One of the matters which was brought to the sitting of the Anguilla House of Assembly on Tuesday, July 5, was a Censure Motion by the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmavon Webster.
It was a motion expressing a lack of confidence in Chief Minister Mr. Victor Banks, and Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, over the banking resolution in Anguilla.
The Opposition Leader’s long discourse took up a considerable portion of the time in the House of Assembly during which she also posed a number of questions to the Chief Minister.
When the no confidence motion was put to the vote, it did not get the support of any member of the House. As a consequence, the Speaker, Mr. Roy Rogers, informed the Opposition Leader that her motion had failed.
Another matter, raised by the Leader of the Opposition, was a Motion in which she sought the approval of the House to establish a Select Committee to examine initiatives in her District One constituency that require funding. Instead, acting on a proposal from Chief Minister Banks, the House agreed to set up a Committee of the entire Assembly to look at the funding needs of all seven electoral districts. It was further agreed, at the suggestion of the Chief Minister, that the Leader of the Opposition should chair such a Committee. Ms. Webster subsequently agreed to serve in that capacity.
Other matters before the House of Assembly included a Motion for the approval of the Property Tax (Rates) Regulations, 2016; the second and third readings of the Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2016; the second and third readings of the Public Procurement and Contract Administration (Amendment) Bill, 2016; and the first readings of two other pieces of draft legislation. These were the Anguilla Police (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Scheme of Arrangement (BAICO and CLICO Bill, 2016).
The above matters will be dealt with at another sitting of the House of Assembly.