Oct 7 2013 Order Paper

FIRST SITTING OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE SECOND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

TO BE HELD ON MONDAY, 7th OCTOBER, 2013 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 July, 2013

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 Third 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)

The Premier and Minister of Finance to lay on the table the following documents: i)

Tenth Special Report to the House of Assembly from the Complaints Commissioner for the Virgin Islands;

ii)

Eleventh Special Report to the House of Assembly from the Complaints Commissioner for the Virgin Islands;

iii)

Statutory Instrument 2013 No.47 Stamp (60th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation 1953-2013) Order, 2013;

iv)

The Complaints Commission 4th Annual Report 2012;

v)

The Complaints Commission Financial Report 2012; and

vi)

Statement of Preparedness of the British Virgin Islands for the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

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b)

The Minister for Natural Resources and Labour to lay on the table the following document: i)

c)

d)

e)

6)

Department of Agriculture 2012 Annual Report.

The Minister for Health and Social Development to lay on the table the following documents: i)

BVI Diabetes Association 2005-2011 Annual Reports and Audited Financial Statements;

ii)

Virgin Islands Social Security Board 2011 Annual Report;

iii)

British Virgin Islands Family Support Network 2012 Annual Report; and

iv)

Government of the Virgin Islands Mental Health Policy 2013.

The Minister for Communications and Works to lay on the table the following documents: i)

Facilities Management Unit 2012 Annual Report;

ii)

BVI Ports Authority Annual Report 2009;

iii)

BVI Ports Authority Annual Report 2010;

iv)

BVI Ports Authority Annual Report 2011;

v)

Water & Sewerage Department 2011 Annual Report; and

vi)

British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation Annual Report 2009.

The Minister for Education and Culture to lay on the table the following documents: i)

National Sports Policy The Virgin Islands; and

ii)

Culture Policy of the Virgin Islands.

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), (iii) through (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 8(1)(vi) on the Order of the Day. 2

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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 8(1)(vii) through (ix) on the Order of the Day.

d)

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 7(i) through (iii) on the Order of the Day.

Questions and Answers to Questions i)

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 each of the Months: July, August, and September of 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 revenue in (a) above was 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 each of the Months: July, August, and September, 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 indicating the dates received and individual amounts during the months of July, August, and September, 2013; and

b)

a comparison of the figures given in (a) with the same period in 2012 .

Question 4 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Premier and Minister of Finance please provide this Honourable House with the total revenue received to date (please indicate the date) for the year 2013, and that of the corresponding date in 2012?

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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 the months of July, August and September 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 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 outstanding unpaid voucher?

ii)

The Member for the Third District to ask the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development the following questions:

Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Health and Social Development please tell this Honourable House whether: a)

The medical equipment, from the list prepared with the assistance of Medical Equipment Solutions International for the Peebles Hospital, has been tendered and who was the successful tenderer?

b)

What is the cost of the equipment? and

c)

What is the specific source of funding for this equipment?

iii)

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 provide this Honourable House with: 4

a)

a copy of the April 12th, 2013 Cabinet approved Heads of Terms Agreement with Tortola Ports Partners (TPP) under which the Ports Authority has authorized $1.7 million worth of pre-development services to be carried out; and

b)

tell this Honourable House whether any of that $1.7 million or any other money was paid to TPP, and how much?

Question 2 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House how the designs for the Cruise Pier Expansion proposed by TPP differ from that already in the possession of the BVI Ports Authority which was done by CH2M-Hill and previously tendered?

Question 3 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House whether the ships intended for this proposed Cruise Pier by TPP are larger than the class ships the CH2M-Hill design was to accommodate?

Question 4 Madam Speaker, with regards to the Tortola Ports Partners authorized work by TPP, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House what portion of the $1.7 million will be going towards work on the Cruise Pier expansion?

Question 5 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House the cash balances of all accounts held by the BVI Ports Authority?

Question 6 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House: a)

How much royalties has the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) accrued for the year 2012?

b)

How much of the same royalties in (a) have been collected?

c)

How much royalties has the TRC accrued so far for the year 2013? And

d)

How much of the same royalties in (c) have been collected?

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Question 7 Madam Speaker, could the Honourable Minister for Communications and Works please tell this Honourable House the cash balances of all accounts held by the TRC? 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, “Legal Profession Act, 2012”;

(iv)

The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Disaster Management Act, 2011”; and

(v)

The Premier and Minister of Finance to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Financial Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2013”.

(vi)

The Minister for Health and Social Development to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Status of Children Act, 2013”.

(vii)

The Attorney General to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Interpretation (Amendment) Act, 2013”;

(viii) The Attorney General to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Law Revision Act, 2013”; and (ix)

2)

The Attorney General to move a motion for the Introduction and First Reading of the Bill entitled, “Magistrate’s Code of Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2013”.

Private Members Business

9)

Other Business

10)

Adjournment 6