MINUTES OF THE HONOURABLE JAMAICA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES At a meeting of the Members of the House of Representatives held pursuant to adjournment at Gordon House in the City and Parish of Kingston on Tuesday, the 21st DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2010 The House met at 2:38 p.m. PRAYERS Prayer was offered by Mr. Desmond Mair. CALL OF THE ROLL PRESENT WERE: Hon. Delroy Hawmin Chuck, M.P., Speaker Mrs. Marisa Colleen Dalrymple-Philibert, M.P., Deputy Speaker Hon. Andrew Holness, M.P., Minister of Education and Leader of the House Hon. Pearnel Patroe Charles, M.P., CD, Minister of Labour & Social Security Hon. Rudyard Conrad Spencer, M.P., OD, Minister of Health Hon. Neville Andrew Gallimore, M.P., Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security & Deputy Leader of the House Dr. the Hon. Christopher Charles Tufton, M.P., Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 1 Hon. Daryl Wesley Phillip Vaz, M.P., Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Information and Communication Hon. William James Charles Hutchinson, M.P., Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon. Robert St. Aubyn Montague, M.P., Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Hon. Michael Anthony Stern, M.P., Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Investment Mr. Noel George Delano Arscott, M.P., Clarendon, South Western Mr. Luther Bartley Monteith Buchanan, M.P., Westmoreland, Eastern Mr. Peter Murcott Bunting, M.P., Manchester, Central Mr. Roger Harold Clifford Clarke, M.P., Westmoreland, Central Dr. Omar Lloyd Davies, M.P., St. Andrew, Southern Dr. Donald Keith Duncan, M.P., Hanover, Eastern Mr. Colin Alfred Alexander Fagan, M.P., St. Catherine, South Eastern Dr. Fenton Rudyard Ferguson, M.P., St. Thomas, Eastern Dr. Morais Valentine Guy, M.P., St. Mary, Central Ms. Lisa Rene Shanti Hanna, M.P., St. Ann, South Eastern Mr. Ian Dave Hayles, M.P., Hanover, Western Mr. Joseph Uriah Hibbert, M.P., St. Andrew, East Rural Mr. George Anthony Hylton, M.P., St. Andrew, Western Mr. Fitz Arthur Jackson, M.P., St. Catherine, Southern Mr. Derrick Flavius Kellier, M.P. CD, St. James, Southern Mr. Desmond Gregory Mair, M.P., St. Catherine, North Eastern Dr. Kenneth Wykeham McNeill, M.P., Westmoreland, Western 2 Mr. Clive Arthur Mullings, M.P., S. James, West, Central Mr. Dean Alexander Peart, M.P. CD, Manchester, North Western Mr. Michael Anthony Peart, M.P., Manchester, Southern Mr. Tarn Andrew Peralto, M.P., St. Mary, South Eastern Dr. Peter David Phillips, M.P., St. Andrew, East Central Dr. Donald Gladstone St. Clair Rhodd, M.P., Portland, Eastern The Most Hon. Portia Lucretia Simpson Miller, ON, M.P., St. Andrew, South Western Mr. Derrick Charles Smith, M.P., St. Andrew, North Western Mr. Ernest Augustus Smith, M.P., St. Ann, South Western Rev. Ronald George Thwaites, M.P., Kingston, Central Mr. Franklyn Robert Witter, M.P., St. Elizabeth, South Eastern ANNOUNCEMENTS The Clerk laid on the Table of the House a copy of the following: Ministry Paper No. 76/10 Cabinet Agenda Issues for August 30, 2010 (Cabinet Offices) Ministry Paper No. 77/10 Cabinet Agenda Issues for September 6, 2010 (Cabinet Offices) Office of the Contractor General Twenty-third Annual Report January to December 2009 (Office of the Contractor General) Ministry of Transport & Works Annual Reports and Financial Statements For the years 2007/2008 & 2008/2009 (Ministry of Transport & Works) 3 Annual Report of the Committee to Examine and Recommend for Approval Proposed Estimates for Constituency Projects Submitted to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) By Respective Members of Parliament (Houses of Parliament) Certified Appropriation Accounts Head Ministry/Department Financial Year 5900A Ministry of Energy, Mining 2007/2008 Telecommunications 5200 Ministry of Industry, 2007/2008 Technology, Energy & Commerce 1700 Ministry of Tourism 2007/2008 (Auditor General’s Department) (Mr. Othneil Lawrence, M.P., St. Ann, North Western entered and took his seat). (Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, M.P., St. Andrew, Eastern entered and took his seat). REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES The Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Honourable William Hutchinson, on behalf of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Transport and Works, laid on the Table of the House a copy of the Annual Report of the Committee to Examine and Recommend for approval, proposed estimates for Constituency Projects submitted to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by respective Members of Parliament. Members of this Honourable House are reminded that on the May 21, 2008, the House of Representatives, on a motion moved by the Acting Leader of the House and Minister of State in the Minister of Labour and Social Security passed the following resolution: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House appoint a Joint Select Committee comprising of the following Members: Hon. Audley Shaw - Chairman Hon. Horace Chang Hon. Olivia Grange Hon. Shahine Robinson Hon. Laurence Broderick Mr. Michael Peart 4 Mrs. Maxine Henry-Wilson Mr. Derrick Kellier Mr. Fitz Jackson To examine and recommend for approval, proposed estimates for constituency projects submitted to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by respective Members of Parliament. On the 3rd day of June, 2008, on a motion moved by the Acting Leader of the House, the House passed a further resolution deleting the names “Michael Peart and Fitz Jackson” and substituting therefor the names “Dean Peart and Noel Arscott”. On the 14th day of October, 2008, on a motion moved by the Acting Leader of the House, the House passed a further resolution deleting the names “Audley Shaw, Laurence Broderick, Olivia Grange, Horace Chang, Dean Peart and Maxine Henry-Wilson” and substituting therefor the names “Clifford Everald Warmington (Chairman), William J. C. Hutchinson, Andrew Gallimore, St. Aubyn Bartlett, Natalie Neita-Headley and Colin Fagan” Members are further reminded that, by virtue of a resolution approved by this Honourable House on March 31, 2009, the composition of the Committee, as set out above, was made to continue in force for the 2009/2010 session of Parliament and the Committee empowered to proceed with matters that were before it from the stage reached at prorogation. (i) Overview of the Constituency Development Fund The concept of the Constituency Fund (CDF) was developed in the context of the need for improved governance and greater effectiveness of the people’s representatives in responding to the development needs of the constituents. The main thrust of the CDF is to: Promote Human and Infrastructure Development at the community and constituency levels Catalyze economic activities at the constituency level Foster local governance including good environmental stewardship Improve service delivery Bring governance and the people closer together Increase the response capacity of the elected representatives Promote participation at the community level The CDF programme is in its second year of implementation. Each Member of Parliament in collaboration with the relevant agencies, local/community based organizations and Non- governmental Organizations would have designed a Five Year Development Plan at the inception of the programme. The Five Year Development Plan for each constituency would have outlined a menu of programmes and projects to be undertaken on a yearly basis. 5 (ii) The CDF Committee’s Deliberations and Decisions Your Committee began its meetings for the 2009/2010 Parliamentary Session on June 2, 2009 and held a total of fifteen (15) meetings to review and approve the project proposals that were submitted to the Committee by the Members of Parliament in the 60 constituencies. (Appendix I) Each Member of Parliament was allocated $20.0 million to execute the projects in his or her constituency for the 2009/2010 Parliamentary Year. Each project proposal was reviewed by the officers at the CDF Project Management Unit before being sent to your Committee for further review and approval. Your Committee was very meticulous in its review of the project documents and where necessary, sought clarity on matters. Your Committee approved project proposals totaling $1,166,809,321.20 as set out in Appendix II. The projects approved represent those submitted by Members of Parliament that satisfied the criteria that were set out for the disbursement of funds by the CDF Unit. (iii) Acknowledgements Your Committee wishes to express its sincere appreciation to everyone who made the meetings possible. Special thanks to the staff of the CDF Project Management Unit, in particular, Ms. Moveta Munroe and Mrs. Pauline Scott-Blair, for preparing the project documents for review by the Committee and to the technical officers, in particular, Ms. Moveta Munroe and Mrs. Pauline Scott-Blair for availing themselves for meetings. To the Clerk to the Houses and her staff, a special thanks for the support and kind courtesies that were extended during the Committee’s deliberations. APPENDIX I ATTENDANCE (15 meetings) Present Absent Apology Hon. Clifford Everald Warmington, M.P. – Chairman 15 - - Hon. Shahine Robinson, M.P. 13 2 1 Hon. Neville Gallimore, M.P. 13 2 2 Hon. William J. C. Hutchinson, M.P. 15 - - Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett , M.P. 11 4 0 Mr. Noel Arscott, M.P. 8 7 2 Mr. Derrick Kellier, M.P. 12 3 0 Mr. Colin Fagan, M.P. 12 3 0 Mrs. Natalie Neita-Headley, M.P. 12 3 0 6 7 APPENDIX II FUNDS APPROVED BY THE CDF COMMITTEE AND DISBURSED TO MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT – 2009/10 CONSTITUENCIES NAMES OF MEMBER OF PROJECT DESCRIPTION FUNDS APPROVED & DISBURSED PARLIAMENT ($) 1. Kingston Central Rev. Ronald Thwaites Human and Social Development 10,500,000.00 Economic Enablement - Disaster Mitigation - Physical Infrastructure 3,000,000.00 Labour Day Project 250,000.00 Social Housing 1,000,000.00 Emergency & Welfare 1,000,000.00 15,750,000.00 2.