FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: TUESDAY, 24 AUGUST 2004

 

J. Brock (FINN)

News from Gilbert House

 

 

Councillors Birmingham and Cockwell and Clerk of Councils Claudette Anderson have left the Islands on recent flights.   They will be attending the 50^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in Canada from 30 August to 9 September.  

 

The annual political Party Conferences in the UK in late September/early October will this year be attended by Councillors Norma Edwards and Stephen Luxton.   Falkland House will have a stand at the Labour and Conservative conference venues as usual.

 

The Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) has also become a regular feature in Councillors’ calendar and this year it will be attended by Councillors Cheek and Norma Edwards.   The two-day meeting, organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will be the sixth of its kind and will once more be hosted by Mr Bill Rammell MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the FCO.     The event provides a good opportunity to take stock of the UK’s relationship with the Overseas Territories and for delegations from the OTs to get together.

 

Councillors will take the opportunity while in London to meet with Minister Bill Rammell and other FCO officials to discuss current issues.

 

24 August 2004

 

 

 

 

Commonwealth Parliamentarians to Press for Global Action

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

LONDON — More than 500 Members of Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures will question intergovernmental agencies about the effects of global programmes on their societies when they meet at the 50^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in early September in Canada.

            The Conference, to be held in Ottawa, Quebec City and Toronto from 30 August to 9 September, will enable Parliaments from around the Commonwealth to debate the theme “Responsibilities and Rights of People and Parliaments in a Global Community” with senior representatives of such influential international agencies as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Commonwealth.

            The Conference will be opened by the Governor General of Canada, H.E. Rt Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, at a ceremony in Quebec City.  It will be chaired by the 2004 President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Hon. Peter Milliken, MP, Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons.

            Commonwealth Secretary-General H.E. Don McKinnon will address delegates on current Commonwealth issues and answer questions on Commonwealth policy.  Senior Commonwealth Secretariat officials will be among representatives of international agencies who will discuss taxation and development issues with Parliamentarians from the Commonwealth’s smallest jurisdictions, the nations, states, provinces and territories with populations of 400,000 people or fewer.  Delegates from more than 30 such jurisdictions will attend the two-day Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference for Members from Small Countries in Quebec City at the beginning of the Conference period.

            Hon. Denis Marshall, QSO, CPA Secretary-General, will update Parliamentarians at the main Conference on the Association’s work in promoting the development of democratic institutions and in assisting Members to function more effectively in their Parliaments and in the global community.  He stressed that Members today need to be aware of international policy and have an opportunity to contribute to decision-making.

 

            “International decisions today directly affect most areas of domestic governance, from trade and development issues to responses to global health and security threats.  As the democratic representatives of a quarter of the world’s population, Commonwealth MPs have a right and a duty to be heard by the organizations which make these decisions,” he said.

“This Conference is an important opportunity for Commonwealth Members to speak out for their constituents and their nations.”

            The main Conference in Quebec City and Toronto will feature opportunities for MPs to debate issues not just with each other and with Commonwealth officials, but also with representatives from:  the World Bank Institute, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Commonwealth Foundation and CARICOM.  They will also be joined by representatives of Canada’s Parliamentary Centre and the National Democratic Institute of the United States.  Issues to be discussed include:  poverty reduction, AIDS, racism, proper democratic relationships between Parliaments and the executive and judicial branches of government, free access to information and public health issues.

            Representatives of the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament have been invited to discuss the effects of multinational Parliaments on domestic democratic governance.

            A Conference plenary session will be devoted to a parliamentary debate on “The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality, 2005 to 1015” and will feature an examination by leading Commonwealth MPs of gender aspects of democratic representation, poverty reduction, control of AIDS and legal issues in the field of human rights.

 

INTERNET NEWS:                   

              www.antarctica.ac.uk / News and Information / Press Releases

             BAS Press Releases

                  

                  Published: 23 Aug 2004

                  Design Competition for new Antarctic Research Station -

                  short-list announced

                  Six multi-disciplinary design teams are short-listed for an

                  international competition to design a new scientific research

                  station in Antarctica. The Halley VI competition attracted 86

                  entries in this unique project launched in June by the British

                  Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Royal Institute of British

                  Architects (RIBA).

 

                  The six teams are as follows, with the lead consultant named

                  first:

 

 

 

 

                    Buro Happold Ltd / Liftschutz Davidson / Garrad Hassan &

                    Partners

                    Ltd / SLR Consulting Ltd / Human Engineering

 

 

                    Faber Maunsell Ltd / Hugh Broughton Architects Ltd / Colour

                    Affects /

                    DMJM

 

 

                    Francis Design Ltd / Ove Arup & Partners International Ltd /

                    BMT Nigel

                    Gee and Associates Ltd / Gardiner & Theobold LLP

 

 

                    Hopkins Architects Ltd / Expedition Engineers Ltd / DLE / HL

                    Technik /

                    Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin

 

 

                    Make Places Ltd / The Design Laboratory / Ove Arup &

                    Partners

                    International Ltd / Richard Horden & Archicafe / DLE

 

 

                    Richard Rogers Partnership / Ove Arup & Partners

                    International Ltd /

                    BDSP Partnership Ltd

 

 

 

                  Director of BAS, Professor Chris Rapley, who chaired the Jury

                  Panel says, ‘We are delighted with the global interest from

                  design teams in this competition. Judging was tough as the

                  standard

                  of entries was extremely high. The panel are very happy with

                  the

                  shortlist and look forward to moving on to the next stage of

                  the

                  competition.’

 

                  RIBA Architectural Adviser Malcolm Reading, added 'We had a

                  fine

                  response and a significant number of the teams presenting a

                  cogent

                  and deep understanding of the profound issues behind the

                  competition brief. The six selected simply put up the best

                  case, with excellent credentials and evidence of genuine

                  curiosity

                  and creativity.'

 

                  The six teams will submit Concept Proposals by 15 October. A

                  Jury Panel will then choose three teams, who will develop

                   their

                  Concept Design. An exhibition of the six short-listed concept

                  designs will be displayed at a special exhibition at the RIBA

                  from

                  15 November - 8 January 2005.

 

                  Issued by the BAS Press Office

 

               

 

 

 

FIBS NEWS DIRECT: 24 AUGUST 2004

 

HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT:

 

Members began the meeting by paying tribute to former lay member, the late Velma Malcolm.  Director of Health and Medical Services, Norman McGregor Edwards, said that she was very good at stopping you in your tracks and making you think if you had come to the right conclusions.  All members praised her contributions to the Committee over many years.

 

 

Committee members heard that Milk from the Dairy could not be given the all clear after last month’s Lysteria scare because it suspected that one cow had an intermittent infection, which could re-start.

 

Members also heard details of new staff members, who have arrived or have been offered posts in the Islands.  The new Social Work Team Leader, Vikki Butler, arrived last week and has started work and Speech and Language Therapist, Wendy Martin arrived on Saturday’s LanChile’s flight and started her induction this week.  Mr. McGregor Edwards said that the Physiotherapist’s post had been offered to someone who, hopefully, would be starting in December and the GP Post vacated by Matt Weinig has also been offered to a Doctor who is hoped to start in November.  The candidate was described as a highly experienced GP.  The contract will be for three years with a view to extending.

 

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roger Diggle, called for the Leisure Centre to be made free to help improve the health of Falklands residents.  Lay member, Jason Lewis, asked whether it would improve health in the Islands if routine “well men” screening.  Dr. Diggle said that, particularly for men, there were few conditions where testing would provide significant benefits.  He added it was also very likely that a low number of people would turn up for regular screening sessions.  He told the Committee that the main causes of death in men here were cardio-vascular disease and cancer caused by smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise obesity and alcohol intake.  He said that rather than screening it would be a better use of money to offer cheap or free leisure facilities and promote healthy lifestyles.  In a paper given to the Committee, he wrote that it makes no sense that the Public Library is free but the leisure Centre fees have recently been increased.

 

HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT:

 

Archivist and Historic Buildings Advisor, Jane Cameron, returned yesterday from a visit to West Point Island to visit a number of buildings in need of protection.  Repairs to the old shearing shed and the big house at West Point were discussed at length when she reported back to the Historic Buildings Committee yesterday afternoon.  I asked Jane (JC) after the meeting to explain why the buildings are so historically important.

 

JC:  There are several reasons why these buildings on West Point are very historically important to the Falklands.  They were built by Arthur Felton, who was the first person to farm West Point.  It was originally part of Roy Cove farm, which belonged to Bertrand and Felton.  Arthur Felton leased West Point Farm from 1879 onwards and lived there virtually all his life.  There was an old stone shed that is still there, which is thought to have been built by the sealers.  That was the only building when he came to the island and he straight away built himself a house and shearing shed, which were the two most important things for a farmer.  He also built the cow shed and one or two other buildings were all built around the time that the island was settled by Arthur Felton.  Another thing about West Point is that we got a very clear history because it, more or less, has always been in the same family who kept very good records.  Why West Point is particularly important to preserve - all the buildings of this kind - is that it is very often visited by cruise ships and tourists.  It’s such a wonderful picture of early sheep farming in the Falklands.  So many people see it that it’s well worth trying to preserve it.

 

SG:  Jane told us that another point of concern was the shearing shed at West Point.. It’s in danger of falling into the sea due to the easterly gales, which wear away at the bank.  This has been propped up with timber but will need more work in the future.  It was also mentioned that the cow shed had contained the first bathroom on West Falkland that workers could bathe in.  Robbie Maddocks was suggested for the works that needed to be carried out, due to the excellent work he carried out at the bailiff’s house on Kepple Island.

 

Another topic discussed by the Historic Buildings Committee was the spreading plant Calafate on Kepple Island.  This is becoming wide-spread and nothing effective has been found to destroy it.

 

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