Unrevised Hansard-7th Sitting (2017-2021)

Announcements TOBAGO HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2017 The House met at 1.30 p.m PRAYERS [MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER in the Chair] ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNUAL RECESS MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Members of the Assembly, I wish you a warm welcome from the annual recess and look forward to your contributions as we work to represent the people of Tobago in this twin island Republic.

Before we begin, permit me to extend greetings on all our behalf for the upcoming celebrations of the historic inaugural holiday of the First Peoples on October 13th 2017 and Divali Celebrations on October 18th, 2017.

Recognition is also paid to the two (2) National Holidays celebrated while we were on recess.

The fifty-fifth (55th) Anniversary of our

Independence and the forty-first (41st) Republic Day Celebrations.

As a nation, Trinidad and Tobago has given birth to sports and academic heroes, nurtured cultural icons and stood on the shoulders of Statesmen and women who have fought for our right to self-determination. These holidays are a time for us to pay respect to their contributions and seek to re-engage the nation to band together for the greater good.

2 2017.09.28 D.C 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Announcements (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

More than half a century of independence and four (4) decades under Republican Constitution has given us a lot to be proud of and many areas of development left to improve. Therefore, we need to challenge ourselves even within this Chamber to ensure the relevance of debates, to have respect for each other and remember that we are working for the betterment of the people of Tobago.

While we continue to have our voices heard in this Chamber, we must not forget our Caribbean neighbours who are suffering the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and many of their Leaders who will not have this privilege for a while yet to use their Chambers and Parliaments for the expression of their people.

Let us keep them in our minds and in prayer as we work towards assisting with their recovery.

At this point, I wish to recognize the Members of the Public Gallery and especially the delegates who attended the Second Study Tour on the West Minster System of Government in the United Kingdom as a part of an immersive training programme for our Annual Youth Assembly Debate in December, 2017.

3 2017.09.28 D.C 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Announcements (Cont’d) MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER (Cont’d)

The students will now join a pool of resource persons who maybe selected to represent this island and the country on debates that will play a critical role in our youth development.

I also wish to challenge them to continue attending the Sittings throughout the term to maximize the knowledge gained from their exposure on their recent educational experience.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE Lastly, I have approved a request for Leave of Absence from the Chamber by the Leader of Assembly Business, Councillor Kwesi Des Vignes for this the Seventh (7th) Sitting of the Assembly.

The Chief Secretary has advised that Councillor Dr. Agatha Carrington is to be appointed as Leader of Assembly Business for the Sitting today, Thursday 28th September, 2017.

PAPER LAID

(i)

Tobago House of Assembly Monthly Budget Report as at the end of May, 2017. [Secretary of Finance and the Economy (Hon. Joel Jack)].

4 2017.09.28 D.C 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Oral Answers to Questions

ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FIREWORKS SHOWCASE 2017 (Name of Companies/Organizations) MADAM

PRESIDING

OFFICER:

Member

for

Parlatuvier/L'Anse

Fourmi/Speyside.

6.

MR. FARLEY AUGUSTINE asked the Chief Secretary:"Can the Chief Secretary inform this House of the names of those companies and or organizations that were contracted by the Executive Council to provide the fireworks showcase for 2017 Independence and Republic Day Celebrations in Scarborough and Roxborough respectively and indicate the process used for awarding such contracts?"

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, INNOVATION AND ENERGY [Hon. Kelvin Charles]: Madam Presiding Officer, the display of fireworks has been a part of the Independence and Republic Day Celebrations in Tobago for many years.

The Independence event was sponsored by Colonial Life Insurance Company until 2009 when the company experienced its financial breakdown and was unable to sponsor the event.

5 2017.09.28 D.C 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d) HON. CHIEF SECRETARY (Cont’d)

In 2009, the Executive Council of the Tobago House of Assembly agreed that since the citizens of Tobago have become accustomed to being entertained by this spectacular event and were looking forward to the heightened levels of enjoyment and socialization that is provided by these events, it will finance the fireworks display for both Independence and Republic Day. Contact was made to CLICO (Colonial Life Insurance Company) about its provider and they recommended Fireworks City. Fireworks City which has since changed its name to Firepower Company Limited has been the provider for Independence and Republic Day Fireworks from inception to 2016.

In an effort to ensure transparency and in alignment with the new procurement guidelines the decision was taken to procure other providers. In light of this, in 2017 the Executive Council agreed that Fireone Effects Limited, the other known supplier of Fireworks will be the provider for Independence

Day Fireworks display and Firepower Company Limited for the Republic Day Fireworks display.

SUPPLEMENTAL MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Can the Chief Secretary indicate to the House what were the respective costs?

6 2017.09.28 D.C 1.30 – 1.40 p.m.

Oral Answers to Questions (Cont’d)

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY: Madam Presiding Officer:  In 2009, Firepower Company Limited was paid five hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars ($525,000.00).  In 2010, the said Company was paid five hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($550,000.00).  In 2011, five hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($550,000.00.  In 2012, six hundred and twenty-eight point two thousand dollars ($628.2,000.00).  In 2013, six hundred and eighty-five point six thousand dollars ($685.6,000.00).  In 2014, six hundred and eighty-five point six thousand dollars ($685.6,000.00).  In 2015, six hundred and eighty-five point six thousand dollars ($685.6,000.00).

 In 2016, six hundred and eighty-five point six thousand dollars ($685.6,000.00).  In 2017, Fire One Effects Limited four hundred and two point five thousand dollars ($402.5,000.00); and  Firepower Company, three hundred and forty-two point eight thousand dollars ($342.8,000.00).

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 7 by Minority Councillor.

AGRICULTURAL REVITALISATION TEAM (ART) (Terms of Reference)

7.

COUNCILLOR F.B. YISRAEL asked the Secretary of Food

Production, Forestry and Fisheries the following question:

“Outline the Terms of Reference for the Agricultural Revitalization Team (ART), specifically stating the compensation package for the members, the goals/objectives of the ART, and the updated timelines and Deliverables for ART”.

SECRETARY OF FOOD PRODUCTION, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES (Hon. Hayden Spencer): Thank you very much, Madam Presiding Officer.

Madam Presiding Officer, let me take this opportunity, since as is the first opportunity I am on my feet in this Honourable House, to congratulate you on your ascension to the Office of Presiding Officer. I am looking forward to a good working relationship.

With that being said let me get on with the business of the day.

The Agricultural Reviatlization Team was established to work with the Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries to bring about the transformation of the Agriculture Sector into a productive and viable Industry.

The key objectives of the Agricultural Revitalization Team are to:

 Increase the contribution of agriculture to our economy;  To expand the available livelihood options in Tobago;  To boost employment and income opportunities in Agriculture; and  To improve our islands Food and Nutrition Security.

To achieve these goals and objectives, the ART is mandated to collaborate with the Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries in:

 Advancing Agricultural Programme Development;  Improving Agricultural Project Implementation;  Increase Project Monitoring and Evaluation in Agriculture;  Strengthening the Division’s internal capacity; and  Assist the Division with representation, outreach and marketing.

To date, the Agricultural Revitalization Team would have developed a shortterm Agriculture Revitalization Action Plan. Implementation of this short-term action plan is in the first step of the transformation of the food environment in Tobago. A draft medium and long-term Revitalization Action Plan is currently being finalized by the ART. The compensation package for the ART Members, are a monthly honorarium of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) to each team member.

Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: What are the timelines associated with the ART and what are the specific deliverables that are expected?

HON. H. SPENCER: The timeline with the ART is we have a two (2) year short term plan; a five (5) year medium term plan; and a ten (10) year long term plan.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 5 by the Minority Leader.

MR. WATSON DUKE (Minority Leader): Officer. [Interruption]

Thank you Madam Presiding

Madam Presiding Officer, I was informed from my

learned Assemblyman, that the Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment is not here. Should I still proceed with the question?

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Yes you can. I do not know whether if they have someone who would represent to give the answer.

MR. W. DUKE: I am so advised Madam Presiding Officer.

STATUS REPORT ON CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) TOBAGO SELF-GOVERNMENT BILL, 2016 (Bill to be brought to Parliament for debate and passage)

5.

MR. W. DUKE asked the Secretary of Infrastructure of Infrastructure,

Quarries and the Environment [Hon. K. Des Vignes]:

“Please provide the Assembly Legislature with a status report on the “CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) (TOBAGO SELFGOVERNMENT) BILL, 2016.” Specifically, what year, month or specific date will the bill be brought to Trinidad and Tobago Parliament for debate and passage?”

HON.

CHIEF

SECRETARY

on

behalf

of

SECRETARY

OF

INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Madam Presiding Officer, please be advised that the Constitution Amendment Tobago Self-Government Bill 2016 is procedurally before the Cabinet, where it is

engaging their attention. It is the expressed intention of the Government to table this Bill in the Third Session of the 11th Parliament in September.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 8, Minority Leader.

ROXBOROUGH HOSPITAL (Estimated commencement and completion dates) 8.

MR. W. DUKE asked the Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family

Development [Hon. Dr. Agatha Carrington]:

“The Roxborough Hospital had been named by the PNM-led Tobago House of Assembly Executive Council as a priority project for the East and North East of Tobago. What are the estimated start and completion dates of the Roxborough Hospital?�

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON:

Madam Presiding Officer, the records

available to the Office of the Secretary of Health, Wellness and Development, do not indicate that the PNM-led Tobago House of Assembly Executive Council identified Roxborough Hospital as a priority project. Rather, it was proposed

that an urgent Care Centre be established in Roxborough. This Centre is expected to provide twenty-four (24) hour emergency care among other services.

Thank you.

SUPPLEMENTAL

MR. W. DUKE:

Madam Presiding Officer, I wish to have a follow-up

question.

I would like to add without query to the urgent Care Centre; I wish to ask whether or not there would be any addition to the infrastructure in so far as building is concerned. If so, what is the start date and completion date as such?

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Madam Presiding Officer, it is expected that the Roxborough Urgent Care Centre would be subject to infrastructural upgrade.

The expectation is depending on our Budget that we should

commence work in fiscal 2017/2018.

MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, I wish to ask the Secretary, please give an estimated completion date for the project.

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON:

Madam Presiding Officer, it is difficult to

provide an estimated completion date at this time.

MADAM

PRESIDING

OFFICER:

Question

No.9,

Member

for

Parlatuvier/L'Anse Forum/Speyside.

CHARLOTTEVILLE ROAD WORKS (Resumption of work) 9.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: asked the Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries

and the Environment [Hon. Kwesi Des Vignes]: "Work on the road descending into Charlotteville has stopped for more than a month although that road can be viewed as critically dangerous given that deaths have occurred along the hairpin bends. Can the Secretary explain to this House why work has stopped and when work is expected to resume?"

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, INNOVATION AND ENERGY on behalf of Secretary of Infrastructure: Madam Presiding Officer, in respect of the road under query, I advise this Honourable House that civil works on a major retaining wall have resumed.

In fact, going to the topography of the surrounding lands, steel works are currently been done off site. In addition, additional foam works are also been done off site and these are all designed to expedite the relevant works on that wall.

SUPPLEMENTAL

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: The Honourable Chief Secretary indicated that works have resumed.

Can the Honourable Chief Secretary indicate why was it

stopped in the first place?

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY:

Madam Presiding Officer, the works were

stopped simply because of an absence of the relevant materials.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE:

Can the Chief Secretary indicate if the relevant

materials were absent owing to the inability to pay for them or availability?

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY: Madam Presiding Officer, as far as I am aware, it has to do with the inability to procure those materials at the time required.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No. 10 - Minority Councillor.

BELLE GARDEN COMMUNITY CENTRE (Name of Contractor, estimated cost and completion date) 10.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL asked the Secretary of

Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour: "Given that the sod-turning for the Belle Garden Community Centre happened this week, can the Secretary identify the contractor that has been awarded the contract for such and the estimated cost?"

"Given that the sod-turning for the Belle Garden Community Centre happened this week, can the Secretary identify the contractor that has been awarded the contract for such and the estimated cost?"

"What is the status of the construction of the Belle Garden Community Centre; which contractor has been engaged to complete the works; what is the estimated cost; and what is the estimated completion date?"

HON. MARSLYN MELVILLE-JACK:

Thank you, Madam Presiding

Officer. Members of this Honourable House, the Executive Council via Minute 404 of April 25th, 2012, granted approval for the construction of the Belle Garden Community Centre.

As the goodly Councillor said a few moments ago, the sod-turning ceremony which signalled the commencement of construction took place on Tuesday of this week.

The Contractor which has been engaged for the project is Protran 1997 Limited of Delaford, Tobago.

It is expected that this project - all things been equal will be completed within eight (8) to ten (10) months, so we are envisaging that by the end of July 2018 we should see a completion of the community facility.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: The initial question included the cost of the contract.

HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK:

The estimated cost of the project is

approximately thirteen million dollars ($13m.).

SUPPLEMENTAL COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL:

Can the Secretary outline the

consultative process that was used to determine the design of the building considering there was sod-turning there should be a design that is available and provide a said copy of that design?

HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK: At this point in time, I am not able to produce a copy of that design but this should be available in the near future. However, what I can say is that the design would closely resemble the model that was done for that Centre in Betsy's Hope. With a few additions it should look almost exactly like that.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL:

The part about the consultative

process?

HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK: Maintenance Training and Security (MTS) are the Project Managers of this project and they would have used the consultancy team of Urbesys.

So Urbesys was responsible for design of this Centre.

Urbesys would then have contracted the Contractor which in this case as I told you before was Protran 1977 Limited.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL:

Through you, Madam Presiding

Officer, because there may have been a misunderstanding in the term, "Consultative Process� and then consultation with the community? Yes.

HON. M. MELVILLE-JACK: Well, as far as I know, this is a process that began way back in 2012 and it would have been re-started in 2016. What I can tell you is that in 2017 we met with the Village Council two (2) weeks before the actual sod-turning ceremony and discussions were held as to what was the final agreement as it refers to the location of the Centre. So this was done and thereafter villagers were invited to the sod-turning ceremony this week. But those previous consultations would have taken place as far back as 2012.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question No.11 - Minority Leader.

ROXBOROUGH TO KENDAL BEACH FRONT HOMES AND BUSINESSES (Collapsing sea wall) 11.

MR. WATSON DUKE asked the Secretary of Infrastructure, Quarries

and the Environment [Hon. K. Des Vignes]: "The existing sea wall along the coast between Roxborough and Kendal has begun to collapse, resulting in homes and businesses being damaged structurally. What are the short and long term plans to treat with the collapsing sea wall and the coastal erosion that threatens homes along the Roxborough to Kendal beach front?"

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY AND SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, INNOVATION AND ENERGY on behalf of Secretary of Infrastructure: Madam Presiding Officer, the issue of coastal erosion is not a new phenomenon. It is a problem that has impacted many coastal areas of Tobago.

Madam Presiding Officer, in fact, I am not sure that we can honestly speak about a Tobago being twenty-seven (27) miles long and seven and a half (7½) miles wide any more. It is mainly for this reason that the responsibility of environmental protection was placed under the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment.

The Division has recently completed works to the general Roxborough area in respect of its hanging down project where the strategy of Gambian basket was used to stabilize the existing coastline.

In respect of the area identified, armored rock is currently being used to provide coastal protection and stability.

Madam Presiding Officer, may I inform this House that the Division of Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment is collaborating with the Ministry of Works and Transport in order to access technical expertise in respect of improving the quality and the delivery of engineering solutions on the island.

May I add as well, that a Coastal Protection Unit will soon be established in the Division?

MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, I wish to ask a further question knowing that the Secretary for Infrastructure, Quarries and the Environment is not here. But let me ask the question. I have asked a simple question, I asked: "What are the short and long term plans to treat with the collapsing sea wall?"

So, please if you know the answers I will like to hear them.

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY: Madam Presiding Officer, as I indicated, we had used some armored rock to stabilize the coastal outline. That represents the short-term.

I would have also indicated, that conversation is currently taking place with the Ministry of Works and Transport in Trinidad and that a Coastal Protection Unit will soon be set up. That represents in a real sense, the medium and long term. What I need to probably advise the Honourable Member, is that solutions to problems like this cannot be done overnight. In fact, it requires as a pre-requisite, a number of specific studies.

It is in that regard, that

collaboration is taking place with the Ministry. In fact, in our effort to ensure that we treat systematically with the entire issue of Coastal Erosion in respect of the island of Tobago, that is why we are setting up a Coastal Protection Unit that will provide both the expertise and the required works over time. [Desk thumping]

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Thank you Hon. Chief Secretary.

Question No. 12, Member for Parlatuvier/L’Anse Fourmi/Speyside.

SPEYSIDE DISTRICT – MAINTENANCE OF ROADS (Shortage of Staff)

12.

MR.

FARLEY

AUGUSTINE

asked

the

SECRETARY

OF

INFRASTRUCTURE, QUARRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT [Hon. K. Des Vignes]:

“Several of the traditional work gangs in the Speyside district are critically short-staffed due to retirement and the untimely death of workers. This has severely affected the maintenance of Primary and Secondary roads in the East and Northeast of the island. How do you plan to strategically treat with road maintenance in the area given the shortfall in staffing?”

HON.

CHIEF

SECRETARY

on

behalf

INFRASTRUCTURE AND QUARRIES:

of

SECRETARY

OF

Madam Presiding Officer,

currently there are no traditional gangs in the Division of Infrastructure Quarries and the Environment. In respect to the complement of daily-rated workers, group according to task and district, the Division of Infrastructure Quarries and the Environment is currently engaged in negotiations and consultations with the Representative Union, the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW). At the end of this process the

issues regarding the permanent cadre will be fully addressed ensuring that the teams are properly stock.

SUPPLEMENTAL

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Can the Honourable Chief Secretary indicate what will happen in the meanwhile so as to ensure that road maintenance in the East and Northeast of the island continues notwithstanding the shortfall in staffing?

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY: Madam Presiding Officer, I am not aware that the maintenance works has ceased. In fact, I think the more fundamental issue that is being addressed is the whole question of productivity.

MR. F. AUGUSTINE: Is the Honourable Chief Secretary aware that a month ago, one of these work groups, had one worker with one foreman, because two were on holidays and the others would have retired?

That work group had to continue maintenance of the road and did so unsuccessfully?

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY: The response is no.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Question 13 - Minority Councillor.

AGRICULTURAL ACCESS ROAD PROJECTS – GOODWOOD/BELLE GARDEN ELECTORAL DISTRICT (Name of Contractor, estimated cost and completion date)

13.

COUNCILLOR F. B. YISRAEL asked the Secretary of Food

Production, Forestry and Fisheries the following question:

“Agricultural Access Road projects have begun in various communities in the Goodwood/Belle Garden Electoral district. With respect to the Cadiff Road, Pembroke/Glamorgan, please provide the following information: which contractor has been engaged to complete works; what is the estimated cost; and what is the estimated completion date?”

HON. H. SPENCER: Thank you once again Madam Presiding Officer.

Madam Presiding Officer, before I answer these questions, you know this Tobago House of Assembly Executive Council or the Majority Side, you know we should give ourselves a round of applause, because these questions are indicating that the Assembly is working for the people of Tobago. [Desk thumping]

Madam Presiding Officer, the name of the Contractor:  Refine Trade and Logistics Limited;

The cost of the works to be done:  Phase I – Four hundred and ninety-seven thousand, five hundred and eleven dollars and sixty-seven cents ($497,511.67);   Phase 2 - Four hundred and eighty-three thousand, four hundred and thirteen dollars and eighty-five cents ($483, 413.85);  The estimated completion date is October, 18th 2017.

Thank you.

SUPPLEMENTAL DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Yes, congratulations on the amount of work that is going on. Can you provide any information about how many other Contractors vide for this project?

HON. H. SPENCER: No.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Okay, the period of Questions and

Answers is over. We can move on.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development.

MOTION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BUSINESS HEALTHY EATING IN SCHOOLS PILOT PROJECT INITIATIVE

SECRETARY

OF

HEALTH,

WELLNESS

AND

FAMILY

DEVELOPMENT: [Hon. Dr. Agatha Carrington: [Desk thumping]

“WHEREAS the health of the people of Tobago is a priority for this Assembly and the health of our children an even greater priority;

AND WHEREAS the prevalence and severity of obesity among children is increasing, which can lead to chronic illnesses;

AND WHEREAS diet has a profound effect on the physical and mental well-being and long-term health of individuals;

BE IT RESOLVED that this House endorse the decision of the Executive Council to initiate the Health Eating in Schools Pilot Project;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House take appropriate steps to encourage all stakeholders to support this worthy initiative.�

Madam Presiding Officer, in support of this Motion, let me just say that worldwide, populations are facing health risk due to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. They are facing challenges with respect to physical activity and they are facing challenges with respect to dietary behaviours. We know this well that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies always as

being the cause of global mortality and one of the greatest health challenges and journals for chronic diseases such as:    

Heart disease; Hypertension; Diabetes; and Psycho-social problems.

In this twenty-first (21st century).

Madam Presiding Officer, my colleagues on this side, those on the other side, the persons in the public gallery, we are witnessing a growing burden of modifiable non-communicable diseases and in Trinidad and Tobago and Tobago in particular is no different.

Madam Presiding Officer, seventy percent (70%) of the deaths in the Caribbean region are due to cancers, diabetes and obesity. Childhood obesity is a growing concern in the Caribbean.

Through a Report prepared by the

Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute for the period 2009 - 2010 we found that twenty-three percent (23%) of the primary school children in Trinidad and Tobago were over-weight or obese.

A further twenty-five percent (25%) of Secondary School children were found to be over-weight, obese with fourteen percent (14%) being underweight.

Looking at a local study by Nichols and Frances Codogan, a Physician from this island where they looked at the prevalence of obesity among our school children and they noted:

"A prevalence of obesity of twelve point two percent (12.2%) in boys and forty-three point six percent (43.6%) in girls.

In the sample they used: overall females had significantly higher BMIs (Body Mass Index) and total skin full thickness but lower mean weight and height than their male counterparts. The females twelve (12) to fifteen (15) years were more likely than their male counterparts to be over-weight or obese."

Madam Presiding Officer, when we look at the other Caribbean islands, the Bahamas at which a similar study was done, we noted that our adolescence were at greater risk for obesity and being over-weight. Much of this will continue to engage our attention because like our colleagues in the LAC (Latin American and the Caribbean) we continue to see these problems. So, studies done of students in the LAC (Latin American and the Caribbean) conducted by Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) showed that in the Virgin Islands we had the highest obesity rate in the fifteen (15) to sixteen (16) years student age group with boys recording thirty-nine percent (39%) and girls thirty-six percent (36%).

Just continuing in the Caribbean - studies done by Shreb and his colleagues - "Looking at Childhood Obesity in the Caribbean." They found a prevalence of over-weight including obesity in boys of a twenty-four point three percent (24.3%) and thirty-one point nine percent (31.9%) in girls.

Approximately half of those children had an unhealthy food pattern.

That is

important for us to note as we place this Motion before you because we note that these unhealthy food patterns continue to pose challenge for our children.

When we move away from the Caribbean even in sub-Sahara in Africa they too are challenged by this whole issue of obesity and the like. So we noticed that for some of those countries that there is an association between the increased level of body fat and that is associated with a prosperity health and prestige. So that there is a cultural connotation in some countries when they speak about the whole issue of being obese. While in contrast, the thinness is perceived as a sign of ill-health or poverty. But for us, we know that our population requires our attention because this health threat is sufficient that we must speak to it and try to respond.

Madam Presiding Officer and my Colleagues on this side and those on the other side, we recall the commitment made by Nations States with respect to preventing and controlling the scourge of non-communicable diseases. We note the several declarations CCH/1, 2 and 3. We note the Port-of-Spain Declaration that we entered into with our regional partners. We note the advent of the Millennium Development Goals and now the sustainable development goals - we noted all of those, yet we continue to be challenged by this threat.

Madam Presiding Officer, therefore, the context for discussion will be centered on those declarations made by countries including ourselves. It will be centered on in particular STG Goal 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing. It is also going to be centered on the theme for Caribbean Wellness Day 2017 where we are seeking to securing the future generation and we are doing that through healthy eating.

Madam Presiding Officer, while the health benefits of maintaining healthy body weights and an active lifestyle are well established, our children continue to consume caloric dense foods. There is a decline in the habitual walking and physical activity we use to know. We see an increase in sedentary behaviour across our nation and across our island. So, we walk long distances to go to school, now we are taken by motorized transport.

Madam Presiding Officer, this problem is particularly problematic because our children are the children of the future. The long term health concerns that they will eventually have are sufficient for us to intervene at this time. We note the growing body of evidence that will show that obesity in childhood is associated with the increase risk of obesity, physical morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood.

Fortunately for those children who are able to maintain a normal weight by adolescence, they have better cardiovascular disease with factor profiles when compared with those who are overweight.

Madam Presiding Officer, and my Colleagues, childhood therefore is a crucial time to learn basic life skills including proper nutrition. It is also a time when we should address those matters with respect to attaining healthy body weight.

If we are to secure the future of the next generation and if our children must transition from childhood to adolescence and to adulthood safely and healthily a number of factors must be considered. More than that, we need to pay attention to those factors that impact them that influence their health. So,

the socio-economy factors, the health factors like physical activity and those I mentioned before, body weight, all of those areas, we must pay attention to.

Whereas the research that we have looked at, summarize our children and our children are at risk, we have to engage in those efforts such that we can support our children, those that are already affected and those that are not yet so that we can prevent the onset of obesity and being overweight. We must reduce or prevent the adoption of less healthy lifestyles. So efforts through this Motion and other strategies are consistent with other efforts in the Caribbean.

Most people will note that the Caribbean Public Health Agency initiated a project to promote, “Healthy Weights�. It is expected that through their efforts that we will reverse the rise in obesity by 2025, and there are several measures that have been mentioned. But why are we focusing on obesity? What are the causes of this? How could we confront this threat?

The theme of this question lies in the fact that there is a relationship between our nutrition and our metabolism. We see changes in our Body Mass when there is a disparity between the energy provided by the nourishment that you consume and the energy that you expend as you do your daily activity. So we need to look at lifestyle modification. There is a case to be made in terms of the genetic propensity to obesity, there is a case to be made, but we must also pay attention to the environmental factors. We need to assist our young people, our children to make sound decisions in terms of the diets, the physical activity such that their body shape will transform overtime.

But all these challenges

and this particular one is a cost to us, so it not just about us trying to preserve

the next generation, we are also looking at the cost to us. Therefore, as an Organization, we have to place on record that we need to pay attention to what it is costing us. Work of this nature has not been done to the extent that that has been done. Our expectation is that we will be able to arrive at those costs whether they be direct or indirect or those productivity cost that we will have to bear if we do not intervene.

So, as we placed before you this Motion, we want to have full discourse in terms of what is to happen. We expect that as we place the data before you, we will arrive at a position at which we can embark on the next step. But before that, can we really find a cure? Can we reverse this particular threat?

We know this is a daunting task, but we believe we can reverse this trend. We know it is an uphill battle because our children no longer take their lunch boxes or prefer to take their lunch boxes, they would rather buy meals that are prepared outside of their home, they would rather buy fast foods.

Some of

these meals are very accessible, cheaply made and available, but not a healthy alternative.

We are not at the point yet where there can be any taxes on unhealthy meals served, like places like Denmark that have done so. Some islands in the Caribbean that have attempted to legislate controls have not been able to actively enforce them. But we believe we have an opportunity where we can advocate through our schools such that we can engage in prevention efforts. We believe we can strengthen the existing arrangements in the schools such that we could monitor or track what our students eat. We can track their weight; we can

track that such that we can intervene in good time. We believe that the school is a suitable focal point where we can intervene and stem the tide of obesity. We believe as well, that we can use different teaching tools such that they will know what to eat. Most people when we were at school, we were taught about, “The Food Pyramid”. We believe that we can engage the students much more in terms of understanding why we eat and what we should eat and when we eat what.

We think that “Food Pyramid” would provide important lessons in

healthy eating. But there is another area that we really want to engage the attention as well Madam Presiding Officer.

Our Family/Parents: The challenge for our parents in terms of providing healthy alternatives, healthy food in a way that will interest our children, knowing what to prepare for them, ensuring that we contribute to their life as adults, ensuring that they have good eating habits. We expect that our parents and our families will emphasize those activities such that they can teach their children those skills. We want to ensure that as we engaged in much more physical activity, improve our eating and our weight management, that we will minimize the risk of becoming obese.

Madam Presiding Officer, as we continue the discourse, we expect to place on record, that this Assembly is engaging in an activity albeit a difficult one, where we are going to impact the lives of our children; where we are trying to change their behaviours such that we will have a healthy adult population; such that we will have persons who are well; such that they would be able to respond to the challenges of life. We believe that if we are to intervene at this

time, our schools will be able to be the place that we could make the changes we want to see. We expect that much of the work done before in terms of assessment of our schools that we will incorporate those bits and pieces of information such that we will be able to respond.

Madam Presiding Officer, I pause at this time with respect to this motion.

Thank you. [Desk thumping]

Question proposed.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Leader.

MR. W. DUKE: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

I want to congratulate the Councillor, Councillor Agatha Carrington on her maiden motion (m.m.) but it leaves me a bit discouraged. As I perused the Motion, I must say I am very much discouraged.

I read this Motion several times. I have lost a lot of sleep trying to determine the purpose of this Motion. In my mind and in the mind of the Minority Council we are convinced that this Motion is about healthy eating practices that should be upheld in the school environment. But we have come here only to discover that for yet another time the Executive Council have played with the people of Tobago by putting forward a trivial Motion. I call this Motion an “Obesity Motion.” This is a “Fat Motion.” This is what you all have done for yet another time.

Madam Presiding Officer, this is the seventh (7th) sitting. Seven (7) is a number that means completion, and I believe that after a few practice sessions they would have gotten it right. We are in this House. We are mandated by the people outside of this House to debate issues that are burning, issues that are relevant to the running of the country. As a matter of fact, the Tobago House of Assembly was established to create policies and enact Assembly laws for the better governance of Tobago and here we are, instead of discussing healthy eating in schools we are discussing a Fat Motion. But, I am not as half as worried about that as I am worried about this.

What are the trends in Tobago that link eating to obesity? What are the numbers, what are the villages most susceptible to obesity? Where are the people located, where is the data? I am concerned about that. Where are the trends?

Do we just come in the House, write a Motion and talk, talk about

Denmark, talk about Tinbuck II, talk about African, Saharaing Desert? Where are we going? This is Tobago and all of our discussions ought to be pointed on revealing to the people outside of this House that we are understanding and we are in the fullness of knowledge regarding the problems that exist outside.

If obesity (which is to my knowledge not a problem in Tobago) is a problem then, what are the trends, where are the facts? What type of our sections of the meal (as we should say) in School Feeding contribute to obesity?

Is it the rice, is it the dumplings? What we want to change in the School Feeding Programme? I am troubled by this, after six (6) Motions – the seventh (7th) one and here we are again playing. The first one, may I remind myself the first Motion - Code of Conduct and they were suppose to report to this

House by May. No Report! Not even a Code of Conduct Meeting but they are happy.

Second one - Styrofoam! Ninety-five percent (95%) hot air, five percent (5%) material. They want to ban Styrofoam. The last time I checked I saw stores laced, loaded with styrofoam materials.

Where are we going? These

Motions ought to be the Motions that are prompted by the people outside of this wall. So when we move a Motion inside here, they are in support of it.

We tried to raise the issue of the boat - they struck it down.

We tried to deal with good governance they set up a set of fake Committees. Now a Fat Motion is on the table. When I thought to myself this Motion was about healthy eating practices. Well, I have done some work and I would say to you, if we are going to discuss dieting and health I will like to broaden the discussion to say that there is a complex relationship between dieting and health - a very complex one. It is not an easy one.

Because what we eat will determine the health of our lives. It is a known fact.

They say you are what you eat. Someone once wrote a book, it says; "How to kill your love ones." That means you give them plenty salt, give them plenty sugar. Not a very good recipe but sometimes we do that inadvertently.

We do that, sweeten the tea with plenty sugar, plenty salt in the food. "Meh like meh salt." I thought we were discussing these things.

The complex relationship - the relationship would require Government or the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to create certain policies.

I ask them

where are the Assembly Bills? Here we are now nine (9) months after election

and not one single Assembly Bill has been brought to this House. Is this a real THA? I ask myself the question, Madam Presiding Officer. Where are the Assembly Bills? We should be coming up with an Assembly Bill that simply protects our food that is being I will say, produced here and simply create and drive a food policy for Tobago and Tobagonians. No, there is none.

No legislative agenda that deals with food production in Tobago. There is a complex relationship. So we have a responsibility at the macro level, the House of Assembly should be the drivers of food production. I will want to read to them from a mighty book.

It is called, "The Tobago Mandate." [Desk

thumping] A better Tobago through PDP/THA Governance. A book written by the Progressive Democratic Patriot (PDP). It speaks about a legislative agenda that protects food and ensures that when we try to co-relate food and health there is a new and improved relationship than what now exist. Because we only eat what we could get from Trinidad.

The last time we checked, the food import Bill was five billion dollars ($5b.). It is said that ninety percent (90%) of what we eat we import.

I will

come to that later on in my speech. But allow me to say that when we think about food production and agriculture and all of these things we have some massive plans here. [Indicating] We spoke about the School Feeding Programme.

What is said here is

that we would revamp the menu of the School Programme to include more local fruits, vegetables and fish. We would revamp it. Now, I would have thought a right-thinking Executive Council would have come to this House with a Motion to revamp it and they would have laid before us concrete evidence. Things that are based on data - or as they say, "D-A-T-A" in some places - things that are

based on that. Say well, we have in a population of maybe one thousand (1,000) students in Tobago, twenty percent (20%) are obese and data would show that they came in "slim and trim" but they exit the system fat and robust.

We would have been providing these children with (I was expecting something like that) three (3) square meals a day.

But I want to hear more than that - what is in the meal that is causing the obesity? So we were expecting some type of legislative agenda - there is none.

We have one (1) here, we say we would revamp that. We go on further to say that made in Tobago food and drink. We would have had that because if we are going to talk about protecting or creating obesity you are what you eat and the best type of thing to eat is what you make. Every woman who sit here today knows that. You see how they looking healthy they cook their own food. Madam Presiding Officer, you looking very healthy too yourself.

We cook our own food. There was a time when we cooked our own food in Tobago. They go and they get the dasheen from down by the gully and get the tannia and all of these things if we talking about cooking healthy. These things have natural sugar in them. Not no make-up sugar, not no bad fat, to give you cancer and osteoporosis and these kinds of things here. No! So we would have had a made in Tobago food and drink thing.

Things like:    

Teas; Spices; Herbs; and Cheese

These are things that we are proposing to do, my legislative point of view:  Refine and package local herbs and teas, things like fever grass; vervine; soursop leaves is known for cancer.

We cut down all the soursop tree and dem, we said that they are causing black ants. Do you know about that soursop tree? Somebody saw a lot of black ants in the road sometimes, and they said cut down the soursop tree and them, I do not like soursop again.

They are drinking solo, instead of soursop; and

Supligen instead of soursop. But soursop leaves are very good for cancer and for other things.

Early last year I was in Grenada, and I was driving through with a Grenadian and he told me, he said, that they stop sending soursop to Trinidad now, this is gold across here, America is buying all of it because they discovered that it is good for cancer. We would have packaged these things if you are talking healthy. We must talk about food security in Tobago.

We were even willing to organize our own local Meringue Plant and put it in the form of a tea, and put it as a staple on the (I cannot say the food box) on the food plate. There are people who eat meringue today as if it was lettuce.

They wash it, shake it and they eat it. What are the benefits of that? I was expecting to hear these kind of things. Good solutions!

Bayleaf: If we are talking healthy, let us talk about things like Bayleaf.

Instead of buying corn curls and popcorn; and cheezes and zoomers; and the fry

plantain that comes from Oseack. We are saying here and even these soft and almost expired chips that they import here. What happen to breadfruit chips?

When you are making your fry chips.

I was in Roxborough the other day, and I stopped to buy some fry chicken and chips. When I stopped by the place there, when I stopped you know what I got, she said I have here breadfruit chips. I said give me that. Stop right there. That is healthier for me. Local! You talking that! All those things are about eating healthy, not just for children but for the entire nation. If you want an Edition of this book I can give it to you. It is called, “The Tobago Mandate by the PDP”. [Demonstrating] It is not for sale. We can give it to you free of course to help you.

I want to rest here to say that there was a time when Tobago Madam Presiding Officer, used to feed itself. In 1938, Tobago exported (and I used the word, “export”) approximately three point four million pounds (3.4m.lbs) of cocoa. Today, they are cutting down the cocoa left, right and centre to put up Housing Development and put up Police Station. How much do we export now? I do not know the figure. Cannot be recorded, so miniscule. It cannot be recorded.

Coconuts: In 1938, one point seven million pounds of coconut and I am reading from another book called, “The story of Tobago by C. R. Ottley”. You all must get these books and read these books, instead of reading negative news.

Copra: That is something that we used to make long time. I used to work on a Copra Farm. Three point four million pounds (3.4m.lbs) of copra exported - 1938. How much do we export today? We talking food security, we are talking health. We should talk food security.

Tobaccoo:

That is not good, but even when it was here we were

exporting that.

Lime and Lime oil which is very good to keep yourself young and different things like that, keeps away insect, seven thousand, five hundred (7,500) barrels of lime oil. There was a Lime Factory in Roxborough, they pushed it down and opened a Fire Station. They now abandoned the Fire Station and put it in the heart of the woods.

We are talking about the Lime

Factory that they destroyed.

Livestock: In 1938, our livestock valued sixty-four thousand dollars ($64,000.00) dollars was exported. Back then, a Banknote which is five dollars ($5.00) was equal to one hundred dollars ($100.00). Do the maths! You would see how much millions of dollars that was simply sent out of Tobago in terms of livestock. I will leave that because I want to say to you that from since then to now, agriculture has declined.

I know the Secretary of Agriculture, he cannot stand the music he left the room. But I want someone to tell him for me, that he should answer today in his speech, what has become of Agriculture. There is a reason for that.

In 2011, one thousand, six hundred and thirty-eight (1638) sheep were sold. When I speak, I speak as a Tobagonian, forgive my language, but I am a proud Tobagonian [Laughter] [Interruption] [Crosstalk] Madam Presiding Officer, could you please stop this noisy bunch here, I am on the floor, I plea your protection. They are like piranhas, they attack all at once. All at once you attack. I am a Tobagonian, so I represent them. If I speak like a Tobagonian, I am a Tobagonian. In 2001, one thousand, six hundred and thirty-eight (1,638) sheep were sold, in 2015, three hundred and fifty-two (352) sheep were sold it declined. They cannot answer that. Why that large decline?

In so far as meat in 2011, we are talking the second quarter of 2011, two thousand, three hundred and twenty-four kilograms (2,324 kg.) of sheep, well “mutton” as they call it were sold in 2011; in 2015, one hundred and eleven (111 kgs.) were sold. Why the sharp decline?

If we are talking health, apart from food security, we must also talk about, “Food reliability”. For food to be reliable it must not just be available, it must also be healthy.

Right now in Trinidad and Tobago, there is a Department called, “the Chemistry Food and Drugs” that are not allowed to carry out their jobs in so far as inspecting the farmers produce before it gets to the market place. They are not allowed. As I am told right now, there is no sampling taking place before products leave the farmers shed to the market place. That could endanger the

very health that we are seeking to protect here today of all of the nation’s youth and even the nation’s adults. More than that, whatever goods are manufactured locally, they are not testing that either. So we have a situation, they have been produced naturally, not tested, they have been manufactured locally, not tested, we run the risk of eating poison. I will come to the relationship between “food” and “health” in a while again.

Pharmaceuticals that we use to get well, because this is about a healthy thing, they are imported and they are not checked.

I represent the Food,

Chemistry and Drugs. All the pharmaceuticals are imported, they are not checked, hence we hear on the market now, a lot of false drugs and we are being warned (well pharmaceuticals) to be careful what we consume.

When they make their way into this country they are given an approval rating based on what is written on the box - no local persons checking it. If we want to become a healthy nation we have to look at all the parameters. Let me hasten to say that, apart from just food, there is a correlation between food and exercise also.

A lot of diseases are caused by food. Obesity is caused by what you consume but also by how you exercise.

I say to the Member for

Lambeau/Signal Hill he should have been contributing to this Motion. Why, he is responsible for Youth and Sports. We have more lights and playing field than we have persons participating in Sports in Tobago and they are proud with that.

The correlation should go between food exercise and health. They claimed that

they have discussed it based on this Motion and that they came to a decision.

They came and they have told us a story which I do not believe. It says here, the first resolution:"BE IT RESOLVED that this House endorse the decision of the Executive Council to initiate the Healthy Eating habits in School Pilot Projects."

I am hearing right now that they are threatening people with the School Feeding Programme. It is time to clean house. So they came under the false pretence of looking after the health of this nation but they did not tell us what in the box is wrong? What in the box is wrong - nothing, not one thing in the box is wrong. A little rice, a little vegetable - remember school food, I eat school food so I am strong. I was not obese. All of us grew up on school food inside here. When I look at these lovely ladies here they grow up on school food on this side here. Even the Chief Secretary he grew up on some School food too the Member for Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden - school biscuits and a little milk every now and then. He knows about that. The milk man come by your house with his bicycle.

We are today, discussing a Bill whereby a decision was made by the Executive Council to initiate healthy eating habits or eating habits I will say in the School Pilot Project. What is it? I want to rest my case, as I want the Honourable Members on that side to come clean today.

This Fat Bill is a good Bill but how many persons in Tobago are suffering with obesity? How many school children are suffering with obesity? Give us the data. Give us the D-A-T-A. Give us that. What in the box is causing it

because it is one thing to treat it in school but there is a complex relationship between food and health. There is also the individual environment. You have to look at the individual environment where the individual grew up. If you are in a home and all they are cooking is fry fish chances are going to school you will desire nothing else and they will tell you leave the school food because it is not compulsory. So how do you begin to treat the adults? I have not heard anything about that from this side.

Madam Presiding Officer, as I take my seat I caution my colleagues on the next side. You have Councillors, Advisors - full staff with you all to do a better job than this. Do not come to this House and embarrass Tobago with such I would say, poor (for want of a better word) representation of the facts.

On this side, we have no office despite of the loud boast that we have an office. We have not a Secretary to answer a telephone, we have not a Research Officer, we have no one here but our responses and our debates are far more valuable than what you all put on that side. Tobago expects better of you, we on this side expect better of you and I rest my seat. That is a Tobago word - “I rest my seat.�

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Assistant Secretary in the Office of the

Chief Secretary responsible for Education. [Desk thumping] ASSISTANT SECRETARY IN THE

OFFICE

OF THE

CHIEF

SECRETARY (Ms. Marisha Osmond): Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer and a pleasant good afternoon to my colleagues in the House and of course to

those of you who are sitting in the Chamber gallery and to those of you who are listening to us at home on the media.

I am indeed happy to be back in the House after a long recess and of course to stand to my feet to make my contribution to the Motion. A very timely and a very important Motion has been tabled in the House today by the Secretary for Health, Wellness and Family Development, Dr. Agatha Carrington.

I listened to the Minority Leader just a while ago and in the beginning of his presentation he indicated that my colleague left him quite confused. But I listened so intently and I am standing here even more confused after his presentation.

Madam Presiding Officer, and Members of this Honourable House, I sit as Assistant Secretary in the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy and in that Division we have a mandate and we have a mission and our mission states very clearly and I will read it for you:"We at the Division, we are in the business of providing an environment that promotes and supports holistic development for the young people on this island of Tobago and of course, providing educational, sporting and youth programmes for our children here on the Island of Tobago."

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer and Members of the House and those in the Gallery. This School Health Policy that was tabled in the House this afternoon.

These policies and such like these would give us the platform at the Division to

launch and to accomplish our mission. This is an exciting time for us at the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy. [Desk thumping] Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, healthy eating habits in childhood promote childhood health, growth and facilitates intellectual development. Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, I did my research and my findings - there is a study that was published in the Canadian Journal of School Health where they studied five thousand, two hundred (5,200) Canadian Elementary students and the criteria they used were diet quality and academic performance. What this article said was that the students in the Elementary Schools who participated in a healthy diet and exercise regularly, they performed better academically and they performed well on the literacy test that was given. Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, in essence, as a Teacher what this says is:• • • •

That the students were able to read better; They were able to comprehend better; Their vocabulary skills were enhanced; and They were able to compose and write even better.

Ladies and gentlemen, diet has a profound effect, on not only our physical development, but from an educational perspective, it has a profound effect on our mental well-being.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, we all know as of September, 2017, the children in our Primary and Secondary Schools would be given one hundred percent (100%) fruit juices and or water with their meals. This is a wonderful move, because we are here to teach our children good eating habits.

Mr.

Deputy Presiding Officer, you may be saying, “water� but we all know that the human brain is about eighty/eighty-five percent (80 to 85%) water. I am a teacher and if we are saying that the children in our schools, they have to use their brains all day, the brain is the most important tool that they have to use for learning, then the water will keep their brain hydrated, it will keep their brains alert. But more importantly, we are in the House here today, they have not given us any sugar, we have water. We are saying apart from the presentation of the Minority, we have to remain alert throughout all the presentations that are here that would be presented here this afternoon.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, in addition to this new policy implementation by the Ministry of Education, of course the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy, we at the Division in March and April of 2017, we had an evaluation of the food options that were given to our boys and girls in both the Secondary and Primary schools of this island. Of course, this was important because we were looking for certain things.

There were

objectives to this. Some of the objectives were:

(1)

To identify and describe the existing school food options that were of course given to our boys and girls in Tobago;

(2)

To determine the participation of our students in the options that were given.

To determine the perceptions of the students towards the food options; To determine the perceptions of food, the food service providers, principals; and parents for the various options that were offered;

(3) (4)

(5)

To assess the quality and the nutrients content of a sample of the meals available on the compounds in our schools;

Finally,

(6)

To determine the Body Mass Index status of the school children in a representative sample of the Primary and Secondary school children.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, and Members of this House and in the gallery, at the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy, we understand fully our mandate and we know clearly that there is a saying, that the greatest room in the world, is the room for improvement.

The Division understands

and recognizes its responsibility and note that changes must be made to the nutrition that is delivered to the boys and girls of this island of Tobago.

This Policy that has been tabled today in this House speaks to some of the changes that will take place. Ladies and gentlemen, Members of the gallery, Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, although the boys and girls that are in our islands school continue to learn about healthy eating from the time they enter primary school, through a theme in the curriculum that is called, “Health and Wellbeing� and it is further broken down into making healthy choices. So, this is something that they learn as they enter and they progress. But this policy that has been laid in the House, this policy would allow us to build on what is been taught in the primary school. Ladies and gentlemen, Members of this House, this policy would allow us at the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy to create Programmes in collaboration with Division of Health, Wellness and

Family Development and all the other Divisions that would seek to partner with us. We will be able to create Programmes that will engage our boys and girls in meaningful

exercising

activities.

Of

course,

through

this

policy

implementation, our girls and boys in our Primary and Secondary Schools will be taught nutritional education and of course as we engage our teachers in a more innovative way. But more importantly, Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, and Members of this House, when we collaborate with the other Divisions, we are going to bring to bear more expertise, more technical assistance and of course training for not only our teachers, but our parents alike.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, and Members of this House, it must be noted that all of these changes that would come are to compliment a revised listing in our schools for both the Breakfast and the Lunch Programme. We are going to revise the menus. This Pilot (I am saying to this House) Project, the Healthy Eating in Schools Pilot Project must take place. It must be tried, you must remember it is a Pilot Project and therefore, it is a certain sample of schools that we are using. Therefore, it must be tried; it must be tested; must be evaluated; and it must be remedied. So that when we collaborate as a Division with Health, Agriculture, Community Development; and any other Division, when we collaborate we can give our children here on the island of Tobago, the best nutritional care and education that can be afforded to them. [Desk thumping]

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, I listened intently, and we as an island we as a people living on this island, we have to make every effort to reduce the

creeping signs of obesity that is existing and that will exist on this island. We must start with our nation’s children and in the school environment.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy, we are ready you know. We are ready to partner, we are poised at the Division and waiting to partner because we are looking forward to the implementation of this Healthy Eating in the Schools Policy. We are ready to partner with all the Divisions, all the agencies to promote, to teach our young people how to live healthily and how to make healthy choices as they progress into adulthood.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, more than ever, we at the Division, we understand the value of a nutritional meal, we understand the value of eating healthy, and we accept and understand that we cannot at any point do this all alone. Therefore, the collaboration with others is important.

As I was saying before, we are ready, and we are waiting. But while we wait, we have done our work. The Nutrition Unit in the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy has policies to guide this Policy. We are saying as we wait for the House to move on this policy and for things to get rolling, when it does get rolling, we are ready. We are ready at the Division to work with our partners, we are ready to develop the right curriculum that is needed, we are ready to promote the activities positively to influence the nutrition knowledge; attitudes; skills and of course the eating habits within the whole school community and of course the wider island throughout Tobago.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, over the years and of course quite recently, the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy, as I said that we love to collaborate because we know that we cannot do it alone, we have collaborated with stakeholders to implement Programmes. So as we wait for this one to come on stream, we are working, we are preparing and we are saying over the years and recently we have implemented “I know my Nutrition Programme”, this was an Inter-School Quiz. Of course, we had the “Vacation Camp Initiative”, where children were exposed to healthy eating, dining and of course, Etiquette Training. We also continue to collaborate to have Career Fairs that promote healthy eating habits among our young people. Of course, our very popular "School Garden Competition" where at the Division we encourage our schools and our boys and girls to plant gardens and to rear animals not only on the school compound but also at home.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, I am not finished. Very recently because we all know that even if you are eating healthily you must exercise. They go handin-hand. Therefore, Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, very recently, in collaboration with the Division of Youth and Sport Affairs, the Division of Education was able to send Sport Coaches into our Primary Schools.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, in more recent times, we had training of the caterers and service providers of the Nutrition Programme.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, this Administration and of course, the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy are not only guided by our

policies and our mandate and our mission. When we contested the elections of 2017, our Manifesto under Healthcare we had as one of our deliverables to the people of the island of Tobago that we are going to decrease the incidence of lifestyle diseases and provide Health Education and early screening. We are going to deliver on that deliverable. [Desk thumping] Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, as I said, the Motion that has been tabled before the House asked of us:"BE IT RESOLVED that this House endorse the decision of the Executive Council to initiate the Healthy Eating in Schools Pilot Project."

Remember, "Pilot Project." We are going to have this Pilot in our nation's schools, we are going to have it assessed; we are going to have it remedied and we will roll it out to the entire school population of Tobago.

Ladies and Gentlemen, from the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy, I stand to my feet to say, I am in full support of this Motion that was tabled by the Secretary for Health, Wellness and Family Development, Dr. Agatha Carrington and I trust that all other Members including the Minority Side will give support to this Motion.

Thank you. [Desk thumping] MR. DEP. PRESIDING OFFICER: Minority Councillor.

COUNCILLOR DR. FAITH B. YISRAEL (Minority Councillor):

Good

evening again. Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, I must admit that when I first read this Motion I kind of thought to myself well, finally we have a Motion that

everybody could agree on and we can have a relatively short day because we do not have to sit here debating, arguing about it and we could leave early. But then, I started reading it again and I started thinking about the large number of other projects that sounded really nice when you listened to the sound by it but have failed miserably at achieving its goals and objectives when you actually look at how it was implemented.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, I keep hearing about this Motion being asking us to endorse the decision of the Executive Council to initiate this project. After listening to several speakers on this side of the Majority I still do not know what is the policy and I still do not know what is the project so I still do not know what you are asking me to endorse.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, I am therefore forced to ask for details. I am glad that I am asking these questions a bit early because I understand that there are about three (3) other Members who need to speak from the Majority Side after I sit down. We are hoping that we would give them the opportunity to answer these questions. So that at the end we can say, okay yes, we agree with the policy because we know what the project is or we agree with the Project because we know what the Project is.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So, I will raise some of my points by highlighting examples where the Devil was in the details. Because the Devil was in the details, I am forced to ask some of these, what seems to be simple, insignificant, kind of nitpicky questions but as I said before the "Devil is in the details."

How exactly will this Healthy Eating in Schools Project fit into the larger structure of the Division of Health, the Division of Education or so? What exactly are you planning to do?

Are we going to hire new staff to do

something? What exactly are we doing? Are we going to reassign staff to do something? I am asking these questions because I tried listening, I have been listening and I still do not know the answer. I still do not know how this is going to be rolled out.

What role exactly do we have for Teachers? Because rightly said if this is an initiative in the schools then the teachers must play an integral part in that initiative. Have the Teachers been involved in the development of the Project?

What about Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teacher’s Association (TTUTA) is TTUTA involved in this Project?

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, I ask this question because I have heard the other Members speak about for example, a Post-SEA Remedial Programme that is supposed to happen in some schools and so forth and after they spoke about those Programmes I heard TTUTA Representative saying, "Well they do not know anything about it they were not consulted, they have no information." So because this is something that is happening in schools and because the teachers are a big chunk of what happen in schools I need to know how the teachers will be involved. As I said before, the devil is in the details.

Who will be responsible for implementing the Programme?

What

exactly are we asking them to do? Are we also talking about changing the curriculum to include these things, to include what we are talking about? Or do

we just want to say we are pushing healthy foods down the throat of the young people.

Again I ask, what about Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teacher’s

Association (TTUTA)?

Now this may seem to be a silly question that I am asking over and over but we have to also draw another example. Another example that sounded really, really good when you listen to just the sound byte. Another example that sounded wonderful when you listen to the media presentations but when you see the implementation it did not work out as well.

I understand for example, that we have a Caretakers Programme that sounded great and that included a component of the training that looked at going into the health centres for the practical part of it. When those individuals showed up at the health centres, the individuals at the health centres who work there they said they do not know anything about the Project and sent the caretakers back home. Again, it deals with the details - the details.

What about the environment that this needs to be dealt with? We are talking about the school environment. Our schools and there I say, are we talking about the Primary schools, the Secondary schools and the pre-schools, I am not sure that anyone has actually said that explicitly what we are talking about, at which level. Either way, our schools usually sit within communities they are not stand alone all by themselves institutions they sit within neighbourhoods.

As a matter of fact, a lot of the economic activity of these

neighbourhoods surround the schools. We have the parlours you know those things, those are part of the economic activity of the schools. Have we spoken to those people? Have we spoken to those individuals? Are we saying that we

want the young people to be very healthy in the eating at school, but when they walk five (5) minutes outside, not even five (5) minutes, you know they literally walk out the gate, they now have access to all of the unhealthy things that are in the parlours and shops and so forth? Remember, we have to look at this holistically. We cannot simply say, stop buying out there because that is the bread and butter for many of the parents of these same students. Do you have the information about how this would affect those neighbouring businesses?

Have we started communicating with those neighbouring businesses about how they can be a part of this? Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, as I said, “the devil is in the details�. So, we are still waiting for the details.

How exactly will this Pilot Project be funded? By the way, what does it cost? I am hoping somebody can answer this question by the end of the day. I know that in the Budget presentation a couple months ago, there was a four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000.00) request for this project, I think it was Vote 566. However, that Vote has not been funded I do not think it was funded for 2015, 2016. It was not funded for 2017, so I am not sure exactly why we expect it to be funded for 2018, if there was some difference in what was presented. If it hasn’t been funded for all of those years, what makes us think it will be funded this year?

Especially when you listen to the Prime Minister, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, if you listen to the Finance Minister, all of those individuals who were at that financial spotlight meeting yesterday, it seems like what is going to be presented on Monday is going to be kind of grim, which

means that we will have less money to do more things. Which means we really, really needs to answer the question about where are we finding the money, how much it is going to cost to do this?

With that being said Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, let me just state categorically that we expect, and when I say we, I mean those of us in the Minority Council expect, and Tobago also expects to have a discussion how the Executive Council plans to spend whatever money is allocated to it in the Budget Statement on Monday, particularly since (and let me say this even slower) almost none of the Divisions told Tobago why they were asking for the moneys that they asked for in the first place when we had our Budget presentation a couple months ago. So for manners sake, you should at least come and tell us what you will do with the money after the Minister reads the Budget on Monday. But let me not digress Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, let me go back to this, “Healthy in Eating School Project�.

I am forced to ask about the details of money again. Remember we keep doing the same thing over and over and we are expecting a different result, so I am highlighting issues that we have come across. I have been forced to ask about that question, because I understand that and please correct me if I am wrong and when I say correct me if I am wrong to actually prove that what I say is incorrect, that this Executive Council has been passing Executive Council Projects that do not have any information about how much money the project is going to cost and where the money is coming from. Specifically, many of those Executive Council Minutes do not

have a status of the Vote part on them. Again, please correct me if I am wrong and allow me to explain because we have some students sitting with us Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer.

A Vote in the Tobago House of Assembly, is basically an account that various things are paid from. So everything that is paid for by the Tobago House of Assembly, comes from a particular Vote that has been designated, as approved to pay for that item. For example, if you want to travel, there is a Vote by some fancy name that approves for paying travelling cost to buy computers even for this project. There is a Vote that specifically says it is 566 under Educational Services that would allow us to pay for this project if there is money in that Vote. Of course, like anything else, this needs to be identified before the project is approved with accounting staff, within all of the Divisions need to go in and say yes. If this project cost one hundred dollars ($100.00) we have the one hundred dollars ($100.00) in the account you can go ahead and do it, this is the status of the Vote. The Vote has two hundred dollars ($200.00) so if your project is one hundred dollars ($100.00) then we are good, we have money still. We can still do other things. We can pay for this project and have others. But I understand, again I say correct me if I am wrong, we have situations where projects have started and because we did not do this correctly in the first place, we have participants who did not get their stipend and they are still waiting, and we even have trainers and consultants who have not been paid because there is no money to pay them. From all accounts, this is not going to happen anytime soon because the right thing was done in the first place. So Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, I ask the question, what is this? I know it only just a Pilot Project, but even if it is only a Pilot Project, what is it going to cost?

When are we going to start? How long do we thing the Pilot Project would last for? Which Schools are we going into? How many schools are we going into?

What! I mean you all are asking us to agree to something we have absolutely no information on. The devil is in the details.

As a matter of fact, I understand that there are some Committees and Boards are still waiting for their monthly stipends because that was never set up correctly. So I am forced to ask, how will this Project fit in with the larger School Feeding Programme? We currently have a School Feeding Programme.

We said that there was some assessment done, we would hope that the information from the assessment would have been one of the supplemental documents given to us, so that we have the same information that you have about that assessment of what is happening in the schools.

We have no

information; we have no data, so that is what we are asking for. We cannot agree to something if we do not know what we are agreeing to.

I understand that there have been complaints from the School Feeding Programme, that is fine, and I understand that there have been some investigation

happenings with the School Feeding Programme, sure. By no

means am I saying that the caterers who provide for the School Feeding Programme that they are all bad? I do not know! I do not have the information, you tell me. What I am highlighting though, is the fact that there have been teachers, parents, children, principals complaining about a Programme that has been in place. If we are going to expand that Programme, if we are going to incorporate that Programme, I do not know what we are doing with the

Programme, there needs to be a very clear monitoring and evaluation component to ensure that the complaints that we have right now about the School Feeding Programme continue do not into this, “Healthy Eating in School’s Project�.

What about the individuals who are currently working in the School Feeding Programme? What about the individuals who have been hired by the THA to monitor what is happening? What about the Dieticians, how are they involved in this process? What about the individuals - the Food Officers because I remember once seeing someone going to a school and looking at the School Feeding food and so forth to see how that works.

Have they been

involved in this process because you see these are the people who are on the ground who have the information? Have we consulted those individuals and if so, can we please, those of us on this side get copies of the Reports so that we can say yes, this is going to be a good programme and we agree with it. You see, we do not know.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, let me wrap up by highlighting something that I think is a good idea, something that has been working relatively well and probably suggesting that this example be included in the consultation as in those people who worked on this example are included in the consultation and that they are part of the discussion because what they are doing is worthy of mention.

The Belle Garden Anglican School, (a school that raised me and there I say, raised me very well) is responsible for their own Breakfast Programme. So the part of providing meals to students that happens at breakfast the Belle

Garden Anglican School does that on their own.

They use the revenue from

that to do the work that is needed at the school when they cannot get it from the Division. That is fine.

It seems though that that list of things that they cannot get from the Division seems to be getting longer, longer and longer. So they have worked out a way of trying to make as much money from the Breakfast Programme by having agricultural produce done at the school. So they are now expanding the number of beds and so forth that are there so that they could plant their little seasoning and short crops (and believe me sweet peppers and those things are expensive) so if they can plant those things there they do not have to pay for them outside and they have been doing that.

This does several things:1.

It re-establishes the idea that we should eat what we grow and grow what we eat.

2.

It is allowing the children from a very young age to understand that we need to eat what we grow and we need to grow what we eat.

As a matter of fact, that should be the mantra of our agricultural thrust in Tobago. Because if you look at some of the data, it shows that the techniques that we currently use for agriculture makes it very difficult for us to export at a quantity that is really profitable. So we really, really need to first start thinking about feeding ourselves and then if there is something left over we can feed others.

I certainly hope our dear Secretary for Food Production, Mr. Spencer and the Area Representative at the Belle Garden Anglican School and my Area Representative (well it is kind of split) who I understand will be presenting for the first time this afternoon. Is that true Mr. Spencer?

HON. H. SPENCER: Yes. COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL:

I hope that in your presentation you

will highlight how you will help a school like Belle Garden Anglican to ensure that they are able to do the best kind of agriculture they can to help in ensuring that the food they make is the best kind of food.

Now the other benefit is that of course, is that the food, the quality of the food is going to be higher because they are not using any whole set of pesticides, or insecticides, or hormones, or colourings or anything like that. So they are assured that the foods that are created with those produce are healthy foods.

The final benefit I would like to highlight is the fact that what we are doing is really re-introducing our young people to have an appreciation for local food production and showing that it is a viable economic option, it is a viable employment option, and it is a viable business option.

Now, it means though, that the Tobago House of Assembly has to ensure that it makes policies to look at all of these things as part of a larger Tobago Development Plan. We cannot just look at it as healthy eating in school but we can use this as a nexus, as a centre to look at everything. To look at our labour issues; to look at our food production issues; to look at all of those things.

One of the things that came up yesterday at that spotlight meeting was the fact that even though we boast (and they boast about it all the time and it was an academic who made the distinction) about only having three percent (3%) unemployment in Trinidad and Tobago we have over seventeen I think percent (17%) underemployment in Trinidad and Tobago.

What underemployment is when we people working but they are not working full time therefore, they cannot make full time income. Or even if they are working their time, their income is so low that it cannot meet their economic needs so they are underemployed. That figure - seventeen percent (17%) is very close to twenty percent (20%) which is dangerous for economies like ours.

Therefore, we need to look at all of this holistically and possibly use some of those makeshift workers to do some of the agriculture that are needed to work with the schools to ensure that they produce, to do all of these things.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, this Healthy Eating in Schools Project as I said before, at first glance looks good, at first glance, sure! Okay. Let's all eat healthy, sure! As the Political Leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) and as the Minority Leader of the Tobago House of Assembly said though, we cannot just look at the eating part if we are talking about obesity because it is a very complex relationship that includes balancing caloric intake and caloric output and the output has to do with exercise and so forth.

I was really hoping like my Leader to have heard Mr. Pitt present about how we would include Sports in this process too. So we have to think about this on a larger scale.

On this side, we need information, you cannot just ask weh to agree on something that weh doh know about. It is as simple as that. That is madness it is pure madness. So we are giving you the opportunity to provide us with the information.

Now, I would hate for an initiative such as this ... [Interruption] MR. DEP. PRESIDING OFFICER: Member you have five (5) more minutes.

COUNCILLOR DR. F. B. YISRAEL: Wrapping up, Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer.

I would hate for an initiative such as this to be added to the very, very, very, very, very, very, very long list of failed PNM Projects. Projects that sound good, projects that probably even look good on paper, but when you say, "Let me see how it is actually implemented?"

It fails miserably. Tobago cannot

afford any more failed projects.

So, I patiently await the details, we patiently await the data, we patiently await the reports that you speak about so that those of us on this side who are not insane will not keep doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, because as I said, at the beginning “the devil is in the details.�

Thank you. [Desk thumping]

MR. DEP. PRESIDING OFFICER: Member for Goodwood/Belle Garden.

[Desk thumping] SECRETARY

OF

AGRICULTURE,

FISHERIES

&

FOOD

PRODUCTION (Hon. Hayden Spencer): Thank you very much, Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, Members of this esteemed House, Members at the Public Gallery, a pleasant good afternoon!

Indeed, it is a pleasure for me to stand here and in support of my Colleague in a Motion that I am of the opinion that the Tobago House of Assembly, the Executive Council saw the need to treat with this situation at this time. In any given situation, even if you look at sports, if you look at any sort of development where human capital is involved, the nursery is always critical.

Your nursery, your young people that is the future of our nation. Therefore, it is very important that at this time for the future of Trinidad and Tobago, that we focus on bringing about the right type of individuals.

You see, you would have seen in the past if you want to call them, “the Scholars� that Tobago would have produced in this twin island of Trinidad and Tobago, it did not just happened accidentally. So therefore, we are charged with the responsibility to ensure continuity along those lines. Therefore, if we would have recognized that there is a slippage at this time, we need to nip it immediately and transform that situation and turn it around.

So therefore, I stand here as the Secretary for Food Production Forestry and Fisheries to support my Colleague in the area of Food Production Forestry and

Fisheries as it relates to this entire fundamental issue “human health”.

It

therefore seems very obvious that food and health are related.

As the Minority Leader would have said, yes you are correct there, if there is one correct statement you made for the evening, “you are what you eat”. In that statement alone that you made, you should have supported the entire Motion. [Desk thumping] So, agriculture affects really whether people have enough food to eat or whether the food is of sufficient nutritional value, whether it is safe for human consumption. So history would have taught us that it is not that simple since there are different ways of looking at the relationship between agriculture food and health. Agriculture connections to food and health are mediated, if not influenced by the natural environment. Human culture and technological changes, the challenge today is how to achieve equitable food production that delivers optimum nutrition for health and therefore requires an even a better understanding of the interplay between agriculture and the environment culture and technical capacity and how this has changed over time. This concept Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, is noted as above, is not lost on the Tobago House of Assembly in the general Division of Food Production Forestry and Fisheries, particularly while planning for sustainable development of the Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries Sector in our economy of Tobago. It can be agreed therefore, that these sectors representing agriculture in Tobago present key opportunities for improving nutrition and health not only among our children and the school but the entire Tobago.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, we in the Division, we would have established a Plant Tissue Culture Lab. This Plant Tissue Culture Lab is to supply our farmers, even our schools with disease free plantlets. Yes! At our Nurseries in Louis D’Or we also provide local farmers, even our schools with also seedlings.

We also at the Lure Estate provide farmers and our schools with planting materials such as: “roots and tubers�. Mr. Deputy Presiding we ensure that as much as possible, the health and quality of locally produced fruits and vegetables are preserved through our newly opened Packing House Facility.

Our Packing House Facility is one that the farmers I heard the Minority Leader would have mentioned that there is no linkages between reaping from the farmer and selling of the produce.

I want to remind the Minority Leader, that there is a number of issues that are going on in Tobago that he is not aware of. You spend most of your time in Trinidad. When you are in Tobago you are swimming. [Laughter] [Desk Thumping] So how would you know what is taking place on the land.

Okay. I heard you said today that Tobagonian does cook and do not buy food, but when you go out there in front of the restaurants at lunch time, lines on the street. So I do not know where you are. Overtime, understanding the operations at these facilities is to assure the population that food safety guard against food borne illnesses and ensure that we maintain international food safety standards.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, we would have established Fishing Facilities.

These Fishing Facilities are what we consider phyto-sanitary

Facilities, moves away from the old tradition of standing up on the street and cutting up your fish on a piece of wood and selling it to the public. By that time, the fish is contaminated with bacteria.

Therefore, we would have

established these Fishing Facilities throughout the island.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, now what we would have done also is not only established these facilities, but we would have carried out training programmes in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and phytosanitary conditions. These trainings were not just for fishermen and end users, we also included the schools. We have our Fisheries Extension Officers, going to schools and teaching the young ones on what they should and should not do.

Again, paying attention to the nursery.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, in the Department we continue to encourage all of Tobago to make their contribution to food security on the island. Though the bigger term for it is Family Farming and my Dear Friend the Councillor based on your statement that you would have made, it seemed that you would have listened attentively to my Post-Executive Council Press Brief yesterday afternoon because you repeated what I would have said and this is very good.

[Laughter] So, in Tobago, we are promoting in the Division - we already started that since in 2015, the Family Farming – “grow what you eat and eat what you grow.” So that is nothing new. That has already started, that is on stream and the Division would have boasted on that Programme we would have recorded

over one hundred and thirty (130) registered persons that are involved in this Programme. We want to expand it, we want all of Tobago to be involved in this Programme. This Programme is also extended to the Schools. That is why the schools have their School Gardening Competition.

We would have established two hundred and twenty-nine (229) home gardens. We would have demonstrated and given out approximately three thousand, six hundred (3,600) vegetable seedlings from the Louis D'or Demonstration Station to schools, home owners, housewives and the general public who participated in that home growing initiative. The whole idea is to bring about that awareness of what growing your own and let us own our culture in Tobago. Because I could go back in history, many of you here might not remember, I think the Chief Secretary might be well concur here and some others with what I am going to say back in the days when you know when we had thing like conconteh and tum tum. I do not know if anybody know what I am speaking about? Yes, these are Tobago produce, Tobago history, Tobago culture - yes!

So, I remember in my boy days, yes as a lad - Goodwood Methodist School and you know in those days you had lunch period so you go home for lunch. You go home and you get a nice little parcel of sam sam. Yes, sam sam research it and you would see what Sam Sam is.

Those who were a little

wealthier will have that Sam Sam with lime or rough skin lemon juice. Those who were a little poorer, a glass of water with that and you go back to school but trust me you had energy for the entire day. Yes! So there is a history in Tobago of us in our unique delicacies if you want to call them.

Therefore in

Tobago as we promote tourism our children should be made known to these

historical menu. It should be made known to them so that we can in fact boast of our local produce.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, in our festive “Blue Food”, “Yam Feast” we have all these sort of festivities in Tobago. Our children must be able – not just to be part takers of the end produce but our children must be made to understand the entire value chain from the soil preparation to processing.

As I mention processing, that is another area in which the Tobago House of Assembly will be adopting and I want to bring it to the Minority Leader's attention. Yes, you are a country man. You know the long mango? Yes the Long Mango. Let me say, vendors from Trinidad come to Tobago and buy these Long Mango from Tobagonians by the bags - fifty cents for one Long Mango. They go down to Trinidad and they cut that very said Mango in six pieces, process it - Curry Mango, Red Mango and it comes back to our children in Tobago here at two dollars ($2.00) for the piece. Yes. So these are the kind of things that we have to teach our children - yes. Because the raw material which is the Mango and we call it, "Long Mango" nobody wants to eat it, it drop on the ground and it spoil but when it comes back processed you know, "Mummy give me a five dollars ($5.00) I want to buy a mango." Yes! We have to take our children away from those things. So we can do two things we can either teach them to eat it as it is or we can teach them to do the processing right here for themselves and part take of it. Because you see back in my days I know about making Guava Jam. You know about that Minority Leader? [Laughter] MR. W. DUKE: I do not have the factory. [Laughter]

HON. H. SPENCER: So, can we now ask our children to eat Guava? Some of our children do not even know what is a Guava. Yes, very, very important.

So, this Motion, I say it is very critical that at this time we pay attention to our Nursery. Because I am of the opinion that a brain that is not well fed is a brain that can be easily misled. Yes, one who cannot think for himself can be easily misled. If your brain is not well fed then thinking for yourself would not be a part of your day to day activity.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, so as I continue, in light of all this, the Division of Food Production, Forestry and Fisheries would have recognized that in order for us to maintain a sustainable environment and contribute to food security and economic development using technologically driven approaches, we are now in the process of establishing a Agri-Food Safety Quality Assurance Unit.

Now this is something that has been absent from Tobago. This Unit will be charged with:

 Enforcing local and international food quality standards in Tobago;  To ensure collaboration with all entities, to ensure compliance including the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development;  To train staff and stakeholders in good manufacturing practices good agricultural practices, sanitize standard operation procedures;

 Conduct Sensitization Programmes; inspect and advice private and public facilities for compliance for examples fishing vessels, fish handling facilities, agro processing and agro processors;  Assist to meet the standards for export as dictated by the necessary countries,  Ensure collaborative linkages with local regional and international bodies for information gathering and exchange.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, in my closing, it is important that again, I call on all stakeholders, encourage the people of Tobago to eat healthy, to make best choices. You know at present Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, we as a people we feed our eyes and our taste buds but we starve our bodies and that is not a proper direction to go. So, if each one of us starts with ourselves and then we trickle it down to our Charges which will reach right down to the children, then the possibility exists that holistically we can collaborate with the initiatives of the Tobago House of Assembly and achieve that mandate in Tobago. I say again, “your health is your wealth”.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, I support this Motion, and I thank you very much. [Desk thumping]

MR. DEPUTY PRESIDING OFFICER: Member for Bethel/Mt. Irvine.

ASSISTANT

SECRETARY

OF

COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR. (Mr. Shomarie Hector): Thank you Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer.

Of course, I stand in support of this Motion as tabled by the Councillor the Honourable Member. I understand in full the importance of promoting healthy eating at the level of the school, but more especially at the level of the home which is the level of the community.

So, whereas as I am thankful for

my colleagues who would have been the forerunners on this topic, to have ventilated and bring insight and clarity as to the significance and the importance of this, I want to seize the opportunity to speak with specific terms to the engagement and the encouragement of stakeholders to support this worthy and this worthwhile initiative.

I do so out of an acute appreciation for my responsibility of Assistant Secretary in the Division of Community Development Enterprise Development and Labour, but more particularly, because our responsibility when translated into the Mantra or the Motto speaks directly to the heart of us assuming the responsibility to building communities.

Therefore, Mr. Deputy Presiding

Officer, the Mantra or the Motto is quite simple, “Building Families, Selfsustaining Communities and a Healthy Productive Workforce.� If in the view of some this cannot be reconciled with the spirit of this motion, then I think that we need to check ourselves just a little bit more before we continue along the paths of misrepresentation and misleading the public.

I say this most especially, Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, because I sat here and I cast for a while my attention in the public gallery, and I saw students, I saw children,. I heard the Minority Leader stand to say that this Motion is trivial and that in his view, it should be deemed, “obese”. Instead of providing the context and enlightening the listening audience especially the children with information that can support the spirit of the motion and that can redound to the benefit of all Tobagonians, he instead engaged us on a conversation about, “How to get away with murder”.

Now, I do not know about any other person, but I know about me, and that suggested to me Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, that the core personality of an individual does not change. Having assumed that he would have gotten away with something else, he now thinks that he is on authority on how to get away with murder. “No sun outlast its sunset will rise again bringing the dawn”.

MR. W. DUKE: On a Point of Order. I wish to advise the Member for Bethel/Mt. Irvine to remain focus… [Interruption] [Crosstalk]

HON. CHIEF SECRETARY: State your point of Order. [Crosstalk]

MR. S. HECTOR: Thank you sir, I understand the preciousness of time and I would seek your protection in the future to ensure that it is not abused by the Member who thinks that he has something to say every time somebody is saying something. But in any event I want very quickly signal to the Members

in this House, that whereas this Motion was called, “trivial” and it is deemed “obese”, I know that the goodly Doctor, the Secretary of Health Wellness and Family Development will not withhold forgiveness even from those who did not ask because of the absence of malice in her heart. Ma’am, we support the motion strongly, and we are now going to put forward to further the conversation all of the information to enlighten the public as to why we supported it and why it would be translated into a policy which will be recognized here in the Tobago context.

You see, I sat here and I listened to people go on and on and on, and I could not help but recognize that whereas the trend in the earlies Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, was to get up and walk out of the House, they have corrected that by sitting down having but their minds walk out of the House.

The Honourable Members of this House, in their intermissions would have spoken directly to statistics, would have spoken to policies, would have spoken to programmes, would have spoken to educational opportunities and trainings and the likes, and Members still have the audacity to stand and ask for evidence and information as if they were mentally absent even though their bodies were present in some dum dum mode. Something is wrong with that.

But let me just say in addition to that, Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, leave it alone. I also have a responsibility to students and to the viewing public and the listening audience all across this beautiful island and this beautiful twin island Republic. Let me just say very quickly that if they were present, they

would have developed an appreciation for the fact that the Motion tabled today is in harmony with the earlier Motions presented in this august Assembly. In particular, the Motion which spoke to adopting the Tobago Community Action Network Model to mobilize communities and to build local economies so as to ensure that we have a people who we can truly call healthy and productive.

You see, we are research oriented (on this side of the divide) and when asked to provide the information, we do not say that we got that from our cellphone. No! We provide the sources, we give citation, and we ensure that it could be supported by data and by evidence seen through the realms, and seen through the windows of research and data. So, I want to point very quickly to an economic and community development research that was done which speaks directly to the benefit of healthy eating in schools and the healthy retail of food items within communities. It says very simply that: “In addition to helping communities improve residents health, access to healthy food confers equally important economic benefits including providing new jobs, job training programmes, increased wages, new revenues, stimulated local economies and promoting a viable alternative to ensure that neighbourhood retailed distribution is done in harmony with the well-being and the health benefit of those persons to whom their goods are being supplied."

If that is not an additional benefit to all that was already intimated here then I do not know, Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer what is. I want to counsel you to sit for a while so that I could breathe some wisdom over your life and you would not walk out the House, go down by James Park and play you are more

Shepherd than the Psalmist David, running up and down the place with a set of sheep and then coming here and put a "s" on that to pluralize it. [Desk thumping] [Laughter] But, it is what it is.

You want to play you is more

Shepherd than the Psalmist David and coming here and saying, "sheeps" and then have the audacity to say that is the Tobagonian language. We are an intellectual people.

It goes on secondly, in the Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour, we have recognized the need to mobilize the local economy by ensuring that persons have access to training opportunities and business opportunities so as to improve the quality of their lives and to ensure that they are able to respond to life in a way that can lend to their realizing their fullest potential at all levels and in all circles.

You see, we have also recognized that this cannot be done individually and it cannot be done in silos and so we have been partnering with all Divisions across the Tobago House of Assembly to ensure that our dreams and our goals are realized and that the Tobagonian people could benefit from quality leadership and proper representation.

One of the things we have done which speaks to the heart of this Motion is that we are in the process, Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, of identifying lands which can be used for agricultural purposes to ensure that persons within communities have access to state lands for the purpose of agriculture which then would translate and redound to growing the kind of produce and the kinds of crops that would lend support to the spirit of the Motion as here tabled by the Honourable Doctor so that our children can benefit from healthy foods in

school but more especially when they get home where their environment is less supervised by the watchful eyes of an academic teacher or educator. We are working, we are working to build a Tobago of which we can be proud. Unlike some, we are convinced that it is better that it is absolutely better to do something imperfectly than to not do anything flawlessly - we are working.

This Research as done by Robert Woods Johnson Foundation on healthy eating as a National Programme says: "That the economic and social barriers which have prevented healthy eating of healthy foods at the level of the community was active and done for decades but that there is a new thrust, a new drive to eradicate the walls which prevent persons from realizing the business opportunities in urban farming so as to ensure that healthy living, healthy food, healthy lifestyles and more importantly, food security jumps off of the paper of theory and into the lives of families and into the lives of communities."

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, you see, not only have we tabled this Motion to ensure that we could combat the scourge of obesity and that we can promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices and the likes.

Not only have we

tabled the Motion to ensure that, but we have tabled this Motion to ensure that there can be public sensitivity to the individual needs and the individual responsibilities of everybody who represent a name the name of communities.

So, the Motion asked that it: "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House take appropriate steps to encourage all stakeholders to support in this worthy initiative."

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, we are of course talking when we speak of all stakeholders

of

the

Non-governmental

Organizations

(NGOs)

within

communities, the Faith-based Organizations (FBOs) namely, the churches and the likes. We are of course, talking about Village Councils and entrepreneurs, sporting groups and civil societies.

We are saying that anybody who has

interest in the health of our nation and the continuity of our democracy will work to ensure that the next generations who will replace us here after is a healthy, productive and progressive people and that can only be facilitated by ensuring that they begin to have access to healthy lifestyle choices and that must be facilitated by policy and we have presented it here today.

Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, we are not leaving it up to whims and fancies. We are going the root of policy and it brings us down to the whole question of education. Our role, our right and our responsibility to ensure that persons have access to information to inform their lives choices. You see, one man said that Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world." If that is true and I assume that it is, then I think that education as an agent or as an agency of change must be protected by a rule of law. We have triggered the process to ensure that that is done by putting rule of law, by putting policy in the educational aspect of healthy eating and healthy lifestyle choices.

I think that the Honourable Member must be

commended for her initiative. [Desk thumping] Mr. Dep. Presiding Officer, Sir, according to Freeal and Conon 2004 they argued that the benefits of community food initiatives for children and young people is second to none and that the closest ranking initiative which can help to narrow the margin of this initiative with any other initiative is the one that

allows for creating a culture of learning in the workplace and in the home environment.

You see creating a culture of learning not just in the schools but in the workplace and in the school environment. This is what they say and I quote:"Promoting access, availability and affordability of healthy foods and in particular within low income groups is among the most effective means of addressing food poverty.

And so he went on to explain in this context what is food poverty. They said and I quote:"That food poverty is the inability to access nutritionally adequate diets and the related impact on health, culture and social participation.

That food poverty is more than thinking that you do not have access to foods. Food poverty is actually the inability of persons to access nutritionally beneficial diets."

When you have come here after having this Motion presented to you weeks in advance, without research and have the audacity to ask us to provide evidence and to put forward arguments and you would have done none of your homework and then you want us to facilitate that under classmanshipness by having us table everything before you so that you do nothing at all. We are saying to you we would start by ensuring that you have an appreciation for what is food poverty and how it translate into healthy lifestyles and healthy eating.

MR. W. DUKE: Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, on a Point of Order. I wish to seek your protection and your assistance in guiding the new Secretary of the House who is for the first time presenting a debate in the House as to the

guidelines.

When he speak, he must speak through the Deputy Presiding

Officer, and not in that combative mode. He is speaking as if he is speaking to someone directly and he should speak through the Deputy Presiding Officer.

He must know the rules. When someone is on their feet unless the Presiding Officer motions to him, he cannot ease him up. I am saying please assist him please. Thank you.

MR. DEPUTY PRESIDING OFFICER: Member be so guided, address your observations to the Chair as you continue your presentation. Please continue.

MR. S. HECTOR: Thank you Sir. As an educator myself, and as a student of Language and Literature, I find it difficult to believe that in a collective assembly like this, somebody can personified the collective use of the word, ‘You� so as to feel attack or to feel threatened. But I am so guided by your discretion and by your wisdom and I will conform my language to a more friendly tone. [Laughter]

Thank you.

Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, Sir, in the Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour, I think that we have a beautiful opportunity to help thresh out and to realize this Pilot Project through our Business Incubator Programme. You see because we have recognized that the local economy needs help, and that we have a responsibility when we talk

about community development which out of necessity must be concerned with people’s development to facilitate this process strategically and within reason.

One of the things that we have recognized and have been an imperative, is the need to provide business opportunities to the local economy, to person within communities, so that we can have what we have asked for, a healthy people and a self-sustaining community across the island of Tobago. You see, what this affords us, is an opportunity to engage persons at the most basic level, persons who will now have an opportunity to be given business training opportunities through our Business Incubation Programme, so that they can be guided as they move an idea from a conceptual framework to realizing through entrepreneurial opportunities in the context of the Tobago space.

This

translates even further to this policy and there is of course a correlation. Now they will have an opportunity to be the suppliers and ensure that the food is prepared, and that the food comprises the healthy product free of all of the weedicide and insecticide and all of the likes that continue to plague us and continue to deteriorate the nutritional value of food based on the level of importation and the products which we bring in.

You see, Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, it will not only give us an opportunity to plant and to grow and to harvest and to sell, but it will also give us an opportunity to arrest the issue of food scarcity if there is one. But more importantly, the issue of food security as we thrust ahead to ensure that we can realize opportunities, to can and to bottle and to package local produce and products with a view to export in the short to medium term goals.

You see, Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, it does not always translate into economics, it does not always translate into money, it also translate into a consciousness among young people. You see because at the level of the school and at the level of the community and at the level of the home, they will now have an opportunity to be engaged in conversations and to have discussions about what is best for their bodies and what is best for their brains even as they pursue academic excellence in vocational areas of study, trade and skill You see Farrell et al continued along the lines arguing that such an initiative which allows for healthy food to be circulated and to be enjoyed among children and young people becomes a catalyst and I quote:

“They argue that it becomes a catalyst for young people enrolling in further education and training towards qualifications and business opportunity, including light manufacturing and the potentials for canning, packaging, trading, urban produce and products to now have an opportunity to grow what they will consume and therefore pride themselves in ensuring that what is grown is worthy for them to eat in order to lengthen the quality of their life and the years which can be attributed from healthy eating”.

I do not wish to go on and on and on too long, but I wish to piggyback on a sentiment made by my Colleague and my good friend “that a brain not well fed is easily misled”. I want to use this opportunity Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, to call on stakeholders across the length and breadth of Tobago to come on board and support this initiative.

One would have thought upon the reading of this Motion that there would have been agreement in the House; one would have thought that the input made by the Minority bench would have augmented the life sustaining

properties of this Motion so as to realize something good within communities and in particular schools; one would have thought that their contribution would have elevated the discussion so as to trigger further conversations especially in the homes… [Interruption]

MR. DEPUTY PRESIDING OFFICER: On a Point of Order?

MR. W. DUKE: Yes, on a Point of Order. Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, thank you. I rise to cite to you for your decision based on Article 45 sub section 4, it says that:

It shall be out of Order to use offensive, insulting language about members”.

The good Member for Bethel/Mt. Irvine area would have referred to “Minority bench”. In the THA Act there is no such term as Minority bench, and I know that you have revoked that derogatory term from the Hansard please.

Thank you.

MR. DEPUTY PRESIDING OFFICER:

Member for Bethel/Mt. Irvine

please continue.

MR. S. HECTOR: I am always concern about the quality of relationship and so my colleague, if I would have offended you, by referring to the Office that you hold and the position that you represent as a “bench”, then I want to expunged from record and seek your forgiveness. You see the problem that I am suffering from is that I do not often have conversations about the Minority, and so it does not come naturally for me to be able evoke the right words and proper use of terminologies. I am sorry and I seek your forgiveness.

But whatever the case Mr. Deputy Presiding Officer, in closing, I want to call on the Tobagonian public, the Tobagonian people to really support this because what it does, is that it gives us an opportunity to create something that we would call, “the local economy”. That within communities there now will exist an opportunity for persons to be engaged in entrepreneurial opportunities so as to improve their own stations in life.

You see, whereas this is a Pilot Project to be done in the schools, it cannot happen only with the participation of the schools. Everybody must see in themselves a measure of responsibility and as they massage that responsibility that they have identified in themselves, we hope that it would translate into our children, future leaders and global thinkers; shakers and movers having an opportunity to live out their fullest potential here in Tobago.

You see when Barack Obama, (if I am permitted so to refer to him) came to Trinidad and Tobago, when he was making his presentation, he said and I quote… [Interruption]

MR. DEPUTY PRESIDING OFFICER: Member are you wrapping up?

MR. S. HECTOR: Yes Sir.

“Success must only be measured by the ability of a people to live out their fullest potential”.

I am saying to us today, that we now have an opportunity for persons to live out their fullest potentials if they come on board and support this and take care of their bodies and take care of their minds.

So, we are calling on

communities, all agencies within communities to support this Motion as we have because it is not just a good one it is a perfectly well timed one.

Thank you. [Desk thumping] MR. DEP. PRESIDING OFFICER: Members, it is now 4.30 p.m. so we will pause for tea and resume at 5.00 p.m.

4.31 p.m.: Sitting suspended.

5.00: Sitting resumed.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER:

Member for Parlatuvier/ L'Anse

Fourmi/Speyside.

MR. FARLEY AUGUSTINE (Parlatuvier/L'Anse Fourmi/Speyside): Thank you very much, Madam Presiding Officer. I wish to be uncharacteristically brief today. Why, because I do not think it is necessary for me to be lengthy, given the Motion that we have on the floor.

I want to commence by reminding Members of this House what a Motion really is and the characteristics of a Motion. This Motion like other Motions, really, they have two parts. In the first part, we have the preamble or we have the discussion surrounding the resolution.

The second part, we have the

resolution or in some cases as is the case today, resolutions more than one.

One would expect that whenever there is a debate that the central thesis of our arguments must be posited in and around our resolutions. This Motion is positing two things. Firstly, it is asking this House to endorse the healthy eating in schools Pilot Project.

I have noted that some Members in this House have attempted and tried to school us on linguistics of which I am an expert. I can say expertly that if you are going to say; "The healthy eating in schools Pilot Project it means that one exist or you are talking specifically about a healthy eating in School Pilot Project - a specific project.

My colleagues all asked, both of them asked, went through great, great pains to ask, what is the healthy eating in School Pilot Project?

What is it?

What are the tenants of this project, Madam Presiding Officer? If you have a Pilot Project one expects that there is a sample size and you must have justification for that sample size. One expects that you can say concretely what are the things inherent in this project? Instead what we have is that folks in the House - Members of the House rather got up and spoke about several things that they think their Division is doing or can do that is related to healthy eating in schools.

One of the pivotal questions being asked that has not been answered despite all the gambashing, despite all the flawery language, despite the insults traded, despite all of that no one has stood to answer affirmatively and definitively what the healthy eating in schools Pilot Project is.

So, even as we inch towards the end of this Debate Tobagonians who are watching still do not know what this Project specifically will entail. They may have heard a few things that some Divisions are doing. They may have heard about what some schools have been doing in the past. But this Project - is this Project going to be implemented at four (4) schools, five (5) schools, six (6) schools? Does it include pre-schools in it? Tertiary schools in it, Primary, Secondary? How do we plan to roll it out is it in a phase basis? What?

Because you are asking us to endorse The Healthy Eating in Schools Pilot Project. One would think that the mover of the Motion (an academic) will understand that if you are moving a Motion like this that some credible meat, somebody, some life must be given to the things you ask this House to be resolved to do.

The second thing this Motion ask us to do is to resolve to take appropriate steps to encourage all stakeholders to support this worthy initiative.

There was some appropriate steps being mentioned in and out of the House today. But even in this context Members could not say very strategically what those appropriate steps are and who the stakeholders are that this House or the Executive Council rather wants to engage. So really the question is do we have the Pilot Project already? Is the Pilot Project document already written up? Do we know the framework for this Pilot Project? If we do, why was it so wrong, so obscene to even share it in the house today? Because you are asking us to endorse a Pilot Project and we do not know what are the frameworks of the Pilot Project. So people perhaps are thinking we are crazy.

I want to put a plug here and say this: I have noticed for all of the Sittings that we have had that Members opposite would stand and behave as if this House belongs to them.

I want to state it categorically clear that I earn my

place here. I did not scratch no Lottery ticket to get here and my Members on this side also earned their places here and have a right to ask questions and have a right to disagree and have a right to progue any Motion. It is intellectually dishonest and disingenuous to stand in this House and to expect intellectual Tobagonians to come here and to accept carte blanche any Motion placed on the Table - just accept it. In fact, we thought that this would have been a very easy Sitting. We thought after the presentation of the Motion that we did not need to ask questions, we would have been clear what the project is, when will it be started, where as in schools it would be implemented first? How are you going to monitor and evaluate this Project to see usefulness? What are the

stakeholders you are now going to tie into this Project? Those are the kind of information that we expected to hear in this House.

The ones who did not do their homework before coming in this House are those opposite. Did not do their homework. In fact, I am wondering if it is that the Head of the Executive Council simply ask his Members, this month is your month, just come up with a motion, next month is your month come up with a motion, in isolation of the real issues affecting Tobagonian, very unstructured in the approach. One does not expect a Motion to have all the details in the motion; one does not expect a motion which has limitations on words and structure to answer all the questions we asked, but one expects that we should not even have to ask those questions if you want our support on the motion. So this sort of pompousness with which we approach governance must stop.

I will say it on behalf of the Minority, we will not let up with asking questions; we are not going to stop asking the right questions, and we are not going to stop proging motions that comes to this House. So those opposite, you better get used to seeing my face, they better get used to seeing “Lyn and Juni face�, because it is not going anywhere, and they better get used to hearing my voice and the voice of the Minority because that is not going anywhere, whether you like it or not. So those were things we expected to get. I expected to hear in the Motion, in the discussion, if you are doing this Pilot Project, I expected to hear about curriculum input.

I understand now, I know now that in the Secondary School System in Tobago, we are introducing the HFLE components and so on, so that might be a

good place to marry this Pilot Project, but we do not know if that is going to happen and we will not assume anything. We prefer that it is stated, because when it comes to the Executive Council of the Tobago House of Assembly, good assumption are often wasted.

One would think that in the discussion we will find out whether or not with this “Healthy Eating in Schools Pilot Project, if it actually involves student participation by way of gardening and so on, and Members talk about schools having school gardening and so on, and school gardening competition, but we do not know if that is tied to that project. This is a Tobago where Divisions in the past were guilty of working separately and in silos. That is the Tobago governance culture that we have seen for the last sixteen (16) years, and it is the same party in power. So, I do not know if we can expect anything different quite frankly. So, one should have gotten from from the substance of the debate answers to these questions. Answers about whether this Pilot Project would take into consideration the Breakfast Programme, the answer to the question is the School Feeding Programme as we have it, does it provide healthy food and if not why?

The Minority Leader asked several questions, he asked what is it that our children are eating that is unhealthy. What is in the School Feeding box that is unhealthy? Now, those questions seems very simplistic but it speaks to the fact that we have not even justified the Pilot Project. It speaks to the fact that we took no time to look specifically at the Tobago case. I am certain people in this House cannot tell me whether the children in Tobago East are unhealthier than those in the West in terms of eating and obesity. I am certain that they cannot tell me specifically where the areas of saturation exists. All of these things must

guide a Pilot Project because the intent of a Pilot Project must be to remedy something.

I go back to the question of, is the School food a healthy alternative? I have seen and eaten some good school food, some good box lunch from schools, on some days, on other days I have eaten some horrible stuff. I have seen a box with buss-up-shot, three grains of channa in it and two cubes of potato; I have seen those things. So one of the questions critically that this Motion should address and we should have gotten in the discussion is how this Pilot Project will help to brighten things up as far as the School Feeding Programme is concerned? The existing School Feeding Programme.

The other issue I want to raise, is the fact that we are having this Motion, and that we need this Pilot Project is because there is a problem brought on by inefficiencies in the Agriculture Sector. The Secretary of Food Production spoke a lot of things and projects and festivals, none of which really is about the Pilot Project or the alternative steps to be taken to engage stakeholders.

But this Motion really speaks to the fact that after sixteen (16) consecutive years going on seventeen (17) years with the same party in power, Tobago still does not have, “Food Security�. [Desk thumping] So the failures unearthed by this Motion points squarely in the faces of the movers of this Motion. [Desk thumping]

Last time I checked Madam Presiding Officer,

nobody on my side was responsible for School Feeding Programme; nobody on my side was responsible for Food Security; nobody on my side was responsible or is responsible for that matter for ensuring that Tobago achieves food security

by way of Government Policy and Government Action. So those with the responsibility must take the responsibility.

This Motion is nothing to praise yourself about. This Motion speaks to fact that we had a problem and part of the problem we have is that we still do not have a farm to table programme on this island. At least a successful one.

We still do not have food security, because food security is more than quantity, is more that availability; and it is more than the consistency in food, it has to do with quality as well. The quality of food.

The reality is that Tobago gobbles down food from Trinidad and from elsewhere that are laced with all kinds of chemicals and we do not even have an efficient Organic Farming Programme here. We do not have a programme that successfully marries our farmers and the School Feeding Programme and what we give to them. So, I have seen box lunches with plain white flour dumpling, just tossed there and some lentil peas. I am asking myself in this day and age, we are still serving students and young people white flour dumplings? No grains added to that! None at all! No little provision, as if we do not know by now that the provisions provided is a complex starch and is a far healthier alternative to the rice or the pasta that is served quite frequently.

So, if we have to have this Pilot Project that we have been asked to endorse, can the Secretary of Health indicate to this House or assure us that this Pilot Project treats with what we give our students? What we put in their boxes?

It was mentioned but was skirted over, the fact that, if we have this Pilot Project and again we do not know at what levels, so I do not know if it is appropriate for me to talk about School Cafeterias and Canteens, because those

exists in the truest form in the secondary schools really by majority. So, I do not know that if it is appropriate for the context, because I do not know if this Pilot Project targets secondary schools? These are questions that should not be asked at this stage in the debate, those should have been cleared up all along the way. In fact, a better approach would have been to construct the framework of the Pilot Project, provide the framework of the Pilot Project and then allow the House to debate the details of this Pilot Project that they want the House to now endorse. That would have been a more sensible approach to governance and to changing policies and changing habits. So we do not know if this Pilot Project is going to really impact cafeterias, if we are going to change the model that were used for school cafeterias, and how they are contracted to provide service to the students, and teachers there. We do not know if based on this Pilot Project we are going to ban children from buying greasy pies through a fence or from leaving the compound to buy snacks and things to eat right outside the school gate?

These are things that should of been addressed in the discussion of this

Motion.

We also must look at the fact that this Motion also ask us to resolve to take appropriate steps to encourage all stakeholders to support this worthy initiative.

The problem with operating so generally, so widely without specifics is that we stand the risk of nothing happening. Which is the Tobago story. We say generally very nice things but when it comes down to the details and getting the things done we cannot because we have not readily identified those details.

The Secretary with responsibility for Food Production of all persons who contributed to this Motion should have come armed with some appropriate steps and itemize those steps that he thinks his Division will take. Perhaps I can share some with him. Perhaps I can share with him that Tobago needs proper laboratory testing for the agro-processors so they do not have to take their goods to Trinidad to be tested in a laboratory before they can duly package them and put them on shelves and export them. Perhaps if we have that then that is one step on the way to moving food in an organic way from the farmers to the schools, to the lunch boxes of our students and to what we serve there.

This Motion should have also indicated how we plan to treat with the fact that while we could run into the schools and change the diet, only serve vegan food and plenty bhaji and patchoi and thing (healthy for them) that the children can on their own decide to walk into the school with whatsoever they want to eat. Because the truth is we cannot legally stop a child from drinking a soft drink; we cannot legally stop a child from eating a pack of corn curls we cannot. We cannot stop them from having it in their book bags and in their lunch bags either.

So, in this House when we move a Motion to endorse the decision of the Executive Council to initiate (meaning to start.

Meaning that this has not

started yet this is almost future) the healthy eating in Foods Pilot Project. We should have been hearing by now whether in this Pilot Project we are looking at Marketing, at Education, at changing minds, at encouraging young people to eat healthily - Public campaign, Public Health Education Campaigns, that is what I was expecting to hear in the debate. In fact, we should have heard this from the start. Instead, the Motion became about “sheep” and “sheeps.” The Motion

came about how much water the brain needs and people not even quoting the right scientific percentage. We heard about who is in charge, we heard insults being hurled across the floor, we heard all kinds of stuff but we did not hear substantively what this Healthy Eating in School Pilot Project is and what are the appropriate steps the Executive Council wishes to take. [Desk thumping] Because I will tell you something, I have in my mind how I will do this if I was to do this. I know how the PDP will do this if we were to do it. But that is not necessarily how the Executive Council will do it. How do we know that we are thinking along the same lines? How do we know that? We want to help do not get us wrong, Madam Presiding Officer, we want to help. This is a Project that we will want to help with. But we cannot help with what we do not know about. What the details are not clear about.

Councillor Dr. Faith asked several questions. None have been answered, not one have been answered. She asked about cost of project, timeline, details for what the project is about, what is going do, sampling size, the schools you are going to target, why those schools; was Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) involved in this? What about the teaching fraternity how are they going to help in this? Yet what we got is a lot of anecdotal type responses and heard “cuss” out.

But you see, this island is

looking at us more than ever before.

The reality of today's politics and I am saying it at the risk of sounding narcissistic is that Tobagonians are watching now more than before because there is a Minority called, “PDP” (Progressive Democratic Patriots) here.

[Desk thumping] But when they watch they would not see PDP Members of the House only, they would see a House with two political organizations in it

- the PNM and the PDP. They will see a House with two (2) fractions of people in it - the Executive Council and the Minority Council. You will see a House with two groups of people in it. Those who think that they by their good fortune in the last election is ruling by right as opposed to by privilege and those who believe that based on our fortune in this election we are here by a privilege and we have a duty to ask questions.

So, nobody could ask me to

endorse a Pilot Project and I do not even know what the Pilot Project entail. I do not sign blank cheques. In fact, I do not have capital in the Bank enough to even give away cheques. So I am not going to sign a blank cheque for anybody because I know the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The good intentions in 2001 was that we would change this place and we have gotten “hell” instead.

The road took us to hell instead. So, I am not

signing a blank cheque. I am not supporting the Executive Council when they just tell me, "We will take appropriate steps." What are those appropriate steps?

It is not my responsibility to come and provide meat to this. Now if an actual Pilot Project framework was shared prior to this Motion then I could have given suggestions as to what to take out, what to put in. I was not elected to the Executive Council unfortunately and those who were elected to the Executive Council must duh deh wuk. Do your jobs! And your job entails ensuring that when you bring Motions like this to the House that we get the details.

So, Madam Presiding Officer, I wish to end on a lighter note. There is a story in the Bible about Daniel and three (3) young colleagues who we now call, “Shadrach”, “Meshach” and “Abed-nego” who have been taken to Babylon which was a strange place, as servants/slaves even and been fed from the Kings table. They chose to drink water, eat herbs, grains and nuts and have

no meat and by the time they were judged against the others they were head and shoulder above them, they were better than them, stronger than them. Now this story whether you believe in scriptures or not I shared it because I want to say that there is merit (don't get us wrong) in there being a project to engender healthier eating habits in our schools. We will have healthier young people with better functioning brains and perhaps if you have a healthier school system in Tobago by way of what we eat, perhaps we may end up beating the other educational districts in Trinidad that we struggle to get past now.

Perhaps, we could deal with lethargy in the classroom, and concentration and all of these other physical manifestations of poor eating habit. So there is merit in it. We are not saying that it does not have merit in it. Nobody on my side argued that there is not merit in healthier eating. What we have said from the start of this debate, is that you need to tell us what is this project we are endorsing. What are the specifics to this Project that we are endorsing? What are those appropriate steps that you want us to say, yeah to? Despite saying that, despite asking those questions, people carried on all over the place, about all other things besides treating with those issues. Yes, we have students here, some of whom I have the privilege of teaching as an Educator. If is one thing I know, they know how to construct an academic essay.

They know what a

“thesis� is and how to discuss a thesis and to provide supporting details for that.

Too bad, and I might need to teach a class here, because that seems to be missing. Woefully missing!

So Madam Presiding Officer, I do not know maybe, the Secretary in winding up the Motion, will answer those questions that were asked from the very start, so that we can actually for the very first time in this House collectively all agree. But if she fails to, we cannot sign a blank cheque.

Thank you Madam Presiding Officer. [Desk thumping] MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development. [Desk thumping]

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Thank you Madam Presiding Officer.

As I rise to wind up this debate, I wonder whether we all understand our responsibilities on either side. I wonder when I listen to persons asking about something that is a public document. Why? Up to now? Since January of 2017, the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education develop as part of the NCD Plan, a proposal for “Healthy Eating in Schools�. It is a public document. Please go on line and find it. Let me just share (since you do not come prepared to discuss) in terms of what this project is. This is a public document. [Demonstrating]

Before I do that, the

discussion about the data, let me just share with you some of that before because you had some concerns in terms of that.

So the local studies as far back as 2007, Shelton Nichols and Frances Cadogan, two (2) studies done 2008/2009 respectively, looking at the BMI and looking at Obesity in our children, looked at the Step Survey Child Obesity in

Tobago; look at the Global Health Based Student Health Survey 2017, the Trinidad and Tobago Report, look as well in terms of preliminary studies done by the Ministry of Health 2009/2010 where malnutrition among our children had declined on overweight and obesity started to increase. I invite you to read some of it. So, let us get back to the matters concerning the proposal because I shudder to think that nine (9) months or so since this was developed that people are now saying that they did not know about that. It is happening nationally!

In Trinidad, “The Healthy Eating in Schools”, the Trinidad component is already rolled out. Let me just share with you the goal of promoting, “Healthy Eating in Schools”. It is expected that the Project will assess the availability and quality of food or meals in Government and Government Assisted Primary and Secondary Schools in Trinidad and Tobago, and determined the health status of students in relation to overweight or obesity of those students. That is the first phase. Right. It is the first phase of the Programme to improve the School Food Environment Foster Healthy Eating, healthy lifestyles and healthy weight of students in Trinidad and Tobago.

Its specific objective and outputs: It is expected that it will identify and describe the existing school food options including breakfast that are available in the case of the Tobago project to students in Tobago:  We will determine the participation of students in these options;  We will determine the perceptions participants or students towards the food options;

 We will determine the perceptions of food service providers, principals teachers and parents towards the various food options;  Let me just share as well with you (since we talk about teaching and coming to school, but we do not read ourselves) in terms of the sample.

The Ministry of Health utilizing a stratified random sample of schools identified four (4) schools in the Tobago Educational District.

Three (3)

Primary Schools:  Patience Hill Government Primary;  Charlotteville SDA Primary;  Lambeau A.C. Primary; and One Secondary School:  Bishop’s High School.

Go and read it! It is available to you. The expectation is that this will be implemented in these schools. Let me share as well in terms of persons asking how is this going to work? They seem to know everything about what happens in Executive Council and what projects fail and what projects did not fail, but you did not read this one. This one is not going to fail.

If you do not know

what the role of government is, we will share that with you because you were asking how is this going to work. There are two (2) components you have to understand, the whole of society approach which my Colleague, Assistant Secretary Shomarie Hector mentioned in the terms of the whole of society

approach.

When he mentioned the external stakeholders who must work

together in implementing this project and correctly you asked whether Trade unions and all of those will be engaged.

Yes, they are part of the whole of

society approach all those stakeholders will participate. They have roles to play in this project. Similarly, the role of Government approach where as we are doing in our various Divisions, we have:

 The Division of agriculture and food Production;  The Education Innovation and Energy; and  The Division of Health.  These and may be others, we have roles for them. But there are specific things that will happen. Let me just share one (1) or two (2) for you.

So in the case of Agriculture, where there is need to look at and devise any existing policy on food security that is to be done; they have to look at measures in which you will have fruits and vegetables more available and accessible, and he started pointing to that.

In the case of Education, in terms of monitoring and evaluating the Health Education Curriculum in both Primary and Secondary schools, they also look at those policies in terms of participation in participation in physical activity for all students, they have to look at the existing Food Programme, they have to also look at training and teaching of other staff in Health-Ed to promote healthy lifestyles, so there are several and specific roles

in the whole of

government approach especially because this is not a project that could be embanked on by anyone sector or Division.

You require all of these

stakeholders to work together. I am trying to answer you for the people who are not reading and want to teach. I did not think that I had to do that. I thought you would have come with your copy, because I have mine. I want to respond to each part of it that you have mentioned. I gave you the data already, I hope that you are comfortable with that. You can read and understand what is happening in terms of these projects. While we talked about respect and disrespect, people talking about madness, let me just invite all of you on the other side that midOctober is Mental Health and Wellness Month, we encourage you to come and participate.

Let me also try to answer some of the other areas because I want to provide you with the information since you did not seem to have it.

Let me

just remind you in terms of the questions of the prevalence of obesity, I refer you to those readings that I mentioned previously so that you can recognize that there is a problem. The Minority Leader did question whether there is a problem and whether or not there is data.

All those pieces and several others I invite you to read. I also invite you to read as well others outside of Trinidad and Tobago into the Caribbean and into the wider world because Tobago is not an island just by itself.

With respect to the Healthy Eating - let me just remind and the example in terms of eating chips and all that. We do not advocate fried foods Sir so we encourage you to do your chips better rather than frying them.

The question in terms of whether or not the cost of the project and all of those that that cost will be made available to you and if you want a copy of the document and you cannot find it I will provide one to you before the end of the day.

Yes, this is a good Motion. We want to know how it is going to be implemented and I answered you in terms of the various roles of the various stakeholders - those groups. The whole of Government approach, the whole of society approach and we build it around that such, that it will be properly implemented.

Let me just share with you in terms of where the funding will come from.

If you do not yet know the NCD Plan the National Plan which spans from 20.0‌ Let me tell you exactly how long it is going to be for so that you would know how long it is going to be for and how much monies are going to be available. All this is available - people talk about having records on their phones. All that is available to you so that you can look at it because let us tell you the span of this particular project so you would know.

So there is forty-eight million United States dollars (US$48m.) available to Trinidad and Tobago to implement the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and control of NCDs. It spans 2016 to 2020.

We are in the process of developing proposals to access funding in terms of our response to preventing and controlling NCDs so that it is not expected that funds will be drawn from our existing budget and we know that we are

challenged by that. The funds are going to be drawn from that source. So that would be some comfort to your ears.

In terms of and I am just going a bit off this particular topic. I am trying to respond to many of the things that were raised as quickly as I can. To say that this Executive Council in terms of preparing and submitting matters for the consideration ensures that all the appropriate documentation is provided such that a decision could be arrived at.

Any other information that is available to the Minority Bench it is not in fact so correct. We pride ourselves as a responsible Executive Council and when we discuss matters we discuss matters with all the information. If the information is not provided a decision cannot be arrived at. [Interruption] MR. W. DUKE: Madam Presiding Officer, on a Point of Order. I raised the point earlier when the Chair was occupied by the Deputy Presiding Officer. I need to raise it again. Standing Orders 45, Subsection 4: "It shall be out of order to use offensive or insulting language about members."

We have the Councillor, Dr. Agatha Carrington referring to the Minority on this side as "Minority Bench." I wish to state openly that we are not a "Minority Bench" on this side. That cannot be found anywhere in the THA Act and I wish that she will withdraw that statement.

HON. DR. A. CARRINGTON: Madam Presiding Officer, I note the concern raised by the Minority Leader.

As we continue, I am responding to the several questions asked whether or not this Programme, how it is going to be monitored? The expectation is that an appropriate M&E framework is going to be a part of this particular project which we will share with you.

Questions were asked about roles of Dietitians and Nutritionists they are all part of the group of persons who will participate in this particular pilot.

May I say as well that this pilot will provide for us much needed data, current data that is required as we go forward because as most people will know we need our data for decision-making.

Madam Presiding Officer, I am grateful for the opportunity to present such a Motion which is contributing to and which has the potential to contribute to improving the lives of our children one that will secure our children for the future, for future generations. For those of us who have children - I have two of my own that I am trying to secure their own future as well and therefore much of what we have presented on this side is a recognition that we must do our part with respect to that.

Maintaining a healthy body weight and participating in physical activity has the potential to improve one's quality of life. I encourage all of us to understand why that is so. For those who do not know we are presently seeing in our General Hospital an average of eleven strokes per month. Last year, we had over a hundred and fifty (150) stroke patients presenting to us for care. It says to us that we have to pay attention to the lifestyle diseases that reset our population. No longer can we concentrate on old beliefs, we must understand

that we have to take care of ourselves.

As individuals we must assume

full responsibility but the system will provide for you the support you require we want to encourage that.

Whereas we know that some of us think that there is some genetic issue that relates to our body size and the fact that we need to be bulkier. May I remind you that we need to pay attention to how we eat. We want to suggest to you that we avoid consuming those foods that are called "unhealthy foods" what we call foods that are nutritionally deficient because this will result in adverse health effects.

We want to encourage you to not eat sometimes. I listened to people saying that my mother cook this and my parents cook that and so on. We want to encourage you to look closely at what was eaten before and see whether those represent healthy eating.

We want to encourage you as well as we examine food products and we look at the labelling and ensure what we are really buying and those things that we should buy.

Let me just also say that we know that they are challenges in terms of changing behaviour. We recognize that it is an uphill battle. Hence the reason for addressing this problem as early as we are attempting to do it from the schools. We believe that by engaging the school children we will be able to impact those children such that they become healthier adults.

We believe that our meaningful educational programmes in both Primary and Secondary schools will bend that curve of used obesity. We want to look at those numbers and ensure that we bring those numbers down.

We think we have the commitment on this side and I know it is the same on the other side that you are interesting in improving the lot of the youths.

Some of you who claim to be Teachers you know that our youths are our future and we encourage you to support this Motion.

Finally, I want to urge parents, I want to urge Members of community groups - the private sector, Civil Society, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs),

Community-based

Organizations

(CBOs)

and

Family-based

Organizations (FBOs) to themselves engage in healthy practices to take steps to protect our future generations from health problems in adulthood. It is crucial that the health and welfare of our children is looked at. It is crucial that we promote and protect them.

Madam Presiding Officer, this is an imperative if we have to advance our health and wellness agenda in Tobago and Trinidad and Tobago in general.

I thank you. [Desk thumping] Question put and agreed to.

MADAM PRESIDING OFFICER: The motion is therefore carried.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion made: That the House do now adjourn to a date to be fixed.

[Hon. Dr. A. Carrington]

Question put and agreed to.

House adjourned accordingly.

Adjourned at 5.52 p.m.