– Govt. hopes  it will soon become ‘law of the land’
THE National Assembly will, today, be debating the Sexual Offences Bill and Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday that the Administration hopes it will soon become the law of the land.
He reminded that the legislation was tabled in July 2009 and, over the period from then to now, it received the attention of the Special Select Committee of Parliament.
The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Priya Manikchand is to move the second reading at today’s sitting, seeking to reform and consolidate the laws relating to sexual offenses and provide for related matters.
Speaking at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, at Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, Luncheon said Government business in the House would also see debate on the amendment to the Pounds (Amendment) Act 2010, which, essentially, seeks to make it more financially appropriate for the catchers of stray animals.
“Cabinet considered that this was a reasonable intervention in the wake of cattle strays plaguing the city and villages and, worst still, roadways,” he said.
Luncheon noted that other important pieces of legislation are still at the stage of Select Committees, including the Credit Reporting Bill, which, Cabinet has been advised, is almost ready to be reported on by a committee.
Another is the Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill that was read for the first time in November 2009 and the Maritime Zones Bill, which was read for the first time in October 2009.
Referring to the Persons Living with Disabilities Bill, that was read for the first time in November 2009, Luncheon revealed that the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has indicated that, at the very next sitting after today’s, it would also be ready for consideration by the House.
The HPS mentioned, as well, the Custody, Contact, Guardianship and Maintenance Bill and the second children’s bill, Child Care and Development Services Bill, that were laid in the House in June and July 2009, respectively.
“And then, of course, we have the four remaining bills dealing with Local Government Reform, all tabled in 2009 and now the consideration of which, in the context of the agreement that has been reached between the Government and the Opposition, likely to get their consideration de novo (once more),” he said.
Responding to questions, Luncheon said: “I am certain you would recall that, in the agreement it said we are going to be looking, comprehensively, at local government reform, so we are just leaving the door open that, indeed, any one of those four bills that are remaining, this Special Select Committee or whatever is put as a successor, would not be restricted to what is in the bill, it would be de novo.”
Asked when the local government reform bills would be considered, he said what the Administration is involved in, is an exercise of a similar nature probably occupying the Opposition.
Luncheon said they are busy compiling what would have transpired during the eight years of meeting at the task force level and additional considerations that “we anticipate might be brought to the fore during this exercise.”
“That is, of course, going to take some time,” he added.