A substantial portion of the early part of the Anguilla House of Assembly was taken up on Tuesday, January 21, with a question and answer period initiated by the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmavon Webster.
The questions, which appear elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian newspaper, were addressed to the Minister of Health and Social Development, Mr. Evans Rogers, about prostate cancer; the Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, Mr. Curtis Richardson, about Government vehicles; and Premier Victor Banks, about the Anguilla Residency By Investment Programme; and gun crime in Anguilla.
Mr. Rogers told the House: “Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Anguilla and the most common form of cancer. Our mortality data shows that there were at least 44 deaths due to prostate cancer between 2010 and 2018. Further, the data indicated that 80% of those deaths were among men over 70, while 18% were men under 70, the youngest of which was in the 50-54 age range.
“The demographics for prostate cancer in Anguilla are similar to other countries in the Caribbean region, with older black males being the most affected group. Three Caribbean countries, notably Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, have the highest prostate cancer rates in the region. In a recent study researchers, from the Caribbean Public Health Agency and the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found prostate cancer accounting for 18-47% of cancer deaths. In Anguilla, it is around 30%.
“It is not clear what causes prostate cancer. What is known is that prostate cancer begins when some cells in the prostate become abnormal. They mutate and grow and divide more rapidly than the normal cells do. Instead of dying, these abnormal cells continue living. They then either form a tumor that can grow and invade normal issue – or break off and spread to other parts of the body. However, there are some factors known to increase the risks. The most common risk factor is age. The older the man is, the greater the chance is of getting prostate cancer, especially after age 50. Another well known factor is race. For some reasons, not known, black men carry a greater risk of prostate cancer than men of other races. Further, men who have a father, son or brother who had prostate cancer are at an increased risk of getting prostate cancer…”
The Minister of Health went on to describe how the disease is diagnosed and treated in Anguilla, and overseas, and the Government’s plans to improve facilities on the island for diagnosis and treatment.
Mr. Rogers also said the Government was addressing various types of cancers affecting women in Anguilla.
Replying to Ms. Webster’s questions to him, Mr. Curtis Richardson told the House of Assembly that, in 2019, 14 new vehicles were purchased by the Government of Anguilla at a total cost of US$417, 033 including freight and insurance, port fees and services. He explained that more vehicles were expected but only 14 came. He indicated that consideration to obtain a further number of vehicles would depend on requests from other ministries and departments of Government.
Premier Victor Banks responded to the questions posed to him by the Leader of the Opposition. Her first question was:
“Since the inception of the Anguilla Residency By Investment Programme, how many applications have been received from potential investors? What are the nationalities of those who have applied to this programme? What monies have been received thus far in application fees, distinguishing between refundable and non-refundable? How many applicants have been approved under the programme?”
Premier Banks replied:
“The statistics requested are as follows: To date, 17 applications have been received. The nationalities of the applicants are Canadian, American, British, French, Dutch and South African. All fees are non-refundable and the revenue collected last year for application and due diligence fees: EC$113,576.45; in permit fees: EC$271,508.20; and 30 applicants have been approved under this programme.”
The second set of questions by the Leader of the Opposition was: “The occurrence of gun-related crime in Anguilla is cause for serious concern. Will the Hon. Premier please indicate to this Honourable House: How many gun-related crimes took place in Anguilla in 2019? What measures are currently in place to address the issue of illegal firearms in Anguilla? What steps are currently being taken by this government to address the causality of gun-related crimes in Anguilla?”
Premier Banks responded:
“Based on information I received from the Acting Commissioner of Police…ten firearm-related crimes took place in Anguilla in 2019. The Government, through its support of the Royal Anguilla Police Force, has afforded the Force the capacity, over the last four and a half years, to make the fight against criminal use of firearms its number one priority. This includes increasing the detective capacity from 5% -22% of the ranks of the Royal Anguilla Police Force; its Scenes of Crime Office from 3-5%; and improving the Forensic capabilities to include ballistic and digital analysis locally…The targeting of those who want to use, supply or store illegal arms and ammunition, remains the number one priority of the Royal Anguilla Police Force.”
On the final question, Premier Banks stated: “On the causality side, Government departments continue to engage with NGOs, and other community organisations and institutions, to support education and awareness programmes to provide counselling and guidance to youth at risk, especially young men. The focus is on providing wholesome programmes and facilities in the social sector to enhance their positive potential.
“In the wider sector, we continue to create an environment that can provide jobs and business opportunities – the lack of which is often attributed to deviant behavior among young people.”
