The Second Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2023-204 Session of Parliament began with apologies from Premier Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly who remains absent due to COVID. Apologies were also tendered from the Representive for West Bay West Hon W. McKeeva Bush.

Nine Presentation of Papers and Reports were tabled during the second meeting.

Minister of Tourism and Ports Hon Kenneth Bryan tabled some of the reports and spoke briefly on the 2019 Annual Report from the Cayman Islands Airports Authority; 2020 & 2021 Annual Reports for the Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre as well as the 2021 Annual Report for Ministry of Tourism and Ports.

Minister for Border Control and Labour Hon. Dwayne Seymour also outlined future plans for immigration reform by his Ministry. These plans include:

• Amendments to the Immigration Transition Act;
• Extending the qualification period for naturalisation;
• Limiting permanent residency criteria post-marriage;
• Introducing civil servant term limits;
• Enhancing information sharing and disclosures between government departments;
• Planned amendments to the Labour Act to improve maternity and paternity leave and empower DLP staff;
• Sectorised minimum wage increases to balance economic sustainability with fair wages as well as;
• Modernising Customs and Border Control legislation with increased fines and improved customer service.

Hon. Jay Ebanks, Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing Infrastructure, Transport and Development made a brief statement on supplementary funding for the 2024 NiCE project which included $450k to NiCE project and $250k to Hurricane Beryl restoration. 

Speaker Hon. Sir Alden McLaughlin noted that there were still seventeen parliamentary questions left to be answered and urged MPs to take advantage of the current sitting to address them.

During the Second Sitting, Members also paid tribute to Mr. Donovan Ebanks Cayman’s first Deputy Governor who passed on 2 June at the age of 72. 

Speaker Hon. Sir Alden McLaughlin spoke to Mr. Ebanks and his work for the Cayman Islands Government saying, “Mr. Ebanks left deep footprints on the sands of time in these Islands. He was an exemplary civil servant who served his beloved country for more than 37 years, beginning in 1975 as an engineer at Public Works, and rising through the ranks to become Deputy Chief Secretary in 1994, Chief Secretary in 2009, and, following the enactment of the 2009 Constitution in November 2009, the first Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service.”

Mr Ebanks’ children, Josh and Maggie were present within the House of Parliament and were extended condolence from the Speaker in his address. Both the Government and the Opposition shared in this expression of condolences including the Acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField-Nixon who read the beloved and famous poem If by Rudyard Kipling; telling his children that they were certainly the best parts of their father. Deputy Premier Andre Ebanks also read a poem on behalf of the Honourable Premier who could not be present due to illness and Opposition Leader Hon. Roy McTaggart shared remarks calling the late Deputy Governor ”a man of exceptional service”. 

Parliamentarians also took the solemn moment to express condolences to families who suffered loss in their constituencies and the Cayman Islands community overall. 

Four Bill Amendments were presented during the meeting.

The first reply on the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was heard from Minister for Border Control, Labour & Culture and MP for Bodden Town East, Hon. Dwayne Seymour who shared his support for the Firearms (Amendment) Bill and thanked the Attorney General for bringing it forward. Acting Premier Hon. Andre Ebanks also expressed support, but asked the Attorney General to consider how the imposition of minimum mandatory sentences under the proposed Act might negatively impact young offenders. In his reply, Attorney General Bulgin said he considered all input from his colleagues since the beginning of the debate. He noted that he remained emphatic of the public’s growing concerns about guns being used in public spaces and the growth of firearm related crime overall.

The Bill was set down for a third reading.

The Acting Deputy Governor presented the Summary Jurisdiction (Amendment) Bill, 2024 for the secondary reading before her colleagues. The bill would allow the following:

MPs to be appointed as Justices of the Peace with limitations to avoid conflicts of interest.

HE The Governor can remove appointments; MPs can retain their title and powers post-office.

Ensures ongoing legal proceedings continue unless a new hearing is requested due to MP involvement.

Acting Deputy Governor McField-Nixon also outlined the benefits of MPs becoming JPs, namely allowing the certification of key documents to be offered to constituents free of charge.

Leader of the Opposition Hon. Roy McTaggart spoke to the legislation stating that it will go a long way to enhance the credibility of those who are given the Justice of the Peace designation.

The Bill was set down for a third reading.

Hon Sabrina Turner, Minister for Health and Wellness moved the second reading of the Pharmacy Bill, 2024.

Min. Turner addressed the House explaining that the bill repeals and replaces the Pharmacy Act,1979 and Pharmacy Act,1991 with a new regulatory regime for the importation, manufacture, wholesale, dispensing and prescribing of medicines and for all incidentals and connected purposes. She illustrated the need for the bill as the world has changed. The Bill is divided into six parts:

• Preliminary matters
• Various licences and authorisations that render medicinces approved for the purpose of the legislations
• Provisions for how medicines are dealt with
• Relating to enforcement of the legislation
• Miscellaneous provisions
• Repeals

She stated that the need to reform the regulation is supported by the pharmaceutical and medical community creating a proper legal framework and creating a safer environment for the residents of the Cayman Islands and thanked the community for their say in the amendments being proposed

She went on to outline some beneficial outcomes of the proposed Bill. For example, in Clause 2 the definition of the medicine will now include animals. The inclusion of the word animals was deliberate and accommodates the duties of veterinary surgeons.

It also includes a wider definition of prescriber thus reflecting the growing importance internationally of nurse practitioners and pharmacist amongst others to be recognised as clinical practitioners.

Clause 3 sets out the conditions under which persons may import medicines to the Cayman Islands and restricts it to those who are clinically licensed but also ensures that the Cayman Islands does not penalise visitors or residents who out of necessity are prescribed necessary medicines for treatment overseas that may not be regulated locally.

She told the House that up until this point the allowance of wholesale importation, supply and dispensing of medicines however the bill will modernise the approach by also providing for manufacturing of medications in the Cayman Islands which will be a first in the Cayman Islands.

Minister Turner stated that she envisions that a National Prescribing System will be the sole method used in prescribing medicines in the Cayman Islands.

At the conclusion of the Minister’s outline of the benefits of the Bills, the Leader of the Opposition stated the Oppositions support and congratulated her on the long overdue amendments being proposed to the Bill. He said he was heartened that the industry also appears supportive and that is a key element to its success.

MP Chris Saunders stood to share his observations which included suggesting a deeper look at areas including fines as well as search and seizure from individuals in their residences, however he is in support of the Bill.

MP Wayne Panton rose to indicate his support for the Bill and congratulated the Minister and Ministry on their work to bring the Bill forward.

Acting Premier Hon Andre Ebanks also rose to congratulate the Minister on the painstaking work taken to evolve the outdated legislation.

The House voted unanimously to set down the Bill for a third reading.

Acting Premier Andre Ebanks moved the second reading of the Supplementary Appropriation (January 2023 to December 2023) Bill, 2024.

The Acting Premier stated that the purpose was to seek the Parliament’s approval for appropriation changes with respect to output groups and various other classifications of operating expenditure, equity investments, and executive assets in respect of the Government’s financial year that ended on 31 December 2023.

The schedule to the Bill has a total of 124 appropriation changes recorded thereon and previously approved under the Act by Cabinet and the Finance Committee.

The operating expenditure appropriation changes have a net total of 113.3M while the capital expenditure and investment changes have a net total 9.1M.

The significant changes included in the Bill were as follows:

34M which was increased in the budgeted healthcare costs with respect to indigents, seafarers and veterans and their dependants

16.6M for land acquisitions

14.9M for local and overseas scholarships

10.4M for major roadworks and miscellaneous road surface upgrades

9.3M of additional secondary educational services as requested

3.6M facilities maintenance and operational school support services

3.5M output funding for primary and early education support services to address immediate spacing needs in government schools

2.9M acquisition of a 3rd twin otter aircraft to meet the demand for flights to and from Little Cayman

2.3M to assist in the George Town Landfill remediation works

1.7M for the completion of the Poinciana Rehabilition Centre

The Acting Premier asked that all members of the House support the Bill and thanked the Financial Secretary for the work on it.

A unanimous Members vote agreed the Bill was given a second reading and will be referred to the Finance Committee.

During Committee, the Honourable Attorney General described the amendments being proposed to the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Amendments were accepted by unanimous vote and stands part of the Bill including Clauses 2, 3, 4-10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25.

During Committee, Clause 20 was debated and paragraph 8 was removed and replaced by new wording that was circulated to the Members of the House. The new amendment was voted unanimous and stands part of the Bill. The new wording reflected that where any holder of any firearm leaves the island for more than 21 days persons will deliver the firearm to a Police Station to be held during their absence from the Cayman Islands.

The Bills were duly reported to the House.

The Attorney General, Acting Deputy Governor, Acting Premier and Minister for Health & Wellness respectively reported on the Bills and each were set down for a third reading and duly passed. 

Two Government Motions were brought to the floor during the meeting. Government Motion No. 7 of 2023-2024, Amendment to the Development Plan 1997 Proposed Rezoning: Block 23B Parcels 108, 109, 110, and 111, George Town South and Relocation of Public Open Space was moved by the Honourable Minister of Planning, Agriculture, Housing, Infrastructure, Transport & Development, Hon Jay Ebanks.  

The Motion was passed.

Government Motion No. 8 of 2023-2024 Issuance of a Deed of Indemnity to the Members of the Planning Appeals Tribunal was also moved by the Honourable Minister of Planning, Agriculture, Housing, Infrastructure, Transport & Development, Hon Jay Ebanks. The Motion was also passed.

The House will return at 10:00 AM on Wednesday

To watch Tuesday’s proceedings, visit:

Second Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2023-24 Session of Parliament | 22 July 2024 | Part 1: Second Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2023-24 Session of Parliament | 23 July 2024 | Part 1

Second Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2023-24 Session of Parliament | 22 July 2024 | Part 2: Second Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2023-24 Session of Parliament | 23 July 2024 | Part 2

For further information visit: www.gov.ky/governmentinparliament.