Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694840096532.pdf (Jamaica)
QUESTION NOTICE PAPER OF THE SENATE OF JAMAICA FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013 NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 7TH JUNE, 2013 4.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 28th day of June, 2013: Can the Minister state whether a delegation from Jamaica is attending a Local 1.

Government conference in Uganda during this fiscal year?

Will the Minister state the name, title and basis for the selection of each member of the 2. delegation?
Will the Minister state the full itinerary, the cost of the tickets and the class of travel in 3. respect of each member of the delegation?

4.

Will the Minister state – (a) The other costs associated with each person’s travel, to include, but not limited to, airport transfers, ground transportation, conference registration, accommodation and meal costs?

and; (b) The party bearing the cost for each member of the delegation?

5.
5.

Will the Minister state, in addition to the foregoing expenses, whether or not members of the delegation are being provided with a daily allowance from the Government of Jamaica?

And, if the answer is in the affirmative, would the Minister provide the amount paid to each person per day?

6.
6.

Will the Minister state if any contribution is being made by any individual member of the delegation, and, if the answer is in the affirmative, would the Minister state who those persons are and the contribution made by them?

Page 2 of 7 5.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 28th day of June, 2013: Could the Minister state how many schools, police stations, courthouses and clinics still 1. have and use pit latrines?

2.
2.

Could the Minister provide a list of same?

Could the Minister provide a list of the said institutions with pit latrines that have 3. budgetary provisions for upgrades to their sanitary facilities in this financial year?

Could the Minister provide a timetable for the upgrading of the sanitary facilities at the 4. respective institutions, in particular the schools?

6.
6.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 28th day of June, 2013: Will the Minister state how many cases of rape were reported and recorded in Jamaica 1. for the periods January 2012 to December 2012, and January 2013 to May 2013?

Will the Minister state how many of these reported rape cases, for the above periods, 2. have a suspect being charged for and the matter turned over to the courts for trial?
If there are cases, not in the court, will the Minister state how many of these reported 3. rapes have had a suspect being identified?

4.

Are rape kits prepared for all reported rape cases in Jamaica?

If the answer to Part 4 is “no” or “not all cases”, will the Minister state what the three 5. main reasons are why rape kits are not prepared?

6.

Are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests conducted on all rape kits that are prepared?

7.
7.

Will the Minister state how many suspects have been identified during the above- mentioned periods, as a result of DNA profiling?

What is the policy of the Government with regards to the testing of rape kits for DNA 8. and other matters?

Page 3 of 7 Will the Minister please state how many rape kits were in the possession of the 9. authorities, to be tested and which have not been tested, up to May 30, 2013?
If there is a backlog of rape kits to be tested, will the Minister please state the planned 10. period in which they will be tested and at what costs?

8.

* Senator Dr. Tufton to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 28th day of June, 2013: How many persons are currently on the Programme for Advancement Through Health 1. and Education (PATH)?

2.

What is the breakdown, by numbers of beneficiaries, by gender, health and education?

3.
3.

How many of the beneficiaries are disabled?

4.

Along with the categories identified in Part 2, how many persons have been removed and how many persons penalised with reduced benefits on an annualised basis over the last three years?

5.

What have been the primary reasons (top three reasons) for their removal?

What intervention programme is in place for those who have been penalised, to 6. encourage re-engagement?

7. been re-engaged annually for the last three years?
How successful have these interventions been in terms of number of persons who have Does the Government believe that the intervention programme is working and, if not, 8. what reviews are taking place to improve its efficiency?

NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 21ST JUNE, 2013 10.

* Senator Dr. Tufton to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 12th day of July, 2013: How many overseas-based participants attended the recently concluded Diaspora 1.
Conference held in Montego Bay, St. James, from June 16 to 19, 2013?

2.

Of this number, how many were: (a) Prospective investors?

Page 4 of 7 (b) Delegates?

(c) Other category of special interest stakeholder groups?

3.

What was the cost to the Government of Jamaica for staging this event?

4.

What were the main conclusions and specific plans agreed to coming out of the conference?
What timelines were established for targeted plans and programmes coming out of the 5. decisions arrived at at the conference?

How does the Government intend to ensure that these timelines for policies and 6. programmes implementation are kept?

11.
11.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 12th day of July, 2013: Will the Minister state how many public sector worker groups have signed a wage freeze 1. agreement with the Government?

Will the Minister state how many public sector worker groups have not signed a wage 2. freeze agreement with the Government?
Will the Minister state whether a wage freeze will be applied by the Government to 3. public sector worker groups who have not signed the agreement with the Government?

Will the Minister state which public sector worker groups have been granted a wage 4. increase since April 2012?

Will the Minister state what have been the levels of increase, if any, and which groups are 5. these?

6.
6.

Will the Minister state, group by group, if Ministers, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Special Assistants, Special Technical Assistants, Advisors or Ministerial Consultants have received any increase in basic pay or any allowances since January 2012?

If the answer to Part 6 is in the affirmative, will the Minister state what were the levels of 7. increase?
If there were any increase, will the Minister state whether the improved salaries and 8. emoluments became effective after April 1, 2013?

Will the Minister state when Ministers, Ministers of State and Members of Parliament 9. will be signing a wage freeze agreement?

Page 5 of 7 NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 28TH JUNE, 2013 12.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 19th day of July, 2013: 1.

2.
2.

Will the Minister state how many lock-ups are in police stations island-wide?

Are the lock-ups, by law, subject to inspections?

If the answer to Part 2 is in the affirmative, who should conduct these inspections and 3. how often?

Will the Minister state how many persons are being held in lock-ups in police stations as 4. at June 1, 2013?

Will the Minister state how many non-Jamaican citizens are being held in lock-ups in 5. police stations?
Will the Minister state if there are any persons being held, as at June 1, 2013, in jails/lock- 6. ups for over a year?

7.

If the answer to Part 6 is in the affirmative, will the Minister state how many?

Will the Minister state how often an audit of persons in jails/lock-ups is to be done and 8. when was the last audit done?

Will the Minister state how many hours of exercise and outside cell time per day is given 9. to persons in jails/lock-ups?

10.
10.

Will the Minister state how many persons are to be held in these jails/lock-ups by design?

11.

Will the Minister state whether the country is a signatory to any international treaty, agreement or protocol, which states the standards that must be adhered to when persons are being held by the State?

If the answer to Part 11 is in the affirmative, will the Minister give the name of the treaty, 12. agreement or protocol?

13.
13.

As at June 1, 2013, will the Minister state what is the longest period of time the Government of Jamaica held persons in its care and control in a jail/lock-up, detention or remand centre?

Page 6 of 7 NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 5TH JULY, 2013 13.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 26th day of July, 2013: Will the Minister state how many sub-division plans have been accepted by all Parish 1.
Councils for the period January 2012 to June 2013?

2.

Will the Minister state how many of the amount submitted have been approved?

Will the Minister state which commenting agency has the largest number of sub-division 3. plans to be commented on?

4.

Will the Minister state how many plans the National Works Agency and the National Environment and Planning Agency have in their possession to be commented on as at June 2013?
Will the Minister state how many sub-division plans, submitted since January 2012, have 5. been approved in 90 days?

Will the Minister state what plans, policy or programmes are in place to clear the sub- 6. division backlog, if any?

14.

* Senator Montague to ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 26th day of July, 2013: Will the Minister state how many new trucks and vehicles were handed over to the 1.
Jamaica Fire Brigade between October 2007 and December 2011?

Will the Minister state when each of these units were handed over or were taken in the 2. possession of the Jamaica Fire Brigade?

3.

Will the Minister state the current locations of these units?

NOTICE GIVEN ON FRIDAY, 12TH JULY, 2013 15.


Page 7 of 7 * Senator Montague to ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business on the 2nd day of August, 2013: Would the Minister state if there is a Government policy, standard or guideline on the 1. eligibility for graduation from early childhood, primary and secondary schools?

2.
2.

If the answer to Part 1 is in the negative, would the Minister state whether or not the Government would consider publishing standards or guidelines on the eligibility for graduation from early childhood, primary and secondary schools?

Would the Minister state if there is a Government policy, standard or guideline for the cost of 3. graduation from the above-mentioned categories of school?

4.
4.

If a parent or guardian believes that the cost of the graduation package for the above-mentioned categories of schools is too burdensome, would the Minister please state what steps he may take to appeal this matter?

Would the Minister state whether or not the Government offers any assistance for graduation 5. packages?

6.
6.

If the answer to Part 5 is in the negative, would the Minister state what is the Government’s policy on PATH beneficiaries who are unable to graduate because they cannot afford the graduation package?

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