Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697797417198.pdf (Jamaica)
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 1ST DAY OF DECEMBER, 2009.

The House met at 2:17 p.m. o’clock.

Prayers were offered by Mr. Desmond Mair.

Call of the Roll.
PRESENT WERE: The Honourable Delroy Hawmin Chuck, Speaker Mrs. Marisa Colleen Dalrymple-Philibert, MP, Deputy Speaker The Honourable Andrew Michael Holness, MP, Minister of Education and Leader of the House The Honourable Orette Bruce Golding, MP, Prime Minister & Minister of Defence The Honourable Pearnel Patroe Charles, C.D., MP, Minister of Labour & Social Security The Honourable Rudyard Conrad Spencer, O.D., MP, Minister of Health The Honourable Lester Michael Henry, C.D., MP, Minister of Transport & Works The Honourable Neville Andrew Gallimore, MP, Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security & Deputy Leader Dr. the Honourable Christopher Charles Tufton, MP, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries The Honourable Daryl Wesley Phillip Vaz, MP, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Information and Communication The Honourable Clifford Everald Errol Warmington, MP, Minister of State in the Ministry of Water and Housing The Honourable Shahine Elizabeth Robinson, MP, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister The Honourable William James Charles Hutchinson, MP, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries The Honourable Robert St. Aubyn Montague, MP, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, MP, St. Andrew, Eastern Mr. Luther Bartley Monteith Buchanan, MP, Westmoreland, Eastern Mr. Roger Harold Clifford Clarke, MP, Westmoreland, Central Dr. Omar Lloyd Davies, MP, St. Andrew, Southern Dr. Donald Keith Duncan, MP, Hanover, Eastern Mr. Colin Alfred Alexander Fagan, MP, St. Catherine, South Eastern Dr. Morais Valentine Guy, MP, St. Mary, Central Ms. Lisa Rene Shanti Hanna, MP, St. Ann, South Eastern Mr. Ian Dave Hayles, MP, Hanover, Western Mrs. Maxine Antoinette Henry-Wilson, MP, St. Andrew, South Eastern Mr. Derrick Flavius Kellier, C.D., MP, St. James, Southern Mr. Desmond Gregory Mair, MP, St. Catherine, North Eastern Dr. Kenneth Wykeham McNeill, MP, Westmoreland, Western Mrs. Natalie Gaye Neita-Headley, MP, St. Catherine, East Central Mr. Phillip Feanny Paulwell, MP, Kingston Eastern & Port Royal 2 Mr. Dean Alexander Peart, C.D., MP, Manchester, North Western Mr. Tarn Andrew Peralto, MP, St. Mary, South Eastern Mr. Derrick Charles Smith, MP, St. Andrew, North Western Mr. Ernest Augustus Smith, MP, St. Ann, South Western Reverend Ronald George Thwaites, MP, Kingston, Central Mr. Franklyn Robert Witter, MP, St. Elizabeth, South Eastern STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS (Dr. Fenton Ferguson, M.P., St. Thomas Eastern, entered and took his seat).
(The Minister of Water and Housing, the Honourable Dr. Horace Chang, entered and took his seat).

(The Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the Honourable Michael Stern, entered and took his seat).

(The Minister of Mining and Energy, the Honourable James Robertson, entered and took his seat).

(Mr. Clive Mullings, M.P., St. James West Central, entered and took his seat).
The Prime Minister, the Honourable, Orette Bruce Golding made the following statement on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Declaration on Climate Change: Heads of Government of the Commonwealth convened for 21/2 days in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad over the weekend amid severe challenges facing the world, the most significant of which are the global economic crisis and the urgent need to forge a collective response to the creeping disaster of global warming.
49 of the 53 member countries were represented at the meeting.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will, in due course, table a Ministry Paper providing details of the deliberations that were conducted and the decisions taken.

However, I wish to apprise the House of the position taken by the Heads on the issue that took up more of our deliberations than any other issue - climate change.
The meeting was convened on the eve of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held later this month in Copenhagen, perhaps the most anticipated international conference in recent times.

The conference was expected to be the climax of a two-year negotiating process following the 13th Conference in Bali in December 2007 and the adoption of the 3 Bali Action Plan.
That plan had identified the critical components of global cooperation for sustained existence and sustainable development: mitigation, adaptation, financing, application of technology and capacity building.

The widely-shared hope was for an agreement in Copenhagen on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol whose first commitment period ends in 2012.
Regrettably, the negotiations have not so far produced a consensus that would secure a legally binding agreement and the expectations of the outcome of Copenhagen have, therefore, been scaled back.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government were unanimous that efforts toward securing a binding agreement on climate control must be strengthened.
Our deliberations benefited from presentations by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen of Denmark who will be chairing the Copenhagen Conference.

All three were specially invited to address the conference.
The danger to the planet of global warming and the catastrophes it will produce, if left unchecked, including the uninhabitability of parts of the world, particularly some small island states is not the alarmist warnings of over-zealous scientists.

It is a real danger confirmed not only by scientific data but also by actual accumulated experience.
Climatic behaviour and sea levels are determined by changes in the earth's temperature which, in turn, is determined by the extent to which the atmosphere retains heat.

The major contributor to the increased heat retention in the atmosphere is the emission of greenhouse gases arising from human activities, especially carbon dioxide (C02), to which the burning of fossil fuels is the most significant contributor.

Some of these gases remain suspended in the atmosphere for hundreds of years.
Over time, therefore, the world has accumulated more and more of these gases, retaining more and more heat, producing higher and higher temperatures.

Volatile weather patterns with more intense drought and floods, severe hurricanes, rising sea levels devouring coastal areas, melting icecaps leading to floods and landslides are becoming increasing phenomena.

It threatens not just agriculture and the ability of the world to feed itself but the survival of vast segments of the world's population.
Concentration of carbon dioxide which was measured at 280 ppm before the onset of the industrial revolution has risen to 385 ppm today and if current rates of increase remain unchecked could exceed 550 ppm by 2050.

Emissions over the last 50 years have increased significantly, coinciding with the period of rapid industrial development.

As a result, global temperature measured at 14.01° Celsius in the 1970s, rose to 14.26° in the 1980s and 14.40° in the 1990s.
Industrialized countries are responsible for 70% of the greenhouse gases produced so far with the US and China accounting for more than a half of that amount.

However, developing countries including those that are most vulnerable to the dangers of climate change, in their quest for development, are likely to assume a greater share of carbon 4 emissions unless the path of that development is informed by a sustainable, carbon- limiting strategy.
There is broad consensus that action needs to be taken to avert the complete ruination of the global environment.

The challenge facing the Copenhagen Conference is to reach a binding, verifiable, enforceable agreement on precisely what must be done and how the responsibility for doing it must be allocated.

Importantly, it requires a collectivity in commitment and action greater than anything the world has ever seen since carbon emissions anywhere cling to the atmosphere everywhere.
The strategies required fall into four main categories: (1) Mitigation measures to reduce carbon emissions, stabilize carbon concentration levels and limit temperature rise; (2) Adaptation measures to enable countries already adversely affected or endangered by climate change to protect themselves; (3) Introduction and transfer of appropriate technology to facilitate (l) and (2) above; (4) Provision of funding for all the above.
It is the lack of consensus on these strategies that have clouded the prospects of a legally binding international agreement emanating from the Copenhagen Conference.

Developing countries are demanding much deeper emission cuts, lower limits on temperature rise and greenhouse gas concentration and earlier peaking point for global emission levels than some developed countries, particularly those responsible for the greater share of emissions, are prepared to commit themselves to.
While the need for a global fund to finance mitigation and adaptation measures is generally accepted, discussions as to the quantum and source of these funds and how they are to be disbursed are still at a preliminary stage.

It is estimated that the financing required will amount to between 0.5% and 1.0% of global GDP or between $250B and $500B per annum.
The Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) of which Jamaica is a member, is demanding even more stringent limits than other developing countries, given the fact that they are most at risk.

For example, while some countries have suggested a cap of 2° celsius for temperature rise above pre-industrial levels, AOSIS is insisting on no more than 1.5°, arguing that at 2°, 80% of the Bahamas, for example, would eventually disappear under the sea.
A worse fate would await small island states like the Maldives, Tuvalu, Kiribati, to name just a few, with extremely low elevations.

Recognizing the challenging prospects for a legally binding agreement in Copenhagen, the Commonwealth nevertheless resolved to use its considerable influence to press for such an agreement with special emphasis on the predicament and needs of those countries that are least culpable but most vulnerable.
The Commonwealth is well suited to do so, comprising, as it does, one third of the world's population, a quarter of its sovereign states spread across all five continents and including countries that are among the richest and poorest, most developed and least developed.
5 In its Declaration on Climate Change, Commonwealth Heads of Government reaffirmed their commitment to the Lake Victoria Commonwealth Climate Change Action Plan, the mission of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and a legally binding international agreement no later than 2010 to be preceded, at a minimum, by a political and operational agreement at Copenhagen this month.
The objective of the Declaration is to ensure that the commitments are sufficiently strong to facilitate meaningful negotiations toward a binding agreement with explicit targets by 2010.

The Commonwealth Heads also reinforced the need for adequate funds to be provided for the management of climate change amelioration initiatives and stressed that these must be separate from, and additional to, existing official development assistance flows.
They also welcomed the proposed Copenhagen Launch Fund to provide $10 billion annually over the first 10 years as fast-disbursing funds for the most vulnerable countries and that at least 10% of this amount should be reserved for small island states and associated low-lying coastal areas of AOSIS member states but emphasized that much more substantial funding will be required to arrest the threat to the global environment posed by global warming.
Commonwealth Heads also endorsed the call for an international governing authority to manage the disbursement of funds, monitor implementation of agreed measures and ensure compliance with country commitments and agreed mandates.
The Copenhagen Conference will be convened against mixed sentiments of disappointment and hope; disappointment because the legally binding international agreement many had hoped for, while being within our reach, is not yet within our grasp; hope because the need for such an agreement is not disputed; what needs to be agreed is the precise content of such an agreement.

Jamaica will be participating fully at this important conference.
Our delegation will be led by the Deputy Prime Minister and he will be supported by technical officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and other agencies that have been involved in the negotiations and consideration of the issues arising therefrom.

The issue is so crucial to the future of the planet and, in particular, the hopes and development prospects for countries like Jamaica that I have invited the Opposition to name a representative to be included in our delegation.
(Mr. Fitz Jackson, M.P., St. Catherine Southern, entered and took his seat).

(The Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, entered and took his seat).

(Mr. Noel Arscott, M.P., Clarendon South Western, entered and took his seat).

(Dr. Peter Phillips, M.P., St. Andrew East Central, entered and took his seat).

ANNOUNCEMENTS 6 The Clerk laid on the Table of the House a copy of the following: Ministry Paper No.
118/09 Cabinet Agenda Issues for November 2, 2009 (Presented by the Cabinet Office) Ministry Paper No.

119/09 Cabinet Agenda Issues for November 9 and 11, 2009 (Presented by the Cabinet Office) Ministry Paper No.

120/09 Cabinet Agenda Issues for November 16, 2009 (Presented by the Cabinet Office) Ministry Paper No.
121/09 Government Guarantee of J$1,800.0 Million Loan to Air Jamaica Limited through a private placement being arranged by NCB Capital Market Limited (Presented by the Ministry of Finance & the Public Service) Ministry Paper No.

122/09 Half Year Budget Execution Report For the financial year 2009/2010 (Presented by the Ministry of Finance & the Public Service) Ministry Paper No.
123/09 Report of the Integrity Commission Appointed under the Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act, 2001 for the year ended 31st December 2008 (Presented by the Office of the Prime Minister) Office of the Children’s Advocate Annual Report for the Fiscal Year 2008/2009 (Presented by the Office of the Children’s Advocate) Office of the Children’s Advocate Report on the Children in Jamaica Twenty Years After the Convention on the Rights of the Children (Presented by the Office of the Children’s Advocate) Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) Annual Report for the Financial Year 2007/2008 (Presented by the Ministry of Youth Culture & Sports) 7 (Formerly Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports) Certified Appropriation Accounts Head 1600 & 1600B 0700 4235 4235 Ministry/Department Financial Year Office of the Cabinet 2008/2009 Office of the Children’s Advocates 2008/2009 Government Chemist Government Chemist 2008/2009 2007/2008 (Presented by the Auditor General’s Department) NOTICES OF MOTIONS GIVEN ORALLY The Minister of Education and Leader of the House, the Honourable Andrew Holness, on behalf of the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, gave notice that at the next meeting of the House, he would move: BE IT RESOLVED, with reference to Ministry Paper No.
121, dated November 18, 2009, which was laid on the Table of the House of Representatives on the 1st day of December, 2009, that this Honourable House approve the granting of a Government Guarantee under the provisions of the Approved Organisations and Authorities Loans (Government Guarantee) Act in respect of the Tranche-B Credit Facility to be arranged by NCB Capital Markets Limited, through a Private Placement arrangement, in the amount of One Thousand, Eight Hundred Million Dollars (J$1,800.0 Million), the proceeds of which will be used by Air Jamaica Limited in support of its financing requirements for the approved Business Plan for 2009/2010.
The Minister of Education and Leader of the House, further gave notice that at the next meeting of the House, he would move: BE IT RESOLVED with reference to the resolution approved by this Honourable House on the 17th day of November, 2009, appointing a Special Select Committee to consider and report on the Bills shortly entitled “The Casino Gaming Act, 2009” and the “Betting, Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act, 2009” that the names “St.

Aubyn Bartlett” and “George Anthony Hylton” be added thereto.
He further gave notice that at a later stage that day, he would move for the suspension of the Standing Orders to enable him to take the motion.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Mr. Roger Clarke asked the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries the following question: 8 Can the Minister update this Honourable House on the progress of the divestment of the Government owned sugar estates?
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. the Honourable Christopher Tufton, responded as follows: The current set of negotiations which started with the Cabinet's approval on 22 April 2009 of the four (4) shortlisted parties -  Eridania (Suisse) - of Italy,  Energen Development Limited,  Fred M. Jones & Company - Seprod Limited  Everglades Farms Limited is partially completed with the divestment of the St. Thomas Estate and factory to Fred M. Jones/Seprod and the estates, factory and distillery at Long Pond and Hampden to Everglades Farms Limited in July 2009.
The other two shortlisted companies are still in the process of making their final investment decision concerning Frome, Monymusk and Bernard Lodge - the last three sugar estates still owned by the GOJ.

We can report that in August Eridania sent a seven-man team of experts (including agronomist, engineers and financial analysts) to do a full feasibility study on Frome, Monymusk and Bernard Lodge.
This was in keeping with the commitment Eridania made when a delegation (comprising of Minister Tufton, Ambassador Heaven, Aubyn Hill and Robert Levy) visited Eridania's headquarters in Bologna, Italy in May this year.

Since the Eridania team left a few months ago, there has been constant communication between them and executives at SCJ Holdings with the latter sending a substantial amount of data and information to the Eridania Consultants.
The Eridania executives from Bologna have explained to us that the data and information is being used to understand the Jamaican sugar industry as it stands at the moment and then to build a model which will be presented to their Board for approval.

We understand from Eridania that a number of factors are being considered as they build their business model and projections for Jamaica.
Some of those issues which will play a part in the final decision include whether or not Eridania will put a sugar refinery plant in Jamaica, if yes – (a) should it be placed at a sugar factory or a port location?

(b) what role will co-generation of energy play in the cost structure of their business model?
(they see the cost of locally produced electricity as a prohibitive expense) (c) if they go the co-generation route to reduce cost, will they have to grow non-sugar cane crops to produce energy when bagasse from sugar cane is not available?

9 (d) will they have sufficient water and irrigation facilities in the Monymusk/Bernard Lodge area to meet their growing requirements?

We can expect they will load the model with social and cultural considerations.
Eridiana has indicated that they will go to their Board for a decision to invest (or not) and once that decision is made, they will let us know.

While no deadline has been agreed – and none can be set by the GOJ – we would expect them to come back to us within a few weeks.
As you are aware, one of the positive results of our visit to Eridania's head office was the securing of their agreement to provide a US$15M partial, pre-shipment facility to finance the 2009/10 sugar cane crop in exchange for a GOJ guarantee to supply a minimum of 79,000 tonnes of sugar.

Eridania has agreed to pay the European reference price of €335.2 per tonne plus a profit share from the sale of the processed refined sugar after deducting refinery costs, on an open book basis.
Today that equivalent price from Eridania is estimated at €393 per tonne.
That financing has allowed the three (3) government estates of Frome, Monymusk and Bernard Lodge, I'm told for the first time in more than a generation, to purchase the necessary fertilizer, herbicide, irrigation and other field equipment and materials, as well as, 21 Mill Rollers and a host of other equipment for the Frome and Monymusk factories - in time to allow the factory at Frome to begin sugar production on December 7th and the one at Monymusk on December 18th this year.
This financing from Eridania has brought other benefits including allowing SCJ Holdings to plant 1,300 new hectares of sugar cane, fix irrigation canals, roads and other infrastructure and, most importantly, put certainty into the starting dates for the factories which is a source of comfort and assistance to the employees of SCJ Holdings, as well as, the many cane farmers and contractors who depend on the activities at these factories for their livelihood.
In the process, the quality of the cane fields and the efficiency of the factories have been greatly improved and have served to enhance the quality of the assets we are seeking to divest.

(Mr. Othneil Lawrence, M.P., St. Ann North Western, entered and took his seat).

(The Minister of State in the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the Honourable Laurence Broderick, entered and took his seat).
Mr. Roger Clarke further asked the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries the following question: Can the Minister update this Honourable House on the progress being made in the implementation of the Praedial Larceny Programme?

(The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Honourable Dr. Kenneth Baugh, entered and took his seat).

10 (Dr. Esmond V. Patrick Harris, M.P., Trelawny Northern, entered and took his seat).
(The Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the Honourable Karl Samuda, entered and took his seat).

The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries responded as follows: In recognition of the threat posed by praedial larceny to the sector, I appointed a committee involving representatives of critical stakeholder groups in 2008 to review and amend the measures being used to combat praedial larceny to have a greater focus on traceability and enforcement.
The committee commissioned a study to analyse the extent and nature of the problem with special reference to the livestock sub-sector and propose new strategies or improve those currently being employed to combat the problem.

This study was completed in December 2008 and a report submitted to the Committee.

Subsequent to the tabling of the report, the Ministry designed a comprehensive programme to tackle praedial larceny.
This programme takes a holistic and aggressive approach to the problem and is based on five (5) key strategies.

These are: 1.

Enforcement: A Praedial Larceny Coordinator will be employed to manage the implementation of the praedial larceny programme.

This individual will be jointly appointed by the Ministry of National Security and Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries.
The remit of the Coordinator will be to coordinate anti-praedial larceny initiatives including strategic planning of sting operations, prosecution and arrest with the Constabulary Force and give publicity to those cases to deter praedial larceny activities.

This Coordinator will report to a high profile monitoring committee comprised of the Attorney General, Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
In keeping with the provisions of the Praedial Larceny (Prevention) Act, Agricultural Wardens will also be appointed to patrol farming districts to detect offences of praedial larceny.

These wardens will be accorded with powers of arrest for persons committing or deemed to have committed an offense under this Act.

2.
2.

Strengthening of Existing Legislation The Ministry is currently engaged in discussions with the Attorney General's Department to strengthen existing laws against praedial larceny and propose stiffer penalties that will discourage this crime.
Measures that are being explored include: o Increasing the fines and sentences for offences; 11 o o o Instituting a three strike system where individuals found guilty of the offence on the third time, will serve a greater imprisonment time than first and second time offenders; Review of laws and penalties for individuals who accept stolen goods or are third party to praedial larceny; and Implementing a mechanism for compensating farmers from fines collected.

3.
3.

Sensitization of Judiciary and Police Force Sensitization of the judiciary and police force in order to engender awareness about the seriousness of praedial larceny and ensure that this is reflected in the enforcement measures adopted by the police force to combat this crime and the imposition of full penalties by the judiciary against criminals.

4.
4.

Public Education/Awareness The Ministry will execute a public awareness campaign to educate the public about laws that govern praedial larceny and encourage the reporting of incidences of this crime.

In collaboration with the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries is developing a 'Crime Stop' model to gain the participation of citizens to combat praedial larceny.

5.
5.

Traceability The Ministry will be establishing traceability systems over the medium term to track the movement of food from "farm to fork".
These include: Implementation of an Animal Identification System that is currently being designed; o o o Rationalisation of the number of existing abattoirs and slaughter houses based on a recently completed study by the Ministry which recommends the establishment of four large HAACP certified abattoirs and 100 community slaughter houses operating at recommended standards.
These abattoirs will be supported by legislation requiring all commercial meats to pass through them; Review of existing receipt book scheme which is a critical part of the traceability system.

Receipt books will be unique to each farmer with features that will make duplication difficult; Mandatory registration of all farmers and fishers with the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries.
The Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries will share its Farmers/Fishers Registry Database with the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and 12 o Mandatory registration of all haulage contractors of agricultural livestock and produce is being explored.

In addition, haulage contractors will be required to keep a register of clients and their produce to include receipt numbers and names of farmers from whom produce was purchased.

These registers must be available at all times for inspection by the police.
PUBLIC BUSINESS The Minister of Education and Leader of the House, having obtained suspension of the Standing Orders, moved: BE IT RESOLVED with reference to the resolution approved by this Honourable House on the 17th day of November, 2009, appointing a Special Select Committee to consider and report on the Bills shortly entitled “The Casino Gaming Act, 2009” and the “Betting, Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act, 2009” that the names “St.

Aubyn Bartlett” and “George Anthony Hylton” be added thereto.
Seconded by: Mr. Desmond Mair.

Agreed to.

The Minister of Water and Housing, the Honourable Dr. Horace Chang, on behalf of the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, moved for the withdrawal of the motion standing at No.

5 on the Order of Business.

Seconded by: Mr. Othneil Lawrence.

Agreed to.

The Minister of Water and Housing, on behalf of the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, moved: WHEREAS Ministry Paper No.
110/09 dated October 20, 2009, and it’s Resolution, which were laid on the Table of the Honourable House on October 20, 2009 are hereby superseded by Ministry Paper No.117 dated November 17, 2009 and this Resolution: BE IT RESOLVED that with reference to Ministry Paper No.117/09 dated November 17, 2009, which was laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, this Honourable House approve the granting of a government guarantee under the provisions of the Approved Organizations and Authorities Loans (Government Guarantee) Act for loans, denominated in various currencies, amount to approximately US$211.6 million, to the National Water Commission from a consortium of banks to finance the Jamaica Water Supply Improvement Project.
Seconded by: Mr. Tarn Peralto.

Agreed to.
13 The Minister of Transport and Works, the Honourable Lester Michael Henry, moved that the Bill entitled “AN ACT to Validate and confirm all acts or things done in good faith by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited, as if exempt from the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third-Party Risks) Act by virtue of its establishment and maintenance of a self-insurance fund, from the 1st day of April, 2004 to the 20th day of November, 2008; and to discharge and indemnify the Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited, its officers and all other persons against all consequential liability, actions and legal proceedings of any kind in respect of its operations as if exempt from the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third-Party Risks) Act,” be now read a second time.
Further debate on the substantive motion was, by leave, deferred.
PRIVATE MEMBERS’ MOTIONS Mr. Clive Mullings, having obtained suspension of the Standing Orders, continued debate on the following motion: WHEREAS the Parliament has voted to retain the death penalty; AND WHEREAS there is the recognition that the death penalty, per se, will not reduce the levels of murder in Jamaica; AND WHEREAS there is a general consensus that the more enduring solutions lie in a combination of: (a) Holistic, sustained, social intervention; (b) Modernization of the investigative capacity of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); (c) Reform of the justice system.
BE IT RESOLVED that this Parliament, as a matter of immediate priority: (a) Assess the range, scope and effectiveness of current social interventions and agree on additional adequate programmes for implementation; (b) Agree on such additional short-term and long-term measures necessary to enhance the capability of the JCF to investigate murders and other violent crimes; (c) Agree on measures to enhance the capacity of the justice system.
14 AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Human and Social Development Committee of this Parliament be mandated to review the progress of these measures as agreed above and report to Parliament at intervals to be decided by this House.

Seconded by: Ms. Lisa Hanna.

Agreed to.

ADJOURNMENT At 5:35 p.m., the Minister of Education and Leader of the House moved that the House do now adjourn to Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. o’clock.

Seconded by: Mr. Tarn Peralto.

Agreed to.


The House adjourned accordingly.

……………………………………….

Delroy H. Chuck, M.P.

Speaker 15