Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694840299288.pdf (Jamaica)
ORDER OF BUSINESS OF THE HONOURABLE JAMAICA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TUESDAY, 19TH FEBRUARY, 2008 PRAYERS CALL OF THE ROLL STATEMENTS BY MINISTERS ANNOUNCEMENTS BILLS BROUGHT FROM THE SENATE PETITIONS PAPERS REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES NOTICES OF MOTIONS GIVEN ORALLY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS (For answer on the 2nd January, 2008 – Questions No.

44 and 50) (For answer on the 12th February, 2008 – Question No.

52) (For answer on the 19th February, 2008 – Question No.
53) (For answer on the 4th March, 2008 – Questions No.

54 and 55) MOTIONS THAT MAY BE MADE AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS REQUIRING NOTICE MOTIONS RELATING TO SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE MOTIONS FOR LEAVE TO INTRODUCE BILLS PRESENTATION OF BILLS WITHOUT LEAVE OF THE HOUSE FIRST OBTAINED PUBLIC BUSINESS PRESENTATION OF BILLS WITHOUT LEAVE OF THE HOUSE FIRST OBTAINED Page 2 of 10 GOVERNMENT BUSINESS Page 3 of 10 1.
The Prime Minister to move that a Bill entitled “AN ACT to Amend the Constitution of Jamaica to provide for a Charter of Rights and Freedoms and for connected matters”, be now read a second time.

2.

The Prime Minister – To move – THE BAUXITE (PRODUCTION LEVY) ACT CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT FUND (WITHDRAWAL)(NO.

1) ORDER 2008 BE IT RESOLVED that the Capital Development Fund (Withdrawal) (No.
1) Order 2008 under the Bauxite (Production Levy) Act, which was laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday the 12th day of February, 2008, be approved.

Notice of second reading given on 27.11.2007 Notice given on 12.2.2008 PRIVATE MEMBERS’ MOTIONS NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 2ND OCTOBER, 2007 Page 4 of 10 1.

Mr. Clarke – To move – [No.
1] WHEREAS the Prime Minister has promised to continue the Operation PRIDE Programme; AND WHEREAS the families in Grotto, Seaton Park, Charlene, part of Llandilo, Meylers Avenue, Kingswood, Frome, Galloway, Logwood, Paradise 1 and 2, Russia, Wharf Road, Back Bush and Morass Lane in Westmoreland, are anxiously awaiting the implementation of the programme in their communities; AND WHEREAS this programme is designed to provide families with security of tenure and supporting facilities for a better quality of life: BE IT RESOLVED that: (i) urgent steps be taken to conduct the necessary socio-economic surveys in the settlements named; (ii) the residents be appropriately registered to participate and become beneficiaries of serviced sites and, ultimately, shelter solutions; (iii) implementation of the programme be effected without undue delay.
2.

Mr. Clarke – To move – [No.
2] WHEREAS it is declared policy of the Government to continue the development of south coast tourism; AND WHEREAS tourism is a major contributor to Jamaica’s economic sustainability; AND WHEREAS adequate social and physical infrastructure are essential to support the industry; AND WHEREAS vital road linkages between Mackfield and White House in Central and Eastern Westmoreland require immediate rehabilitation; AND WHEREAS the former administration had started some rehabilitation work: BE IT RESOLVED that steps be taken by the Ministry of Transport and Works to restore the roads to a satisfactory condition for vehicular traffic for both residents and tourists.
3.

Reverend Thwaites – To move – [No.
3] WHEREAS only about 55% of Jamaicans have the names of their fathers registered on their birth certificates; Page 5 of 10 AND WHEREAS it is a basic human right for every person to have two named parents wherever possible; AND WHEREAS the absence of named fathers leads to grave practical and moral difficulties for defenseless citizens and degrades family values: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House consider the amendment to and the enactment of legislation so as to require the compulsory registration of all fathers.
4.

Reverend Thwaites – To move – [No.
4] WHEREAS hundreds of Jamaicans are killed or suffer injury and economic loss each year as a result of road accidents; AND WHEREAS a heavy and unnecessary burden is placed on public expenditure; AND WHEREAS driver incompetence, indiscipline and incapacity and defective vehicles have been identified as major contributory causes to road accidents: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House recommend to the Government: (i) the need for a revised code and appropriate enforcing authority for driver education and testing; (ii) the need to improve the integrity of the prevailing system of vehicle inspection; (iii) the need to consider amendments to the Road Traffic Act which: (a) would prescribe mandatory driver re-education for traffic offenders at the discretion of the court; and (b) would provide for the obligatory recertification of all holders of drivers licences at intervals of fifteen years after issue.
5.

Reverend Thwaites – To move – [No.

5] WHEREAS business growth worldwide is facilitated by the availability of venture capital; AND WHEREAS there are few if any such venture capital facilities in Jamaica: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House consider the scarcity of venture capital in Jamaica and its effect on the economy and employment and call upon the Government to stimulate the creation of venture capital opportunities.

Page 6 of 10 NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 23RD OCTOBER, 2007 6.
Reverend Thwaites – To move – (No.
6] WHEREAS there are hundreds of thousands of parcels of unregistered land in Jamaica; AND WHEREAS the capacity of landowners to use their real property for wealth creation is limited where their tenure is insecure; AND WHEREAS it is acknowledged worldwide that the citizen’s capacity for financial independence is improved when landed assets can be freely traded and used as collateral; AND WHEREAS the LAMP Project has made a good start in mapping the parish of St. Catherine and enabling the issue of registered titles for that parish: BE IT RESOLVED that: (i) The LAMP project be reviewed and extended to the remainder of the nation as a priority; (ii) The scope of the Facilities of the Registration of Titles Act be amended so as to encompass not only the Peoples Cooperative Banks but all other financial and mortgage-granting institutions.
7.

Dr. Rhodd – To move – [No.
7] WHEREAS there has been a constant increase in juvenile delinquency during the recent past; AND WHEREAS serious crimes committed by men and women under 25 years have reached unbearable proportions; AND WHEREAS existing educational, skills training, judicial and security measures have proven inadequate to contain the high levels of criminality perpetrated by some young people in our country: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House recommend to the Government that a mandatory training and mentorship programme be established for at-risk youth; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that re-socialization programmes such as the community security initiative and the citizen security and justice programme be expanded and strengthened.
NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 30TH OCTOBER, 2007 Page 7 of 10 8.

Reverend Thwaites – To move – [No.
9] WHEREAS there has been a whole scale depreciation of the housing stock in Central Kingston and similar locations of urban decay in many constituencies; AND WHEREAS the lack of adequate housing and sanitary facilities causes family breakdown, loss of personal dignity, social disorder and contributes to crime and violence; AND WHEREAS bearing in mind that decent housing for all is part of the United Nation’s Millennium goals to which Jamaica subscribes; AND WHEREAS while acknowledging the good but insufficient efforts of the Government through the Inner City Housing Project and Operation Pride and recognizing that there are very many holdings in the inner cities and elsewhere which are for sale or have been abandoned and constitute “dead” assets or are owned but not used by Government itself; AND WHEREAS understanding that budgetary funding is never sufficient for housing renewal and thus the involvement of private capital is essential: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House of Representatives debate this important issue and bring to the appropriate committee of the House, the National Housing Trust, the Building Societies, the Jamaica Mortgage Bank, among others, to determine ways in which tenants and occupiers of premises in areas of rural and urban blight can be assisted to acquire, renovate and reconstruct their homes, using, wherever possible, their own labour so that they may become owners of their homes at affordable prices and on reasonable terms.
9.

Dr. Rhodd – To move – [No.
10] WHEREAS the main roads in the parishes of Portland, St. Mary and St. Thomas have been in a serious state of disrepair; AND WHEREAS flooding caused by Hurricane Dean and recent rainfall has resulted in severe deterioration of these roads; AND WHEREAS the socio-economic life and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of persons are affected daily by these deplorable road conditions, causing severe hardships and unbearable suffering: IT RESOLVED that the Government of Jamaica effect BE immediately a programme of reconstruction and rehabilitation to the main roads in Portland, St. Mary and St. Thomas.
NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER, 2007 Page 8 of 10 10.

The House to continue debate on the motion: [No.
11] WHEREAS adequate nutrition is a necessary precondition to human growth and the ability to advance educationally; AND WHEREAS there is evidence that significant numbers of Jamaican children do not have a diet conducive to good performance in school and in sports due to the lack of information or want of resources; AND WHEREAS there is an international movement to review and upgrade the content of public and private school nutrition offerings; AND WHEREAS the issue of adequate nutrition in schools should be placed in the context of a national nutrition policy as an urgent matter affecting public health and productivity: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House, with the assistance of expert opinion, debate the need for a national nutrition policy and review the existing public school nutrition programme.
NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 13TH NOVEMBER, 2007 11.
Reverend Thwaites – To move – WHEREAS the price of all basic food items has increased between twenty and fifty percent over recent weeks due both to local and international factors; AND WHEREAS transportation costs and other essential goods and services; increases are further steep to be expected for utilities, AND WHEREAS wage and income levels have not been raised at all or significantly enough to affect these increases; AND WHEREAS, as a result, the unemployed, the working poor and indeed all but a few Jamaicans are or will be experiencing great stress, loss of purchasing power and lower confidence: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House debate as a matter of extreme urgency these continuing cost of living increases with a view to mitigating their harsh effect and planning for their avoidance.
NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 20TH NOVEMBER, 2007 12.

Reverend Thwaites – To move – [No.
13] WHEREAS it is estimated that one in five Jamaicans reside on land over which they have no legal tenure; AND WHEREAS the hundreds of squatter settlements now existing and continuing to develop across Jamaica cause grave social and economical problems and often serious environmental degradation: Page 9 of 10 BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House debate measures to reduce incidents of squatting and endeavour to develop a national consensus around the modalities required to provide access to reasonable housing for all people.
NOTICE GIVEN ON TUESDAY, 11TH DECEMBER, 2007 13.

Mrs. Hay Webster – To move – [No.
14] WHEREAS recent statements by the Minister of State for Water and Housing and the Minister of State for Local Government indicate the intention to withhold and deny access to public assistance by legitimate beneficiaries; AND WHEREAS these reported statements clearly indicate intent to misuse public funds for the inducement of electors of Jamaica which would be a breach of the laws of Jamaica; AND WHEREAS this conduct is unbecoming of the role of a Member of Parliament let alone a Minister of Government; AND WHEREAS there is also reported clear public outrage with this unacceptable behaviour by these two elected members who further have distinct appointed duties as members of this House: BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House declare that the conduct reported is reprehensible; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Honourable House take immediate steps to establish the Ethics Committee, appoint persons to the committee and further refer this matter to the committee for the consideration of appropriate action.
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE Page 10 of 10 9.10.2007 1.

Motion approved on October 9, 2007, regarding the review of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives referred to the Standing Orders Committee of the House of Representatives.

15.01.2008 (i) 2.
(ii) (iii) (iv) Annual Report of the Political Ombudsman of Jamaica; Report of Investigation by the Office of the Contractor General into the procurement practices of the Jamaica Tourist Board; Report of Investigation by the Office of the Contractor General into the procurement practices of the University Hospital of the West Indies; Report of Investigation by the Office of the Contractor General into the procurement of fire-fighting vehicles and equipment for the Jamaica Fire Brigade; (v) Report of Investigation by the Office of the Contractor General into the Highway 2000 Concession and Administration Agreement; referred to Joint Select Committee for consideration and report.
22.01.2008 3.

Recommendations of the Final Report of the Ministry of Health, Jamaica Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group, referred to Joint Select Committee for consideration and report.

4.

Exemption Motion regarding the Member of Parliament for St. Ann South Western, referred to the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives for consideration and report.

5.
5.

Exemption Motion regarding the Member of Parliament for Trelawny Southern, referred to the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives for consideration and report.

Exemption Motion regarding the Member of Parliament for St. Catherine North 6.

Western, referred to the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives for consideration and report.

Exemption Motion regarding the Member of Parliament for St. Mary South 7.
Eastern, referred to the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives for consideration and report.

29.1.2008 8.

Exemption Motion regarding the Member of Parliament for Kingston Central, referred to the Ethics Committee of the House of Representatives for consideration and report.