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19950614, House Debates

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1061 Leave of Absence Wednesday, June 14, 1995 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wednesday, June 14, 1995 The House met at 1.35 p.m. PRAYERS [MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair] LEAVE OF ABSENCE Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I have granted leave of absence from today’s sitting to the Member for San Fernando West (Hon. Ralph Maraj). ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Preysal (Establishment of Post Office) 119. Mr. Raymond Palackdharrsingh (Caroni Central) asked the Minister of Public Utilities: (a) Would the Minister indicate whether the community of Preysal qualified for the establishment of a post office? (b) If the answer is in the affirmative, would the Minister indicate what steps are being taken to provide this facility? (c) If the answer is in the negative, could the Minister state what services are provided to meet postal needs of the community? The Minister of Energy and Energy Industries (Sen. The Hon. Barry Barnes): Madam Speaker, the Post Master General has advised that the critertia normally used for establishing a post office include inter alia: (a) the volume of postal services demanded; (b) the distance from an existing postal facility, that is a minimum of 9.6 kilometres from an existing post office; (c) potential for the development of the area. Based on the development criteria, the community of Preysal does not qualify at this time for the establishment of a post office. The community of Preysal located between Couva and Gran Couva is currently serviced by: (i) Couva Post Office which lies approximately 5.7 kilometres to the west of the community of Preysal; 1062 Oral Answers to Questions Wednesday, June 14, 1995 [SEN. THE HON. B. BARNES] (ii) Gran Couva Post Office which is approximately 4.6 kilometres to the north of the community of Preysal. (iii) Calcutta Settlement Postal Agency which is only 0.8 kilometres to the north of the community of Preysal. In addition to counter services, the Couva Post Office provides a home delivery service on a daily basis to approximately 70 per cent of the households in Preysal. Gran Couva Post Office, on the other hand, provides only counter services. The Calcutta Settlement Postal Agency provides two types of counter service— the collection and postage of mail and the sale of stamps. Given the present available financial resources of the Postal Services Division, the Couva Post Office is unable to provide a home delivery service to some 200 households in the newly developed areas in the community of Preysal. Nevertheless, the Postmaster General is considering the possibility of establishing a postal agency in close proximity to those houses. Madam Speaker: I had indicated to the Police Commissioner that whenever there are marches around the Red House as soon as the sitting starts, the police should ask the demonstrators outside to tone down the volume of whatever they are using so that the business of the House can proceed. Mr. B. Panday: They paid $2,000 for that tassa— CNG Filling Stations (Safety Requirements) 120. Mr. Raymond Palackdharrysingh (Caroni Central) asked the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries: Would the Minister state: (a) What are the basic safety requirements for setting down CNG filling stations? (b) Whether the CNG filling station at Montrose, Chaguanas, has met those criteria? (c) What mechanism is put in place to deal with complaints, real or perceived from persons residing in close proximity to such filling station? (d) What alternative or emergency plans exist for such residents? 1063 Oral Answers to Questions Wednesday, June 14, 1995 (e) Whether victims and/or their families would be fully compensated in the event of an accident or disaster? The Minister of Energy and Energy Industries (Sen. The Hon. Barry Barnes): Madam Speaker, the installation of CNG Regulations 1994, which require that CNG systems conform to standards issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards or other regulatory organizations approved by the Minister. The regulations were published as legal Notice No. 196 on October 18, 1994. The National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited was granted approval for the installation of CNG dispensing facilities at S. Maharaj Service Station, which is presumably the Montrose, Chaguanas station referred to in the question. As with all other existing gas stations, the installation is governed by the rules, regulations and procedures that are legally required for the safety of gas stations. Persons in the vicinity of a gas station who have real or perceived complaints may lodge such complaints with the national Petroleum Marketing Company and thereafter with the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries where all such complaints are investigated. In terms of petroleum fuels, experience has shown that CNG is among the safest. Moreover, CNG equipment is rigorously designed, operated and controlled. As a result, there is no necessity for special emergency plans over and above the standard safety precautions which apply to gasoline stations. Both the gas station dealer and the National petroleum Marketing Company are required to maintain accident insurance under the terms of the gas station licences. Squatters (Arena and Carlsen Field) 121. Mr. Raymond Palackdharrysingh (Caroni Central) asked the Minister of Housing and Settlements: (a) Would the Minister state what progress has been made in the regularization of squatters in Arena and Carlsen Field? (b) Would such regularization be completed in 1995? The Minister of Housing and Settlement (Dr. The Hon. Vincent Lasse): Madam Speaker, preliminary site investigations by the National Housing Authority have revealed that the squatter settlement at Arena comprises some 68 families. The site is considered to be well laid out and some of the residents have 1064 Oral Answers to Questions Wednesday, June 14, 1995 [DR. THE HON. V. LASSE] basic amenities such as electricity and water. The NHA is currently liaising with the Lands and Surveys Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources with respect to the change of ownership of the lands at Arena from the Praesto Presto Camp. Investigations at Carlsen Field have revealed that this site, on which there are several pockets of residential squatters, is not well laid out. A more structured arrangement is required in order to minimize infrastructural development costs and obtain regulatory approvals. These lands are State lands and investigations indicate that the squatters were in occupation before 1986. Some of the lands on the site require approvals for change of use from agricultural to residental purposes. Here again ongoing discussions are taking place with the Lands and Surveys Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources. 1.45 p.m. These two areas are not included in the regularization programme for 1995. Mr. Palackdharrysingh: A supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Would the Minister indicate what measures are put in place to prevent his heartless Government from demolishing people's homes? Madam Speaker: That is an entirely different question. It does not have any bearing on this one. The Member may file that question for answer in due course. ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS The Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister in the Ministry of Finance (Hon. Kenneth Valley): Madam Speaker, I beg to move that the House now consider at page 3 of the Order Paper, Motion No. 1, under "Private Business." Agreed to. NO CONFIDENCE (PRIME MINISTER) Mr. Basdeo Panday (Couva North): Madam Speaker, I beg to move, the following Motion: Whereas recent events have revealed the Prime Minister's woeful incompetence in dealing with the nation's affairs; Be it Resolved that this honourable House express its lack of confidence in Prime Minister Patrick Manning. 1065 No Confidence (Prime Minister) Wednesday, June 14, 1995 It is a simple Motion, not many "Whereases". It is simple and to the point. I am extremely elated that the Prime Minister has taken this Motion so seriously. Had he not done so, he would not have attempted a mobilization of the kind that we have seen today. I am so happy. Never in my life have I been greeted with so much love and affection as I walked through, into what was anticipated would be the lion's den, and I have never received so many handshakes and kisses from so many beautiful women. I thank the hon. Prime Minister for that. It is a pity you had to stop the tassa, Madam Speaker, because my learned colleague, I understand, paid $2,000 for that and she should have been given the opportunity to enjoy it a little more. As I say, I have never had so much fun in my life. I never thought I was so loved among what was formerly the PNM support. But it is my information—if I am wrong, I stand corrected—that many of the URP jobs have been closed down for the day. We would have an investigation afterwards, of course, but I am merely saying that people have been promised the day's pay; they are provided with transport; some maxi taxis. I know two buses came from San Fernando, because one of my colleagues called me and said: "Bas, they ask me to come up; I am going up eh, but I am still voting for you." They have also been provided with $10.00, a jersey and snacks after the demonstration. I want to make only one point. I want to tell every person who came here today that if the Government reneges and does not pay them, I am a trade unionist; just come to me and we are going to carry out the struggle for payment, for every cent it promised them. You would note, Madam Speaker, that the Motion is not a motion of no confidence in the Government; it is not that.
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