EXCO REPORT – TUESDAY 8 JULY 2014

Executive Council met today Tuesday, 8 July 2014, with three items on the Open Agenda.

The first item was to consider a Bill for an Ordinance for the Protection of Wrecks and Marine Archaeological Heritage. At present there is no legal protection of wrecks and with increased tourism and diving activity it is imperative that our marine heritage is protected. A few minor amendments were suggested and it was agreed that these could be addressed by the Environment & Natural Resources Committee and that the Bill should be passed as Government Business to the next formal meeting of Legislative Council.

The second item was to seek approval for an amendment to the Customs Regulations to provide for the introduction of a new form for currency declaration, by post, of over £6,000.  This was essentially a housekeeping matter and was approved.  Once in force, there will be a public information campaign on this.

The next item was a routine briefing paper on the revised fuel prices which came into force on 24 June 2014.

In the Closed Session, there was a discussion on the Health Service following the announcement that Outpatient Services have been temporarily suspended for a few days this week. With critically ill patients in hospital, staff are all working incredibly hard to care for these patients around the clock. Staff from non-clinical areas and across SHG are also being called in to cover routine tasks if necessary. ExCo recognises the dedication of Health Service staff in meeting the demands of the current situation.

There was also a briefing on the recent rock fall in upper Jamestown on Friday 27 June 2014 and the excellent response from the emergency services. Rock guards have been asked to continue to scan the hillside looking for and dealing with any loose rocks. In the longer term, there will be a review of the previous assessment to determine the most appropriate course of action to improve safety in this area.

This being a relatively short agenda, the meeting ended at 11.10am.

ExCo

8 July 2014

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