Islands Constitution, would the Premier and Minister of Finance please tell this Honourable House when the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Schedules of Additional Provision would be submitted to this House?
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(ii)
The Member for the First District to ask the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works the following questions: Question 1 Madam Speaker, given that we are in the hurricane season, could the Minister for Communications and Works please update this Honourable House on when the next phase of the drainage project would commence, inclusive of the pumps being installed in Capoon’s Bay, especially in the area known as the Bottom, seeing that the first phase of the project commenced prior to November 2011? Question 2 Madam Speaker, given that the First District is a highly populated area, could the Minister for Communications and Works please update this Honourable House on when the Fire Station in Capoon’s Bay would be: (a) (b) (c) (d)
fully operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? equipped with a Fire tender stationed at the Fire Station in Capoon’s Bay? staffed full-time? and, maintained and upgraded, inclusive of the road to enter and exit the compound?
Question 3 Madam Speaker, given that the Sopher’s Hole/West End Jetty is a highly traversed area by both locals, visitors and tourists, could the Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House if the designs for the new Jetty are completed? If yes,: (a) what is the projected cost of the project? (b) how would it be funded? (c) when would there be a public meeting with the people of the First District and the Territory, as promised by the Minister for Communications and Works, to allow for public input before the project commences? (d) when are the works scheduled to commence? and, (e) if the designs are not completed, please state when they would be completed? Question 4 a) Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether or not the approximately one million dollars ($ 1,000,000) of road paving equipment that he announced that Government had purchased and was due into Port Purcell was tendered ? (i) (ii)
if no, why not? if yes, state when and in what form was the tender done; and 4
(iii)
b)
provide the name of the company and the local representative and their address for each of the road paving equipment vendors that submitted tenders, inclusive of the vendor selected.
Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please provide this Honourable House with a list of the equipment purchased, and the exact amount paid for each piece of equipment ?
Question 5 Madam Speaker, would the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please disclose to this Honourable House: a) the names of former and present shareholders of Tortola Pier Park Limited? b) the names of former and present Directors of Tortola Pier Park Limited? c) whether or not Tortola Pier Park Limited has been or is being awarded a 50year lease of properties for the land side development at the Cruise Port Development project? d) the total amount of direct loans or investments being made or committed to Tortola Pier Park Limited by the BVI Ports Authority? e) whether or not Tortola Pier Park Limited has made an application to the BVI Social Security Board for a ten million dollar ($ 10,000,000) loan? 8)
Public Business 1)
Government Business (i)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move the following motion: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House invites His Excellency, the Governor, to appear and make an address.
(ii)
Address by His Excellency, the Governor
Introduction and First Reading (iii)
The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Pensions (Amendment) Act, 2014”;
(iv)
The Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled “Veterinary Act, 2014”;
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(v)
2)
The Attorney General to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled “Human Rights Commission Act, 2014�.
Private Members Business
9)
Other Business
10)
Adjournment
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