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Executive Council will meet on Tuesday, 30 March 2021, at 9.30am, in the Council Chamber, to discuss the following items on the Open Agenda:

These papers (ExCo Memos) are available online at the following link: http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/councils/executive-council/.

Members of the public who would like to view hard copies of ExCo Memos should contact Clerk of Councils, Connie Johnson, at the Castle on tel: 22470 or via email: connie.johnson@sainthelena.gov.sh.

Elected Members serving on Executive Council are Councillors Anthony Green, Lawson Henry, Clint Beard, Derek Thomas and Cruyff Buckley. Non-voting members of ExCo are Chief Secretary, Susan O’Bey, Financial Secretary, Dax Richards, and Attorney General, Allen Cansick.

#StHelena #ExCoMeeting

SHG

26 March 2021

The following is a public announcement from Waste Management Services:

Waste Management Services (WMS) will continue their operations over the Public Holidays in April, May and June as follows:

Domestic & Commercial Waste Collection

All domestic and commercial waste collection services throughout April, May and June will remain unchanged. Customers are asked to ensure their bins are ready for emptying by 6am on their collection day. This includes Good Friday (2April), Easter Monday (5April), St Helena’s Day (21May), Whit Monday (24May), and HM the Queen’s Official Birthday (14June). Late placement of bins may result in bins not being emptied.

Safe and Efficient Waste Storage and Collection

Customers are reminded that all Easter Egg and other cardboard boxes must be flattened prior to waste collection, with large volumes of cardboard tied in bundles and left next to your bin for safe handling. WMS will not collect cardboard boxes that have not been suitably prepared. All other waste should be bagged and not placed loose into bins. Where possible, please sanitise your wheelie bins regularly to prevent infestation of maggots. WMS are not responsible for sanitising commercial or individual domestic wheelie bins.

Horse Point Landfill Site

The Site will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The public is encouraged to recycle as much of their waste prior to any disposal into the bulky waste cell. The Public Recycling Facility can receive plastics, glass, aluminium drink cans, scrap metal, wood, cooking and motor oil, tyres, cardboard, vehicle and domestic batteries, white goods, small electrical appliances, furniture, textiles and clothing. The public is advised not to use the Landfill Site during the hours of darkness due to the obvious hazards that exist.

Public Areas

All public areas and toilet cleaning services throughout the Public Holidays will remain unchanged. Please dispose of your litter in the bins provided for the protection of the environment, recycling as many aluminium drink cans and glass bottles as possible.

Wheelie Bins

WMS do not have any black wheelie bins available. Residents and businesses requiring wheelie bins will need to source their own until stocks are replenished.

Waste Management Issues

If you are concerned about a waste management issue then please contact Waste Management Services Supervisor, Anthony Henry, on mobile number: 66380 between 6.30am and 1pm.

Waste Management Services ‘working in partnership with customers for a cleaner and greener St Helena’.

SHG
26 March 2021

http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

St Helena is in the process of seeking Dark Skies Community Status with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA).

St Helena is one of the most remote places in the world, and over the years have hosted visits from famous pioneers including Edmond Halley, Neville Maskelyne and Henderson whose work have contributed to the advancement of celestial knowledge worldwide. 

Dark Skies accreditation will add to the Island’s appeal as a tourist destination and subsequently support economic development. It will also have a positive impact on the environment in that it will protect the natural environment, conserve biodiversity, protect the night sky, and reduce energy waste and carbon emissions.

To achieve Dark Skies Community Status, amendments will have to be made to the Environment Protection Ordinance (EPO). This will enable the regulation of the use of artificial light at night in order to preserve and sustain the natural environment of St Helena. 

The proposed amendments take into account the advice from Dark Sky Lighting Consultant, James Paterson, who visited the Island in 2018.  During his visit, James attended public consultation meetings to provide an insight into dark skies accreditation requirements. James also met with the Land Planning & Development Control Authority and held training sessions with Island stakeholders, including private sector electricians, SHG Planning Officers and importers of lighting fixtures.

The proposed amendments to EPO provide for:

Further information about the application for Dark Skies Community Status will follow. There will be an opportunity to attend a surgery and listen to radio talks in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, a copy of the draft Bill for an Ordinance to amend the Environmental Protection Ordinance can be viewed on the SHG Website via: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/. Alternatively, a hard copy can be obtained from the Environment, Natural Resources & Planning Directorate by contacting the receptionist on tel: 24724.

#StHelena #DarkSkies #Tourism #Stargazing

SHG
26 March 2021   

Nominations are being invited for the Certificate and Badge of Honour Awards and Acts of Bravery Awards for 2021.

The Certificate and Badge of Honour Awards are available for the Governor to award to public servants for loyal and valuable service worthy of recognition or, in the case of other persons, for their loyal and meritorious conduct that has provided exceptional benefit to the people of St Helena. Nominees for this award should be residents of St Helena, either being born on the Island or have been residing on St Helena for not less than ten years prior to the date of the award. The Certificate and Badge of Honour awards will be presented later this year.

Furthermore, nominations are also invited for the Acts of Bravery Award. Nominations for this award should ideally be made to recognise Acts of Bravery that have taken place since the last call for nominations in April 2020.

It is important that nominations are kept confidential and that nominees are not made aware that they are being proposed for an award.

Nomination forms for both the Certificate and Badge of Honour and Acts of Bravery awards are available from Corporate Services, at the Castle, or can be requested via email: linda.benjamin@sainthelena.gov.sh.

Completed forms should be returned to the Castle in a sealed envelope marked ‘Confidential’ and addressed to ‘The Executive Secretary, Honours Committee’, by the extended deadline of Monday, 26 April 2021.

#StHelena #CertificateAndBadgeOfHonourAwards #ActsOfBraveryAwards

SHG

26 March 2021

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office invites nominations for the 2022 Queen’s New Year Honours List.

Persons wishing to submit nominations for the 2022 New Year Honours are reminded that the overriding principle is that Honours are awarded on merit for exceptional achievement or any service recently carried out over and above what normally is expected. This can include making a difference to their community or field of work, innovation and entrepreneurship, improving life for people less able to help themselves and displaying moral courage. Where possible, nominations should place emphasis on voluntary services and the service must be recent.

It should also be noted that age is not a factor in awarding Honours, and younger members of the community who have made an outstanding contribution or have given exceptional service should not be overlooked. It is important that nominations are kept confidential and that nominees are not made aware that they are being proposed for award of an Honour.

It is important that nominations are kept confidential and that nominees are not made aware that they are being proposed for award of an Honour.

To find out more about the different types of Honours Awards please visit: www.gov.uk/honours.

Approved New Year Honours Awards endorsed by Her Majesty The Queen will be announced prior to the start of the new year.

Nomination forms for the New Year Honours are available from Corporate Services, at the Castle, or can be requested via email: linda.benjamin@sainthelena.gov.sh.

Completed forms should be returned to the Castle in a sealed envelope marked ‘Confidential’ and addressed to ‘The Executive Secretary, Honours Committee’, by the extended deadline of Monday, 26 April 2021.

#StHelena #FCDO #NewYearHonours

SHG

26 March 2021

The St Helena Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are pleased to announce that their application to become a member of the Commonwealth Association of Public Accounts Committees (CAPAC) has been accepted.

The PAC was formally ratified by the CAPAC Executive Committee at the virtual CAPAC General Meeting and Conference, held on 17 March 2021, which was attended by approximately 50 participants from 24 different jurisdictions, including the PAC Chairman, Cyril Gunnell, and Vice Chairman, Mark Yon.

Mark commented:

“I am delighted that the St Helena PAC is now an official member of the CAPAC. Our interest in joining the Association dates back to December 2017 when the Chairman, Clerk and myself attended a Forum in Westminster, London. Our membership will make us stronger, provide greater benefits and enable us to draw on experiences from a large network of independent Public Accounts Committees, helping to ensure good public financial management and accountability.”

CAPAC is a chance for PAC’s across the Commonwealth to meet, share knowledge, experiences and best practices and support each other. To facilitate this, a newly designed CAPAC online portal was also launched at the conference. The three Executive Officers are: Chair (Meg Hillier MP, PAC Chair, UK), Vice Chair (Hon. Mohamed Nashiz MP, PAC Chair, Maldives), Treasurer (Hon. Juan Watterson SHK, PAC Chair, Isle of Man).

The CAPAC handbook can be viewed on the SHG website via: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/.

Members of the St Helena PAC also recently participated in a series of online workshops on financial scrutiny, delivered by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK), which took place on 16 November, 30 November and 7 December 2020. Forming part of Phase Two of the UK Overseas Territories Project, these sessions aimed to bolster the relationship between St Helena PAC, St Helena Legislative Council, the UK Parliament and CPA UK.

The primary objective of these workshops was to improve the understanding and knowledge of financial scrutiny to better hold to account those charged with governance. The virtual workshops covered three main topics: Understanding Financial Statements, Measuring Performance and Value for Money, and Approaches to Scrutiny and Questioning. The sessions were designed by Larry Honeysett, Head of Financial Scrutiny at UK Parliament, and was attended by St Helena Public Accounts Committee and Audit St Helena.

The workshop concluded with words of thanks from the PAC Chairman, who commented:

“We are very grateful to Larry for identifying the type of training PAC needs, which has come through over the last three sessions. This has been really beneficial and we look forward now to positive outcomes ahead. A few years ago the St Helena PAC recognised they needed more clout and its profile needed enhancing. I am happy that we are moving ever closer to that aim.”

The final report can be viewed on the SHG website via: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/.

#StHelena #CPA #CAPAC

SHG
26 March 2021

RISK TO THE COMMUNITY REMAINS LOW

The Health Directorate has received confirmation that a passenger who arrived on the chartered flight from Stansted on Wednesday, 24 March, has tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival. 

The passenger is asymptomatic (displays or suffers from no symptoms). The Senior Medical Officer has assessed the passenger as well as thoroughly discussed the protocols in place. The passenger is aware of what is expected of them during their quarantine period and is co-operating fully. 

The passenger is now within home quarantine as permitted under the COVID-19 Home Quarantine Policy which states that ‘if a passenger tests positive for COVID-19 on arrival, this information is conveyed to the Senior Medical Officer to assess the passenger and the severity of the case. For example, asymptomatic or mild cases can be managed in home quarantine with additional measures’. The passenger will not require any drop-offs during home quarantine, therefore there is no risk of contact with any members of the community.  

The overall assessment concludes that the passenger presents a very low risk to the community and will remain in home quarantine and be monitored. As part of this monitoring, the passenger will be retested after 48hours and will be further assessed following this retest.

The process of contact tracing was conducted and six persons, who also arrived on the flight, were identified as potential contacts. Due to the responsible conduct of the individuals – including the use of PPE, safety procedures aboard the flight, and procedures for arrival to St Helena Airport – these persons have been assessed as low risk. The individuals have been approached by officials regarding the possible contact and have been provided advice on managing their quarantine period.

Overall, the risk to the community is low and this is being managed through the application of the Standard Operating Procedures for testing and quarantine.

Any queries can be directed to email: communitycovid-19@sainthelena.gov.sh.

#StHelena #COVID-19

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SHG
26 March 2021

St Helena Government’s Marine Enforcement Section are aware of the public concern regarding the FV Ramses Dous and the potential of the vessel fishing in St Helena waters.

The vessel made contact with St Helena on Tuesday, 23 March 2021, with a safety of life at sea (SOLAS) request, due to having a sick passenger onboard. The vessel is currently on route to St Helena, and is scheduled to arrive to James Bay this evening.

The Marine Enforcement Section have been monitoring the vessel since it made contact with St Helena. At the time of contact, the vessel was around 400 miles away from the Island (200 miles outside of St Helena waters).

Since entering St Helena waters, the vessel has maintained a direct course and speed of 8-8.5 knots. Whilst maintaining this course and speed the vessel would not be able to fish effectively.

The Marine Enforcement Section is confident that this vessel has not conducted any fishing operations in St Helena waters and will continue to monitor the vessel until it is clear of St Helena waters.

#StHelena #RamsesDous #StHelenaWaters #MarineEnforcement

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SHG
25 March 2021

On Tuesday, 23 March, St Helena received a safety of life at sea (SOLAS) request from fishing vessel, Ramses Dous, who requested that the vessel be approved to come to St Helena, being the closest port, as they are carrying a sick passenger onboard that needs urgent medical attention.

St Helena has an international obligation to uphold with regards to any SOLAS request.

The vessel is due to arrive in St Helena waters this evening and will remain anchored outside of James Bay until tomorrow morning, Friday 26 March, when the vessel will come alongside Rupert’s Jetty to allow a Doctor and Charge Nurse from the Health Directorate to board the vessel, assess the patient and determine the next steps. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) will be worn by all parties at all times. 

The Health Directorate has been in regular contact with the Ramses Dous and it has been ascertained that, currently, the patient is in a stable condition and is improving.

Whilst it is not yet known whether the patient has contracted COVID-19, every precaution is being taken and the Standard Operating Procedures for arriving passengers have been activated to ensure the Health Directorate are prepared for the arrival of this vessel.

#StHelena #RamsesDous #SOLAS

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SHG
25 March 2021

Two engineers from Marine Contractors and Consultants (MCC) arrived on-Island on Wednesday, 24 March 2021, to undertake tasks in conjunction with the Fibre Optic Cable Project.

Following their mandatory quarantine period, the MCC engineers will:

SHG’s Equiano Project Manager, Jeremy Roberts, commented:

“The activities, which the MCC engineers will undertake during their stay on the Island will allow for the necessary fronthaul and beach manhole infrastructure to be installed to accommodate the Equiano System that is subject to be landed by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) during the first week of July 2021.”

#StHelena #MCC #CableProject #GoogleEquianoCable

SHG
25 March 2021