A formal meeting of Legislative Council will take place at the Court House on Monday 6 July 2015. The following Bills for Ordinances will be presented in the House:
All bills can be viewed on: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/committee-reports/
SHG
23 June 2015
DRAFT RULES – COMMENTS WELCOME
At their meeting of 6 May 2015 Port Control and key stakeholders agreed the following draft set of rules and regulations for the safe use of Personal Water Craft (PWC), such as jet-skis and speedboats, in and around the waters of St Helena:
Draft Rules and Regulations:
The public is now invited to make any final comments to the draft rules and regulations by 4pm on Friday 3 July 2015. Comments should be submitted to the Deputy Harbour Master, Steve Kirk, on email: Deputy.Harbourmaster@hmrc.gov.sh or tel: 22287.
Adherence to these rules will be monitored by the Harbour Master and anyone seen not complying with these regulations will be dealt with under the Harbours Ordinance, Section 14 – Enforcement of Directions to Vessels in Harbour Waters.
A map of James’ Bay detailing the different zone areas is shown below.
SHG
23 June 2015
Updates to the St Helena Statistical Yearbook 2013-14 are now available on the St Helena Government website: www.sainthelena.gov.sh/statistics. A printed copy is also available in the Public Library.
The Statistical Yearbook is a collation of the main data streams for St Helena, covering themes such as Population and Vital Statistics, Production, Imports, Public Finance and Key Economic Indicators.
The Yearbook is published in both Excel (spreadsheet) and a PDF format to appeal to a broad range of users. Some may prefer a hard copy of the Yearbook, but at 64 pages, there will be a small charge for printing. Anyone who wishes to have a copy can contact the Statistics Office on 22138 or email statistics@sainthelena.gov.sh by Wednesday 1 July to request a copy.
Justine Joshua, Senior Statistics Assistant, said:
“It is important that we publish the data people need in a format that they can access. Some people may wish to use the Excel tables to pull out the information for further analysis. Others may wish to pick up a hard copy that they can leaf through and refer to as needed.”
Paula McLeod, St Helena Statistician, added:
“The team have worked hard to update and improve on our regular data streams. This year we thoroughly reviewed our historic data and this has resulted in several small changes – as a result of correcting some inaccuracies and improving our methodologies. We would encourage everyone to make sure they are referring to the latest data.
“The Statistics team is continually striving to improve the quality, range and timeliness of our outputs and making sure we meet user needs. One of our priority goals is making data available much sooner – so our users can look forward to more timely data updates in the future.”
Ways to access Statistics on St Helena:
Website: www.sainthelena.gov.sh/statistics
Public Library: Hard copies of our most important material is here
Twitter: Follow @Stats_SHG to hear the latest news from the office and selected international updates
Office: Call on 22138 or visit us in the Castle Courtyard.
SHG
22 June 2015
The public is invited to make comment on the draft Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
The Bill seeks to amend the Social Security Ordinance, 2010, to allow years after age 65 as qualifying years for purposes of determining the Basic Island Pension.
The draft Bill is available on the Public Consultation section of the SHG website https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/publications/
Members of the public wishing to comment on the draft Bill should do so to the Chairman of the Social Community and Development Committee, Councillor Les Baldwin, by no later than 4pm on Friday 5 June 2015.
SHG
29 May 2015
The Marine Conservation Section held a short presentation on Tuesday, 26 May 2015 at 12noon at the Canister in Jamestown, launching their newly published book ‘Marine Life of St Helena’.
A short overview was given to various guests by the Head of Environmental Management Ben Sansom, on the origin of the book, followed by Marine Conservation Officer, Elizabeth Clingham extending a big ‘thank you’ to all those who made it possible for the book to be published.
Elizabeth also read an email sent from author of ‘Marine Life of St Helena’, Dr. Judith Brown, who has recently completed her two year contract on-Island. She said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to spend two years on St Helena and explore the treasures that lie beneath the waves. Working alongside a fantastic group of people in the marine team as well as Islanders, divers and fishermen of the Island has made this book a possibility. I hope this book provides everyone with an insight into the lives of the amazing marine animals and plants, and that the photographs highlight the beauty and uniqueness of this very special Island.”
It has taken two years for the book ‘Marine Life of St Helena’ to be put together, and the design is similar to that of previous books launched by the St Helena National Trust, such as ‘Flowering Plants and Ferns of St Helena’, authored by Phil Lambdon.
On this special occasion the book was being sold for £15, and within an hour 45 copies were sold. From today the book’s retail price will be £15.50 and can be bought from the St Helena Nature Conservation Group in Jamestown. Other retailers such as the Museum will also have copies to sell on-Island.
Elizabeth commented:
“I’m very excited about the launch of our book, and I’m very impressed with the final version. My team are also very proud to be a part of this achievement. I think this book is the grand finale of all the marine awareness we have been doing over the years and this wouldn’t have been possible without Judith.
“I think the book will be popular as it is targeted to a varied audience. The book also has beautiful and colourful photos of marine life which makes it even more attractive.”
Two pictures are attached to this release.
SHG
27 May 2015
The St Helena Archives would like to inform the public that they will be closed tomorrow Wednesday, 27 May 2015, due to a Staff Development Day.
Opening hours for the Archives will resume as normal on Thursday, 28 May 2015.
Any inconvenience caused is very much regretted.
SHG
26 May 2015
PROPOSED NEW RULES AND REGULATIONS
Safe Use of Personal Water Craft (PWC)
The Port Control Section invites members of the public to attend an open discussion on the proposed new rules and regulations regarding the safe use of PWC in St Helena waters.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 27 May 2015 at 4pm in the Passenger Terminal/ Customs Building at the Wharf.
Port Control encourages as many stakeholders or interested persons to attend. Your input and ideas will be most welcome.
For a copy of the draft rules & regulations please contact the Deputy Harbourmaster, Steve Kirk, on telephone 22287 or email deputy.harbourmaster@hmrc.gov.sh
SHG
26 May 2015
The St Helena Police Service will soon be patrolling wearing new ‘body worn cameras’ (photo attached). The cameras have been introduced following a recommendation in the Lucy Faithfull report from September 2013, and as their use are considered best practice across policing in other parts of the world. The use of the cameras have a number of potential benefits including a reduction in complaints against police, greater accountability of police activity and a rise in the number of guilty pleas at court through the availability of the camera footage as evidence.
The cameras record sound and vision and their use is supported by a guidance document. The cameras are not permanently switched on and the intention is not to record every conversation the Police Officer has with the public. The cameras will be turned on when Police Officers are deployed to incidents or when something happens spontaneously whilst they are on patrol.
Any footage obtained by Police Officers is either retained as evidence or automatically deleted after 30 days. The system the video footage is retained on is protected by password access and no officer will be able to view the footage without an operational reason. Routine checks will be made as to who is accessing the system and why.
Some consultation regarding the cameras has already taken place as part of their introduction to policing on the Island and, in addition, members of the public, media and Elected Members are invited to an ‘open evening’ where the cameras will be available for viewing and a demonstration of their use and storage will be available. The Chief of Police, Trevor Botting, and Sergeant Matt Breeze who has led their introduction will be available to discuss any concerns or answer any questions. The open evening will be held at Ogborn House on Tuesday 2 June from 5-8pm.
Chief of Police, Trevor Botting, commented:
“The introduction of body worn cameras will enhance what evidence can be gathered during an incident which is likely to lead to an increase in guilty pleas at court. This can save the courts time and increase the efficiency of the criminal justice system. In addition, the cameras will make the St Helena Police Service more accountable to our community as well as providing protection to my officers when dealing with public disorder or situations of conflict. I would encourage anyone with any questions or concerns about the use of the cameras to come along on the evening of 2 June and speak to Sergeant Breeze and I about the cameras and their use.”
Trevor Botting, Chief of Police
26 May 2015
Councillor Derek Thomas returned from Sabah Malaysia on 9 May 2014, having attended the mid-year Executive Committee Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) which was hosted by the Sabah Branch.
The Executive Committee Meeting commenced on Tuesday, 28 April with introductions, confirmation of minutes and matters arising from the previous meeting. This was followed by the official opening ceremony which was led by the Chief Minister of Sabah and included a display of attendee’s national flags and colourful traditional dance.
Councillor Thomas was elected to serve on the Finance sub-committee group, which was chaired by the Hon Request Muntanga, Treasurer of the CPA.
Councillor Thomas explained:
“As an act of independence the CPA had appointed an Independent Chairperson to audit the accounts, who then presented the accounts and reported that he was pleased with the outcome that 60% of agreed activities had been completed. The remaining 40% would be progressed and monitored by the audit sub- committee.”
The Executive Committee covered topics including CPA’s reserves, funding to member branches, and relocation of the CPA’s premises in London. Reports for discussion included the Chairman’s Report, Membership Report and the membership of the Executive Committee.
The format and topics for the CPA Small Branches Conference due to be held in Islamabad from 2-3 October 2015 were also discussed. St Helena recommended some of the topics and will be expected to lead on at least one at the next Conference.
Councillor Thomas also attended a one-to-one meeting with the Acting Secretary General on how St Helena can best benefit from being part of the CPA and the difficulties currently faced in terms of its isolation and budgetary constraints.
Councillor Thomas said:
“I found the session to be of real benefit. It has given me a much clearer and comprehensive understanding of the CPA and it is an honour to be a part of the Executive Committee.”
The next meeting will be held during the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan in October 2015. As a member of the CPA Executive Committee, Councillor Thomas will be expected to attend.
SHG
26 May 2015
In July 2014, as part of the lead up to air access to the Island, the need for an Island map showing the new Airport and Access Road was identified. The existing map is now 25 years old, and even excluding the extensive changes to the Airport site at Prosperous Bay Plain, there have been enough developments on the Island during this time that the map is out of date and unsuitable for purpose.
As part of the map update, the GIS Section is reviewing what else might have changed, what is new and what might be missing.
An Open Day was held in March allowing the public to contribute to these amendments, asking opinions on changes and showcasing some potential designs. Following feedback, the consultation period has been extended until the end of June, and if anyone has any suggestions on amendments or additions to the map, please get in contact with the GIS Team. The team are particularly interested in any historical and potential near future changes. A further consultation period will be held around September when the first draft appears.
To get in contact, call Essex House on 22270, post suggestions to Essex House, or email samantha.cherrett@enrd.gov.sh or murray-henry@enrd.gov.sh
SHG
19 May 2015