FINN (COM) Daily Record for 08 January 2004

By J. Brock (FINN)

Stanley Services Limited have announced the completion of the sale of the Malvina House Hotel on 05 January 2004.

Tom Swales, Managing Director of Stanley Services Ltd., said that the acquisition will add strength to its Tourism and Travel Division and that it demonstrates the confidence that the Company has in the future of the Islands economy and the tourism sector. He noted that it is Stanley Services aim to continue the excellent work undertaken by its former owner, Mike Rendell, over the past 20 years.

Hello,
We're on our way to your charming hamlet with the Fathom Expeditions Trip aboard the Polar Star. We'll be in Port Stanley, in 2 weeks with the Royal Scottish Geographic Society and others to commemorate not only 100 years of Scottish Exploration in the region but the launching of our very own James Caird in Stanley Harbour.

Will would like to invite the Governor and a few dignitaries aboard our ship for cocktails in the early afternoon.

I'm wondering if I could ask for your help in obtaining key contact email addresses as we'd love to make this a very special occasion indeed.

Please don't hesitate to contact me and I can give you more details.
Very best regards,

Kelly

Special Event Co-ordinator
Fathom Expeditions

Just got a great piece of news. "Big FM" have given me a two hour
slot (2 whole hours of radio time) from 2000 to 2200 hrs on Monday 26 January 2004.

The programme will be hosted by Mr. Charles May. It will be an
interview which will including covering my book and CD, plus (virtually
important) playing tracks from the CD.

"Big FM" has the largest listening audience in the whole of the
Algrave area in Portugal, It broadcasts in English, and is targeted at the
very large foreign population.

Best Wishes
Terry Betts

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ARREST OVER DRUG IRREGULARITIES AT KEMH:

Late this afternoon, Police arrested someone in connection with an irregularity in the handling of a controlled drug at KEMH. The individual has yet to be named and Police have not brought any charges so far. But they are carrying out interviews as part of an investigation into the allegations. Inspector Len McGill says it’s too early to comment on whether the arrest is linked to previous allegations of irregularities in drug handling at the hospital, which were made last year. Hospital Director, Norman McGregor-Edwards, says he called in the Police after finding an irregularity in the recording of a drugs stock, which they were unable to resolve internally.

EXCO REJECTS HUMAN RIGHTS SUGGESTIONS:

EXCO has rejected most of the criticisms levelled at the Falkland Islands Government by Social Development Direct in its report on Human Rights in the Falklands. A report from the Attorney General summarising the EXCO’s discussions on the subject acknowledges that the Islands’ standard of Human Rights generally seem to be good. Singled out for praise were the legal aid system, the publication of committee reports, and a generous attitude towards healthcare for foreign nationals. But the main part of the document is a rebuttal of the criticisms and suggestions made by SDD. It rejects the suggestion that a human rights committee should be set up, saying, "while understanding the spirit in which the recommendation was made, EXCO concluded that such a committee was both unnecessary and inappropriate in a community the size of the Falkland Islands. But it does say FIG is considering the establishment of a complaints commission who, among other things, would consider complaints about human rights abuses. EXCO has commissioned a special report on the subject. SDD criticised the treatment of St. Helenians at MPA and the response is that CBFFI, Brigadier Gordon, had said the St. Helenian workforce was content and denied that there was pay discrimination. The Attorney General says that although lower rates of pay are applied for some jobs, other benefits on offer mean a worker could be worse off in the UK on a higher wage. The Attorney General and EXCO say SDD did not appreciate the limited powers of the FIG to prosecute foreign flagged vessels for human rights abuses when they are outside the Islands, territorial seas, and internal waters. The Government’s level of public consultation was criticised but the AG’s report says SDD’s field reports seem to indicate that they were not aware that FIG regularly, and as a matter of practice, consults the public – and sections of the public on a wide range of issues. Finally, it says allegations about a lack of provision for dyslexic pupils were not valid and that there were teachers who were specially trained to teach dyslexic children.

I spoke to Cllr. Mike Summers (MS) about the report this morning:

SG: I assume these people were experts. How could they have got it so wrong?

MS: Whether they’re experts in their field or not, I suppose, is a matter for someone else to judge because someone else appointed them. They spent a relatively short amount of time in here. I think it was only about a week. And, in that time, they spoke to a very large number of people and collected a very large number of opinions. And, I guess they didn’t have time to test all those opinions or to check whether those opinions were correct or agreed with by the majority of other people.

SG: EXCO has agreed to look at the suggestion of having a complaints commission. And, you have asked for a report on the subject. What can you tell us about that?

MS: The issue of a complaints commission has been under discussion ever since we started the constitutional review. And, there is a view amongst all Councillors and, I think, amongst the public in general there should be a complaints Commissioner. The difficulty is how that office is established and who fills that position and what the terms of reference are. And, that detail we haven’t yet got into. So, that would be the purpose of an additional report.

SG: And, can you say any more about why you rejected the idea of having a human rights committee? You say it’s not appropriate for the Falkland Islands but it doesn’t really say why.

MS: I suppose two things really. One is that the complaints commissioner would, to a large extent, fulfil that role. And, the other is that it just seemed to us in discussion that it would be virtually impossible to have such a thing. How would you staff it? Who would be on it? Who would appoint them? What would be their responsibilities? Who would they report to? It just seemed to us in discussion that it would be another committee, that, at the end of the day, would probably report to Executive Council or to the Governor and would probably fulfil the same role as the complaints commissioners. I think that was the principle reason for not doing it.

TRISTAR FLIGHTS HANDED OVER TO BRITISH MIDLANDS:

Tristar flights are to be taken over by charter companies for 6 months from 20 January. The first 16 flights will be operated by British Midland International and the remaining 24 by Air Luxor. Both Companies will operate AirBus A-330 Aircraft on the same schedule as the current Tristar service. Doug Salsby (DS) from MPA Media Ops. Told me more.

DS: The reasons for it being handed over are obviously the services are fully committed at present. There will be no change to the actual level of service. However, this does happen from time to time and, indeed, it happens to other parts of the world as well. At the moment, the change is because of the operational commitments around the globe. And going into summer, we go into our exercise period with exercises in Canada and Cypress and other places around the globe.

SG: And, is the ongoing presence in Iraq an element in this?

DS: Yes. It’s all bound up together with our commitments around the globe which includes Iraq and other places.

SG: What differences will people notice flying with charter companies rather than on the Tristar?

DS: They should notice no difference in the service itself. The times will remain the same. The aircraft will be different. It won’t be the Tristar. But there should be no difference in the service itself.

SG: And, will it still be going to and from Brize Norton?

DS: Yes. That’s correct.

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