March 23, 2023

Good morning, Senators.
Senators, we are now in Committee of the
whole for further consideration of the Appropriation Act
2023, together with Estimates of Revenue and Ex-penditure for the year 2023/24. The Ministry under con-sideration is Health. The heads for debate under this Ministry are Head 21 at page 149; and Head 22 at page
154. The number of hours allocated to these heads istwo. It is 10:04. The Senator in charge is Senator Ari-anna Hodgson.
Senator Hodgson, how do you wish to proceed?
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, I move
that the Committee do now take under consideration Head 21, Ministry of Health Headquarters; and Head 22, Department of Health.

Please proceed.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
HEAD 21 —MINISTRY OF HEALTH
HEADQUARTERS
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: The Ministry of Health Headquarters budget is found on pages 149 to 153 of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure. Madam Chair-man, I am here today to present the budget for the Ministry of Health, Head 21, Ministry of Health Headquarters, found on pages 149 to 153 of the Budget Book.
Madam Chairman, t he mandate of the Ministry
Headquarters is , To make Bermuda healthier . A total of
$10,309,000 has been allocated for Head 21, Headquarters , for 2023/24, which represents a decrease of
$5,581,000, or 35 per cent, over the original budget of
2022/23.
Much of the change is due to the lifting of the
public health emergency in November this past year.
This means the Ministry is no longer required to provide
the services and manage the mitigation measures
needed to control and contain the COVID -19 virus. Although COVID -19 remains a global health emergency according to the World Health Organization— and is a
highly infectious disease in our community —in Bermuda we have taken advantage of our impressive vac-cination rate to resume our lives. However, we remain vigilant and aware of the potential impact of COVID -19
on our vulnerable populations as we move to this new
normal.
I will now speak on each of the programmes
and business units under this head.
General
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the programme 2101 (General) comprises 12 FTEs [full- time
equivalents] and a budget largely dedicated to grants
administration, the implementation of universal health
coverage, health disaster coordination and accounting services.
The programme’s total budget on page B -149
of the Budget Book is $9,185,000. Of that, $4,328,000 is set aside to support the implementation of universal health coverage and cover expenses associated with the day -to-day operations of the Ministry, including the
Accounts section. A total of $4,161,000 is for grants ,
and $158,000 is for health disaster coordination, which is a legacy of the Ministry’s national health emergency function. The balance of $538,000 supports the Minis-try’s Corporate Services policy directorate.
General Administration
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, under
business unit 31000, General Administration, the Government is committed to strengthening our health sys-tem, and this includes a multi- year journey toward delivering universal health coverage [ UHC] for necessary
health care services. The aim is to ensure that all resi-dents of Bermuda have access to ess ential quality
health services when they need them without suffering financial hardship.
This transformation to UHC requires the strategic planning of upcoming projects and the ongoing engagement with key stakeholders to ensure decisions and actions impacting UHC are patient -focused and
timely. For this, there is an allocation in the Ministry’s Headquarters budget in the amount of $1,463,000 to
establish a programme management office ( or PMO)
for delivery of UHC and a further $900,000 for consultants.
Madam Chairman, the PMO will manage the
coordination, implementation, execution and integra-tion of all projects and associated workstreams in
2023/24 and beyond to accelerate changes toward uni-versal health coverage. The PMO will also support the transitional governance structure whose purpose is to facilitate the engagement of the many and wide- ranging health system participants through stakeholder working groups and forums.


Bermuda Senate The UHC Steering Committee is presently focused on three building blocks of overall health system
strengthening: stewardship and governance, health
care service delivery and health care financing.
The Steering Committee confirmed the following foundational projects for 2022/23:
• establish a National Digital Health Strategy;
• agree our starting points (with the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment);
• integrated essential care pathway mapping ( or
the First 1,000 Days in chronic kidney disease);
• build a new pan- system governance model;
and
• options for consolidating the government
health ins urance funds.
Work has commenced on these projects with
some close to being completed, either in whole or in part.
Madam Chairman, in the 2023/24 budget year,
working with the UHC Steering Committee and the
stakeholder working groups and forums, the Ministry of Health will look to build on the progress made in the
current year and, in the process, we will
• identify and prioritise opportunities to improve
care provisions and access along the care
pathways already mapped and work on additional care pathways , including a mental health
care pathway, to ensure equitable access to
needed health services;
• identify and prioritise opportunities for health
system cost savings out of the care pathways
already mapped;
• identify opportunities to improve the government’s health insurance funds;
• identify alternative funding models which can
be used to shift away from a fee- for-service
payment model and toward an incentivised
outcomes -based model;
• build on the anticipated o utputs of the National
Digital Health Strategy to formulate the implementation plan for the procurement of an infrastructure build of the integrated care records
system; and
• leverage the results of the Joint Strategic
Needs Assessment, determining the appr opriate metrics to start tracking to best monitor and
measure performance on our population health
needs and developing an implementation plan
to address data gaps.
Madam Chairman, the Ministry of Health cannot achieve health system transformation alone. For that reason, in the upcoming budget year the Ministry will complete the set -up of the transitional governance
framework envisioned by the 2021 UHC roadmap. It provides a structure for collaboration and engagement
with the wider Bermuda community —beyond the Steering Committee —through a broad set of stakeholder groups comprising nurses and the allied health professionals, the Island's private insurers, the Chamber of
Commerce, local and international businesses , and
third sector organisations.

Grants Administration

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, regarding
business unit 31015, Grants Administration. Page C -18
lists the Ministry of Health grants to several agencies
providing essential front -line services to aid public
health and social assistance and also a grant for health
education. The total budget for the business unit is
$4,161,000. These grant funds are allocated as follows:
• $3 million for the Lady Cubitt Compassionate
Association (LCCA) to cover overseas medical
care for uninsured and underins ured persons;
• $1 million for the Bermuda Health Council;
• $6,000 for the Sexual Assault Response Team
[SART] which, combined with $55,000 for additional nursing services, will result in a total
grant of $61,000 [ for SART ]; and
• $100,000 for the Dr. Barbara B all Scholarship.
The Bermuda Nursing and Midwifery Council is
being transferred to the Bermuda Health Council and,
as such, is no longer included in the Grants budget.
Madam Chairman, please note the final approved Estimate Book will reflect the total of $61,000
for SART under Grants, page C -18, which currently
shows a grant of $6,000. Accordingly, the grant’s total
on that page C -18 will be amended from $4,106,000 to
$4,161,000. This change will fix an entry by the Ministry
that incorrectly includes $55, 000 for Nursing Services
within headquarters salaries, although there is no activity associated with these services. Page B -150 will
be amended as well.
Madam Chairman, the LCCA administers the
Patient Overseas Financial Aid Programme, working
with residents with limited or no ability to pay , to find the
right solution.
The 2023/24 year will see an increase in funding for the LCCA from $2,500,000 to $3 million to cover
the costs associated particularly with exceptional
cases. And that is, cases involving medical treatment
where the costs are greater than $50,000. This will better ensure the LCCA is able to cover necessary costs in fulfilling its mission to assist those with insufficient
health insurance.
Madam Chairman, also included in the Grants
budget for 2023/24 is $100,000 in funding for the Barbara Ball Scholarship. The Ministry of Health will once
again award the Dr. Barbara Ball Public Health Schol-arship to Bermudian students with proven financial
need seeking careers or professional development i n
public health.
This scholarship is offered in honour of Dr. Barbara Bertha Ball who was the first born- Bermudian
woman to practice medicine in Bermuda and a tireless
champion for people’s rights. The Dr. Barbara Ball
342 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Scholarship is offered for a range of health care fields
of study that benefit public health directly and which are
a priority for public heal th needs in Bermuda. This
scholarship was last awarded in 2020 but was inter-rupted by the demands of the pandemic. The awarding
of this scholarship is in direct alignment with the current
Bermuda Health Strategy's strategic principle,
“Strengthening our H ealth Care Workforce. ”

Bermuda Health Council

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, I want to
highlight the work of the Bermuda Health Council, a
quango under the Ministry of Health. T he Bermuda
Health Council’s mandate is T o regulate, coordinate
and enhance the delivery of health services. The grant
for the Bermuda Health Council can be found on page
C-18, programme 6895, under Ministry of Health.
In 2023/24 the Health Council’s grant will be $1
million. The Health Council’s grant is primarily supplemented by a transfer from the Mutual Reinsurance
Fund [MRF ], licensing fees paid by health insurers, and
licensing and registration fees paid by regulated facilities and health professionals for a total budget of
$4,300,000 for 2023/24.
Madam Chairman, in 2022/23 the work of the
Health Council centred on four strategic areas: regulation, quality and standards, and finance and econom-ics, with oversight by audit and governance. I will outline some of the year’s achievements now.

Regulation

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, as the primary regulator and registrar of the health system, the
Council facilitated the administrative functions of most health professional bodies and health professional con-duct committ ees, and managed licensing functions in
respect of select health facilities, namely , diagnostic
imaging facilities, laboratories, hospitals, nursing
homes and residential care homes.
The Health Council enhanced its paperless
process for the registration of over 650 non- physician
non-nursing health professionals by adding online payment to its resource toolkit. The Health Council’s objective in this is to reduce the administrative burden of statutory board members so that they have increased
bandwidth to st rategically enhance their specialised
fields toward the improvement of population health in Bermuda. In early fiscal year 2024, the Health Council is planning to introduce a change of registration processing by transitioning to a blockchain- enabled platform. The aim is to reduce the processing time of health
professional renewal registration applications from six to eight weeks down to seven days.
Madam Chairman, modernisation of regulatory
processes continued in 2022/23 with the digitisation of the care home inspection process and reporting tools. Now, instead of paper scoring, inspections are occur-ring on tablets with electronic scoring tools , thus reducing human error and bias in the scoring methodology. Also, the Health Council is collaborating with Age Concern to support long- term care leaders in forming a
Long-Term Care Administrators Association as part of
a strong foundation for the sector. This professional as-sociation is intended to assist in regulating and setting
quality sta ndards for the provision of services within
this market. The Health Council also commenced a financial review of the operations and finances of care homes.
Madam Chairman, in response to concerns
about the affordability of prescription medication, the Bermuda Government provided the Health Council with
the mandate to implement the Bermuda Drug Formu-lary. The goal of this work is to ultimately create a more cost-effective prescription medication market by setting
the prices of select medications, monitoring compliance
with regulated pricing and negotiating the price at which medications are imported. It continues to be imperative
that we stay ahead of the curve when it comes to having an efficient prescription medication marketplace.
The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee
identified seven medications for initial listing, and in
2023/24 the Council will be finalising and publishing the
pricing.

Quality and Standards
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, within its
goal to enhance the integrity and thus us e of local
health system data, in fiscal year 2022/23 the Health Council finalised the development of unique patient
identifiers for individuals and national provider identifiers for health care businesses and professionals. While
the initial intent was to integrate the unique patient identifiers into the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s PEARL system prior to launch, the Health Council is working with
the Bermuda H ospitals Board to integrate these identifiers into the next phase of development and subse-quently to require its use in the processing of health insurance claims and transactions.
As the transition toward greater standardisation is still evolving, this modernisation of data will lead to a much better understanding of our population’s
health needs in the future. During the upcoming fiscal
year, the Health Council will build on its other recently
implemented information technology systems for case management, health data analytics and online payments by working with other health system stakeholders to: buil d a more comprehensive health care business directory and social services network platform; roll out digital inspection applications; and provide more
transparency for its health data. The goal is for consumers to be able to delve into anonymised data to u nderstand better how the local system runs and where there
may be room for improvements and evidence- based innovations.


Bermuda Senate The Health Council also manages the programme which supports kidney transplant coordination .
Through this programme, education on kidney transplants is being conducted and comprehensive coordination is provided to those designated to receive a new organ. Right now, dialysis costs approximately
$135,000 per patient per year, and collectively for our
200 patients, close to $30 million a year . Each transplant is estimated to save as much as $700,000 over a 10-year period for each of those patients receiving a
kidney transplant.
In the current fiscal year, the programme saw
six individuals transplanted , a record high, resulting in
an anticipated health system savings of more than $4
million from this year’s cohort alone. This is the type of
savings that can be reinvested in public health programmes leading to improvement of Bermuda’s dis-ease profile and better ageing of the population over
time.
Madam Chairman, the teams work to streamline the ability of persons to serve as live organ donors.
We seek to boost the likelihood of individuals donating
organs to family and friends using best practices of multiple other countries. In concert with the work of improving organ donation, I am pleased to report the Health Council is investigating the expansion of global partners that will be cost -effective in delivering these surgical procedures, as well as the possibility of such services being delivered here on Island.

Financing and Economics

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the Health
Council continues to enhance its National Health Accounts Reports process. These reports detail total
health system expenditure during each year.
As the standards change around how finances
should be accounted for within a health system, the
Health Council is working with the internal and external
stakeholders to make sure that our numerical comparisons are in line with the rest of the world.
During the year, the Health Council continued
to regulate the prices of Standard Health Benefit services. The pricing of these services continues to be guided by the resource- based relative value scale (or
RBRVS) structure and incorporates quarterly reviews.
The RBRVS structure i s also used to guide fair reimbursement practices for insurers and fair pricing practices for providers. The intent in the future is to stabilise
this methodology in practice, and then more toward sta-bilising and regulating how copayment s are charged
within the delivery of services. The current issue with
copayment s is that the optics of high copayment s being
linked to individuals delaying their care and thereby
leading to longer -term health complications and avoidable costs to the health care system. The intent is to
ensure access to the right care at the right time for all people without the introduction of health care disparities. Understanding the spend that takes place
within our health system is an important variable in understanding where there are opportunities to be more
efficient or opportunities to take on new innovations and progressive challenges. Madam Chairman, t he
Health Council has a structure for reviewing such opportunities through its health technology assessment
process. This process includes a scrutiny of peer review research and market literature from around the world, an analysis of local utilisation and demand data,
and a discussion by local experts on potential ad-vantages and disadvantages of change. I n 2023/24 the
Health Council will continue to refine this process so
that there is more evidence -based decision- making involved in the financing of local health care.
In 2022/23 the Health Council advocated for
the legislative changes necessary to finalise the standardisation of the medical and dental charges, to update
the BHB Fee Regulations and make changes to the
Standard Health Benefit Regulations to allow them to
work better for the broader health system in a modern
context. In addition, the Health Council continued to
work on updates to legislation for more significant penalties and accountability facility licensing requirements.
I am pleased to report that with resources no
longer focused on the public health emergency , the
Ministry is working with the Health Council to advance
these priorities in 2023/24.

Audit and Governance

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, t he Health
Council has a track record of timely financial transpar-ency and , working close ly with the Auditor General has
tabled on- time and unqualified audited financial statements year over year . The Health Council’s annual reports and financial statements are completed through
fiscal year 2021 and are in progress for fiscal year
2022. The Council looks forward to completing this financial audit and then preparing for the audit for fiscal
year 2023.

Turning to the Future

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, l ooking
forward to 2023/24, the Health Council will continue
with its wide remit of perfor ming functions that improve
the health system. As the population and its health
needs evolve, it is important for the Health Council to maintain agility in how it accomplishes its mandate. As
it continues to promote community involvement and solution gener ation through the innovation programme,
the Health Council also looks to support the next gen-eration of health professionals through education, mentorship and exposure programmes.
Of note for 2023/24, the Health Council will
carry on its work to create mor e structure and planning
for long- term care support frameworks that are effective in reducing risk and preventing disease, identifying
344 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate ways to better manage health care financing, listening
to the concerns of the public, and ensur ing that patients, providers and businesses are afforded fairness,
privacy and protection in their dealings.

Corporate Services and National Health Emergency

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Business unit 31020, Corporate Services , and business unit 31997, National
Health Emergency . Madam C hairman, the estimate d
budget for Head 21, Corporate Services Unit, is
$538,000. This unit comprises the Ministry’s Policy Directorate and the staff who work closely with Minister
Kim Wilson , as well as the senior management team to
undertake research and assist with the development of
policy and regulations. As with other sections in the
Ministry, the resources have now shifted from the pan-demic to the more regular business of the Ministry , and
we have planned a very busy legislative agenda fo r
2023/24.
The budget allocation for what was known as
the National Health Emergency is $158,000. This unit
undertakes critical health disaster coordination for the
Ministry and is a legacy of our pandemic experience
which highlighted the need for planning and preparedness. In 2022/23 the Ministry improved its standing with
respect to the Pan American Health Organization’s
plan of action for Disaster Risk Reduction , moving from
satisfying one out of six indicators to satisfying four out
of six indicators. I n 2023/24 one of the work streams is
to successfully accomplish the remaining indicators
and thus be better positioned to manage the public
health risk s associated with disasters and extreme
weather emergencies.
This completes my remarks on all the business
units under the p rogramme General.
The second programme for Head 21, Ministry
Headquarters, is the Office of the Chief Medical Officer.

Chief Medical Officer

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, programme 2102 under Head 21 is the Office of the Chie f
Medical Officer (OCMO), found on page B -149 of the
Budget Book. Its total budget for fiscal year 2023/24 is
$1,124,000, which funds two business units, 31030,
Health Care Registration and Regulation; and 31040,
Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. The off ice ordinarily consists of eight FTEs [ full-time equivalents ], and
one part -time consultant pharmacy inspector.
With the lifting of the public health emergency,
most of the staff assigned to work with the Office of the
Chief Medical Officer have returned to their substantive
roles. The instant command structure is working to document the lessons learned during the pandemic. Examples of good practice are now being embedded into the
day-to-day practices across the health economy.
The remit of the O ffice of the Chief Medical Officer consists of five primary duties: (1) registration and regulation of health care professionals; (2) pharmaceutical drug control; (3) epidemiology and surveillance;
(4) statutory public health responsibilities; and
(5) health emergency planning, resilience and response.
Madam Chairman, p reviously, the Office of the
Chief Medical Officer registered all health care professionals , as well as health care facilities , namely, hospitals, pharmacies, clinical laboratories and diagn ostic
imaging facilities. From 2020, the O ffice of the Chief
Medical Officer transferred most of its registration and
regulatory functions relative to health care professionals and facilities to the Bermuda Health Council.
The Office of the Chief Medical O fficer currently manages the registration and re- registration of
medical practitioners as well as the registration and regulation of pharmacies. The O ffice of the Chief Medical Officer also provides administrative support to the
Bermuda Medical Council, and the C hief Medical Officer [CMO] is the executive officer of the Bermuda
Medical Council.
The office retains functions relevant to medical
practitioners and pharmacy regulation. This includes
oversight of the registration processes, the management of patient concerns, and ensuring best practice
clinical standards are in place and maintained to pro-tect and support the delivery of ongoing high- quality
medical and pharmaceutical care in Bermuda. Also,
this office manages the administration for the Professional Conduct Committee for medical practitioners on
Island.
Madam Chairman, the Office of the CMO’s
pharmaceutical drugs control responsibilities include ensuring that annual inspections of pharmacies are
conducted and monitoring the importation of prescription drugs. This includes ongoing checks of controlled
or banned drugs to ensure that these items are kept
safe and are only received by appropriate responsible
health care businesses and individuals. Additionally,
the office ensures that Bermuda stays within its assigned quotas of controlled drugs and reports on con-trolled drug importation to the International Narcotics
Control Board [INCB], [in Vienna, Austria]. The International Narcotics Control Board monitors compliance
with the United Nations International Drug Control Con-ventions. This office also ensures that medications imported to the Island are in keeping with the provisions
of the Pharmacies and Poisons Act.
Health protection and community health assessment are two essential public heal th functions carried out by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (or ESU). The ESU
monitors the occurrence of diseases on the Island, both
infectious diseases and select chronic non- communicable diseases, to help prevent and control their spread and impact. The ESU receives reports from individual
health care providers and laboratories and will investigate unusual disease occurrences. The provision of
contact tracing and case management functions and


Bermuda Senate services are integral to preventing and/or mitigating any
future outbreaks of disease.
Periodic community health surveys are conducted to monitor and document the health of Bermuda’s population. The STEPS to a Well Bermuda sur -
vey, planned for 2023/24, is just one example. Data
from community health surveys provide population
health information that is essential to setting health system priorities and for planning.
Madam Chairman, additional responsibilities of
the Office of the CMO are to facilitate legislative func-tions, advise government departments on health matters and to support the essential regulatory work of statutory boards and councils. The office also serves as
Bermuda’s public health focal point for communications
from regional and international authorities suc h as the
World Health Organization [WHO], the Pan American
Health Organization [PAHO] and the Caribbean Public
Health Agency [CARPHA]. Essential collaborations
with these partners provide Bermuda with access to facilities to develop and train our public health profession-als and to support and implement strategic plans and
technical assistance for the prevention, mitigation and
management of public health emergencies, including
preparedness for disaster management and extreme weather events.
Madam Chairman, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer is developing health emergency plans. In the past year this team provided services to care for
oxygen- dependent patients who required uninterrupted
power supply during the hurricane. The team also developed and executed a polio outbreak plan. This was
well received and positions Bermuda to be able to deal
with outbreaks like this in the future. The Office of the CMO works closely with the Health Disaster Coordination Unit.
In 2022/23 the Office of the Chief Medical O fficer led the development of Bermuda’s first Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. This is a crucial part of our
progress toward UHC, as it helps to set out our starting
point. This work brought together all parts of Bermuda’s
health system, included a focus on the social determinants of health and was supported by the UK Health
Security Agency. The result of this assessment will help understand the priorities for action and form the baseline for improvement over the coming years.
Madam Chairman, in the Offic e of the CMO a
budget of $645,000 is allocated to health care registra-tion and regulation. Over the past year the section has
ensured the administration of a variety of professional services relevant to more than 200 registered medical
practitioner profess ionals, processed over 130 requests for controlled pharmaceutical drug licence requests and completed more than 50 pharmacy inspections.
For fiscal year 2023/24, a total of $479,000 is
budgeted for the work of the Epidemiology and Surveil-lance Unit [ESU]. Capacity building in public health has
been supported by CARPHA, PAHO and the UKHSA, formerly the Public Health England, since 2020 and has
assisted the staff of the ESU, as well as the staff in the
Department of Health to meet the challenges of preventing and controlling emerging diseases such as the
novel coronavirus pandemic, and in managing outbreaks of vaccine- preventable diseases such as pertussis (or whooping cough). These organisations have
also supported us in the management of non- communicable dis eases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Through the tireless work of the Public Health
Emergency Response Team (PHERT) and the Surveillance Assessment Response Committee, the Office of
the CMO coordinates and collaborates with a broad
range of health and other community stakeholders Island-wide to prevent and mitigate public health threats.
The relationships established and maintained via Public Health Emergency Response Team or the Surveillance Assessment Response Committee have proven
to be price less for the efforts of mitigating the COVID -
19 virus during the last two- plus years.
Madam Chairman, to date there have been
over [18,000] cases of COVID -19 identified in Bermuda
and sadly, 161 deaths. This pandemic has impacted
the lives of all Bermudians and has also had a profound
impact on our economy and the fabric of our society. It
is fair to say that without the dedication and expertise
of the Office of the CMO, the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit and the entire Ministry of Health team,
our volunteers, and private and public sector partners,
Bermuda could have fared so much worse.
The trend of lower reported cases of communicable diseases other than COVID -19 has been reversed in 2022. This may be related to the lifting of the
mandatory public hea lth measures implemented to
control the COVID -19 pandemic, such as physical distancing and mask wearing. We now have more re-ported cases of influenza, RSV and streptococcal infections, like many other countries in the world. The
ESU has managed 225 individual case reports of communicable diseases in addition to managing COVID -19
in 2022.
The Office of the CMO has continued to provide critical support to the vaccination programme to
ensure that all eligible residents of Bermuda are vac-cinated and protected f rom the COVID -19 virus. Working with colleagues in the Foreign Commonwealth and
Development Office and Government House, the Office
of the CMO worked tirelessly to secure vaccines for all residents of Bermuda. We must also acknowledge the
incredible effort s of both Government House and the
UK to assist us with the supply of these critical vaccines
at this most challenging of times.
In all, by the 31
st of January 2023, our vaccination teams have administered over 200,000 vaccinations. Impressively, our mass vaccination campaign
ended with 75 per cent of the general population immunised with two doses.
346 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Madam Chairman, finally, the development of
the important Chronic Disease Register continues to
evolve and be refined. The Office of the CMO is rebooting effort s to establish a chronic renal disease register
previously stalled by the pandemic. This is in partnership with the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s Tumour Registry. We expect this to be up and running within the
coming year and to provide valuable insight into t his
disease that is a source of suffering and high cost to Bermuda.
Madam Chairman, that ends my presentation
on programme 2102, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer.

Thank you. Please proceed to the next
head.
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Thank you, Madam Chairman.

HEAD 22 —DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: It gives me pleasure to present the budget for Head 22, the Department of Health,
found on pages B -154 through B -164 of the Budget
Book. The total current expenditure is estimated to be
$30,429,000 for 2023/24. This is an increase of $1,739,000 compared with the original 2022/23 budget.
Vision and Mission: the Health Department’s
vision is Healthy people and healthy communities . The
department’s mission is To promote and protect optimal health and well -being in Bermuda. The 290 Department of Health officers work to ensure the health and well-being of the general population. And like the Office
of the Chief Medical Officer, many of the department
staff redeployed during the pandemic can now return to
their substantive posts. Services in the department are delivered through the five sections of Administration,
Community Health, All Health, Environmental Health
and Central Laboratory.
Madam Chairman, the Department of Health,
section 2205, Administration, comprises the business
units of Administration, Health Promotion, Comprehen-sive School Health and Child Care Regulations. Under unit 32230, Administration, the 2023/24 budget estimate for this business unit 32230 is listed on p age B -
155 and is $429,000.
Madam Chairman, public health services are
more important now than ever, given the toll that the
COVID -19 pandemic has taken on our community. The
Health Department’s efforts are focusing again on prevention of non- communicable c hronic disease and
mental illness . It is fair to say that the post- pandemic
period is proving challenging. Not unlike jurisdictions around the world, health care workers are experiencing
burnout and the depletion of resources.
Notwithstanding [the aforementioned], the Department of Health Offices are highly engaged in work
toward UHC and the First 1,000 Days integrated care pathway work Throne Speech initiatives. They will also
collaborate with the Education Ministry’s Signature
Schools Learning Pathways as far as reasonably practicable, as these are all meaningful and impactful projects for public health and equity.
Madam Chairman, the 2023/24 budget estimate for the Health Promotion and Wellness business
unit of the Department of Health listed as cost c entre
32240 on page B -155 is $534,000. Madam Chairman,
the Health Promotion and Wellness Programme develops and implements policies, programmes and prod-ucts that will promote health and wellness in the community in collaboration with public health partners .
In 2023/24 a portion of the increase in funding
for the Department of Health is earmarked for such
health promotion and wellness initiatives. The Commitment to Change campaign goal is to encourage resi-dents to make commitments toward healthy living.
Thes e changes do not need to be big, but they need to
be consistent. Small steps help us to create valuable
habits which help us achieve big goals. Instead of undertaking a huge makeover, we might be able to improve our health with a series of small changes. T his
approach may take longer, but it could also motivate you to make some big changes. Small, intentional
steps that people can make are as follows:
• Choosing water: Cutting out just one sugar -
sweetened soda can easily save you 100 or more calories a day .
• Eating more vegetables: Start by eating one
extra vegetable each day , whether frozen,
fresh or canned.
• Exercising daily: If you do not exercise at all,
start with a 10- minute walk and increase the
minutes as you get stronger.
• Balancing mental well -being by reducing
stress. Try breathing slowly and deeply for a
few minutes each day. It can help you relax.
Madam Chairman, considering the small size
of Bermuda’s community , it is hard for some with mental illness or a mental disorder to seek help. It is therefore imperative to develop strategies in our communi-ties to destigmatise mental illness. In 2023/24, the
Community Adolescent Mental Health Training programme will train school -based health professionals,
including school nurses; allied health professionals, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists
and physiotherapists; the Healthy Schools Coordinator;
the Education Ministry’s Counselling Services; and
sport ing organisations. Participants in the programme
will learn about the stigma; complete the youth mental
health first aid course to learn about adolescent devel-opment, signs and symptoms of common disabling
mental health problems and crisis situations; lear n
when and how to refer students; and promote anti -
stigma in the schools and sports club environments.
As a result of the training, it is anticipated that
participants will be instrumental in changing the culture
around mental health, increase help- seeking behaviour


Bermuda Senate and destigmatising mental well -being. This target audience will help to address the health issue from an early
education and developmental perspective and provide
a safe and supportive environment for student mental
well-being.
Madam Chairman, HEARTS in the Americas is
the Pan American Health Organization’s flagship initiative for improving high blood pressure control and heart
disease risk management in doctors’ offices using a
standardised treatment protocol. HEARTS has been
implemented in 24 countries in the Americas. In Bermuda, funding will be made available in 2023/24 for the
Department of Health and several collaborating primary
care physicians to demonstrate that the HEARTS protocol can get improved results locally and to harvest the
learning before the protocol is rolled out and available
to the entire health system.
The HEARTS protocol is a simple, practical
and easy -to-follow treatment protocol that can vastly
improve control of high blood pressure. Other countries that have adopted HEARTS are seeing faster, sustain-able control with consistent actions being followed by
physicians, clients and their relatives. In addition to
medication, HEARTS includes counselling and support
for lifestyle change and diet which, added to reducing high blood pressure, can reduce obesity and the risk of
heart attack and stroke.
The 2023/24 budget estimate for the Nutrition
Services business unit 32110 on page B -154 is
$202,000. Nutrition Services is both a sub- programme
of Community Health and a sub- programme of the
Health Promotion and Wellness unit because there is
both a clinical component and a population- based component. Nutrition Services is committed to providing
sustainable nutrition community programmes to connect, engage and strengthen the community’s aware-ness of strategies to improve healthier lifestyles and healthier eating. In 2023/24 this sub- programme will be
refortified with two officers, reflecting the Ministry’s re-newed emphasis on health promotion and prevention.
This accounts for part of the department’s increase in
funding for the upcoming financial year.
This year Nutrition Services partnered with the
Grow, Eat, $ave workshop, Department of Parks, local
judges, non- governmental agencies and sponsors to
present the Bermuda Parish Gar dening Competition.
Both projects aimed to encourage gardening. The Grow, Eat, $ave programme continues in partnership
with facilitator Chaplain Santucci, the Bermuda Agriculture Group, and community volunteers and sponsors. Participation remains high as members of the community seek sustainable food opportunities to feed themselves and their families.
Performance measures indicate 68 per cent of
participants increased their consumption of five servings of fruits and vegetables, the minimal servings known to reduce certain health risks. Growing your own
food means healthier diets. The Bermuda Parish Gardening Competition reached into each parish and was inclusive of any skill level, garden size and individual or
group submission. Engagement in this competit ion celebrated the excellence of gardening, recognised the passion of growing food and worked toward sustainability. The Grow, Eat, $ave programme and the Ber-muda Parish Gardening Competition will feature again
in 2023/24.
Another Health Promotion and Well ness activity is the Complete Health Improvement Programme
[CHIP]. The first session held in June 2022 had 11
graduates from 17 persons enrolled. The second ses-sion in October 2022 had 13 graduates out of the 19
enrolled. For the second session, group impr ovements
included weight loss, waistline inches lost, decreased
blood sugar and decreased cholesterol. Performance
measures indicate a 100 per cent increase in consumption of five servings of fruit and vegetables by all participants.

Comprehensive School Health

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the
2023/24 budget estimate for the Comprehensive
School Health, business unit 32265 on page B -155, is
$124,000. This budget figure reflects the decision to
have Healthy Schools as a separate business unit, rather than as part of other Department of Health business units, and accounts for the funding line item in the
Budget Book.
Healthy Schools promotes health in schools
through such governmental departments as Education; the National Drug Control and Mirrors ; community
health partners including the Bermuda Diabetes Association, the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, and
the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute; and the
Department of Health school -based programmes such
as child and school health, nutrition services, oral
health, community rehabilitation services and environmental health. Healthy Schools has 10 components of
health and has been adopted by 31 of the 33 public and
private schools since 2007.
In compliance with the school nutrition policy,
the Healthy Schools team is working more closely with
the Department of Education to limit all fast -food deliveries to schools for any reason and food- focused fundraisers to no more than once per month in schools.
Healthy Schools has provided schools with recommendations for non- food fundraisers. All but one public
school has a bottle- filling station, making fresh, clean
water the easiest choice. All private schools have fil-tered water systems and/or bottle- filling stations.
In 2023/24 Healthy Schools will continue to
work with the Education Department’s Curriculum Officer for Physical Education and Health to improve the
completion of the fitness ground assessments for P5 to
S4 students in terms 1 and 3. The purpose is to help
students understand their own health- related fitness.

Child Care Regulations
348 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, 2023/24
budget estimate for the Child Care Regulations, business unit 32290 on page B -155, is $308,000.
Over the last f iscal year all eligible child care
providers [CCPs], those caring for a maximum of three children in a home setting, underwent the STARS inspection. The results were posted on the government
website to educate the public and increase transparency. The majority of child care providers met or exceeded the minimal standard, receiving three stars,
which is satisfactory, four stars is very good and five stars is excellent.
Day care centres [DCCs], that is, nursery
schools also underwent their pilot STARS inspec tion in
preparation for their full STARS inspection which is taking place in 2023. Again, the majority of day care centres met or exceeded the minimum standard. Day care centres and child care providers that did not meet the
minimal standard were given additional monitoring and
support, or placed on a provisional licence if warranted.
This STARS inspection tool is comprehensive and al-lows the officers to evaluate aspects of child care while
providing support and guidance throughout the process.
To support the CCPs and DCCs, quarterly
meetings are held to strengthen the lines of communication and provide updates and support related to the
inspection process. These meetings also afford provid-ers the opportunity to offer feedback and make recommendations relat ed to the inspection process.
This ends my remarks on section 2205, Administration.

Community Health

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the Department of Health section 2201, Community Health, on page B -154 of the Budget Book comprises 13 business units and has a 2023/24 estimated budget of $22,282,000.
Madam Chairman, the 2023/24 budget estimate for Child Health, listed as business unit 32030 on
page B -154 is $2,927,000. The Child Health budget in
2023/24 will increase by $263,000. The largest contr ibutors to this increase are rising costs of shipping and medical supplies, and vaccines. Funds have also been
allocated for contractors who are working to digitise paper-based immunisation records and helping to enhance school surveillance.
Madam Chairman, the Child Health unit consists of four sections: Immunisation; Child Health;
School Health, including Asthma Education; and Travel
Health. These sections provide preventive and curative
health services for infants, children, adolescents,
adults, seniors and the traveling public. Services include health and developmental assessments, screen-ings, referrals, treatment of minor ailments, health education, health promotion, anticipatory guidance, adults’ and seniors’ immunisations and travel consultation for travel to high- risk areas.
Bermuda’s expanded programme on immunisation plans for the needs of vaccines in the child and
adult schedules. EPI procures most of its vaccines through the PAHO’s [Pan American Health Organization’s] revolving fund. The process assures safe, effective and quality vaccines. Universal access for many of
the vaccines is provided through the public and private
sectors.
Madam Chairman, with respect to immunisation, data on immunisation coverage show s a level of
86 per cent for two- year olds, a decrease of 2 per cent
from the previous year. Vaccine hesitancy remains a
challenge, and the Child Health team is working on
strategies to provide the community with education relating to vaccine- preventable diseases. In 2023/24 the
vaccine hes itancy strategy will be reigniting activities
along with launching the HealthyPeople BDA app, tentatively set for April 2023 during the vaccination week
of the American celebrations. The staff continues to
work diligently with clients on catch- up immunisat ions
for their children.
Madam Chairman, expanded programmes of
immunisation training are conducted annually for health care professionals in the public, private and institutional
settings and allied partners. Data from the 2022 annual Flu Express indicat ed that 1,340 doses of the flu vaccine were administered from the eastern, central and
western areas of the Island. The flu vaccine is also administered in all of our clinics with distribution to longterm care facilities and the private sector.
Madam Chai rman, the health visitors working
in the Child Health unit have completed contact with 90 per cent of all parents of newborns, and 85 per cent
of new mothers were screened for maternal well -being
at six weeks. Initially, these were done primarily via tel-ephone due to the health risks, COVID -19 restrictions
and limited staff availability due to reassignments. As of September 2022, a full 60 per cent of health visitors
are working within the unit and have restarted home visits for all targeted services. The department’s health
visitors play a crucial role in providing services for all
families with children under five years old.
Madam Chairman, the School Health programme continues to be challenged with human resource issues, and just 15 per cent of school health and
development assessments were realised in this fiscal
year. Of the screenings conducted, 33 per cent of, or
86 five- year-olds were identified as overweight or
obese. Whilst these data are based only on a portion of the cohort, approximately 52 per cent of the target population, it is concerning. Factors contributing to these findings include diet, screen time, lack of physical activity and a lack of health checks. Addressing mental
health and well -being for families of the school -age
population has and will continue to remain a priority. Also, the School Asthma Education programme and its


Bermuda Senate services were disrupted by the pandemic. However,
every effort is being made to recommence this work.
Travel health was negatively affected by global
travel restric tions. However, since travel restrictions
have been relaxed locally and abroad, the department
has seen a marked increase in people travelling. There
were approximately 743 travel consultations conducted
in 2022 compared with 106 in 2021. Consultations on
travel provide education on water -, food - and vector -
borne illness prevention to reduce the risk of Ber-muda’s residents returning with infectious diseases.

Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the
2023/24 budget es timates for Physiotherapy listed as
business unit 32080, and Occupational Therapy listed as business unit 32120, both on page B -154, are
$1,128,000 and $1,016,000, respectively.
The remit of the Community Rehabilitation Services Occupational Therapy [OT] and Physiotherapy [PT] services is to maximise the functional potential of
individuals with delays in normal motor development or
with physical movement challenges. This rehabilitation
service, which spans the age spectrum, is split into three teams: early intervention, school -based paediatric therapy and seniors.
Madam Chairman, within the early intervention
team, dedicated specialists, OTs and PTs provide early
intervention for babies and young children at risk of developmental delays and/or disability. The OT and PT early intervention service aims to complete a f ull assessment on referred clients within 20 working days to ensure the appropriate intervention is provided and to mitigate any delays in functioning. These interventions
reduce the number of referrals sent by the early inter-vention teams to school -based services. They also empower parents with knowledge and strategies to promote optimal development for their children.
The school -based paediatric team aims to increase early recognition of developmental delays and
provide a more equitable service for schoo l-age children with sensory motor delays throughout the year and not just during school term time. It must also be noted that school -aged children with additional learning
needs due to complex health conditions and/or sensory
motor delays require regular monitoring and intervention to retain their functional ability and to access education. During the current fiscal year, the team successfully conducted sensory motor screens for each child entering Primary 1 in the government system.
Services were also prov ided to summer camps for children with complex medical needs to prevent regression
of skills attained through the school year.
Madam Chairman, the OT and PT seniors’
team aims to support clients to remain as independent as possible in their own homes. The seniors’ team conducts home safety and falls -risk assessments for all
seniors who are referred in order to minimise the risk of falls at home. In 2022/23 client and caregiver training were provided to maximise function and promote ageing in place.

Speech and Language Services

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: The 2023/24 budget estimate
for Speech and Language Services listed at business unit 32100 on page B -154 is $1,688,000.
Madam Chairman, the Health Department’s
Speech and Language Programme provides speech, language and feeding/swallowing assessments and intervention services across the community. The staff
work in collaboration with the Education Department’s
Child Development Programme for children aged from
birth to four or five years of age and across all levels of
the Bermuda Government schools for those aged up to 18. In addition, services are provided to students with
special needs who attend Dame Marjorie Bean Hope
Academy and to students who attend Bermuda’s private schools and home schools.
Madam Chair man, speech and language
pathologists work closely with parents, school personnel, allied health professionals in private homes and
clinical settings to raise awareness of speech and language delays and disorders, to promote functional
communication skills , as well as to prevent life- threatening complications that may occur during eating and swallowing.
Madam Chairman, a combined 341 cases
were followed for intervention by Speech and Lan-guage Services this year. Caseloads vary between 40
and 68 clients per officer. Services to middle and senior
schools have been adapted to be provided through a
consultative model where the therapists provide school
personnel and parents with the appropriate resources
and strategies for clients with complimentary direct services. Services were also provided to Dame Marjorie
Bean Hope Academy.
Madam Chairman, the 2023/24 budget estimates for community health nursing, listed as business unit 32060, and community health administration listed
as business unit 32010, both found o n page B -154, are
$1,723,000 and $1,215,000, respectively. Community health nursing budget in 2023/24 will increase by $185,000. The largest contributors to this increase are
additional funds for the licence for the electronic medical records for clients, medical supplies and funding to
ensure the enhanced operation of the adult preventative clinic with a nurse practitioner on staff.
Madam Chairman, adult community nursing
works in partnership with other health and care providers to meet client needs, offering support, health education information and advice. The department’s adult
preventative clinic is designed to support persons and
reduce stress while increasing capacity, educating individuals and families, and providing life skills to enable
healthy li ving practices. The adult health clinic has in350 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate creased its capacity by extending its hours and is seeing 60 per cent more patients than it did in previous
years, efficiently helping and supporting individuals who are uninsured or underinsured and cannot aff ord
their co- payments.
Madam Chairman, the community health administration unit consists of administration support and health education. These services provide administrative support for the programmes operating in the main
Hamilton health centres as well as the satellite clinics.
The programme assures conditions in which the facility
can operate safely, effectively and efficiently for clients
and staff.
Madam Chairman, challenges associated with
the Hamilton Health Clinic’s water, which caused staff
to be relocated, brought considerable disruption and
displacement to programmes and services during 2022. The Warwick satellite clinic served as the main
alternative site for other clinical services from April to
September before a new venue was secured. The t ransition to the third floor of Reid Hall, which is 3 Reid
Street, Hamilton, has positively impacted service users
and staff. Fortunately, work at the Hamilton Health
Centre is close to completion, and it is anticipated that
services will resume from that location very shortly.
Madam Chairman, the redesign and facility
modernisation plan for Mangrove Bay Clinic received Planning permission this year. And capital funding will be available in the upcoming budget year to proceed
with the building permit, const ruction drawings and tendering process. The services being provided at the
Mangrove Bay Clinic will include services similar to
those provided in Hamilton, including integrated mental
health services in partnership with MWI.
Madam Chairman, there were notable efforts
made within the social work team this year, including 94 additional new referrals of which 67 per cent were
successfully navigated through the care and health
systems for services or support for unmet needs. Such
needs include, but are not limi ted to, mental health or
addiction counselling, and food and medical treatment. Of those discharged, 95 per cent described an overall
satisfaction with the service. Support services and ad-vocacy were provided to connect persons and families with resources to help meet their needs. There were a
total of 956 events which included home visits, individual and family meetings, and collaboration and correspondence with other agencies such as Ageing and
Disability Services.
Madam Chairman, the 2023/24 budget estimate for Sexual and Reproductive Health, listed at business unit 32040 on page B -154, is $932,000.
Madam Chairman, the Sexual and Reproductive Health programme consists of two subpro-grammes: the Communicable Diseases programme
and the Maternal Health and Family Planning pro-gramme. The programmes aim to reduce unintended
pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates, including HIV, by continually improving access to high quality services, screening, education and health promotion, counselling, and referral services.

ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN

SENATE VISITOR

Senator Hodgson, could I just interrupt
just to acknowledge that the Chief Strategy Officer of the Department of Health, Aideen Ratteray Pryse, has joined us.
Welcome.
[Committee of Supply, continuing]

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Thank you, Madam Chairman. (Let me back up.)
The 2023/24 budget estimate for Sexual and
Reproductive Health, listed as business unit 32040 on page B -154, is $932,000.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health programme consists of two subprogrammes: the Communicable Diseases programme and the Maternal
Health and Family Planning programme. The programmes aim to reduce unintended pregnancy and
sexually transmitted infection rates, including HIV, by
continually improving access to high quality services, screening, education and health promotion, counselling, a nd referral services.
To reach these goals and strengthen community-led responses, the programme has developed
strong collaborative links with many community -based
agencies like the Bermuda Assessment and Referral
Centre [BARC], the Centre Against Abuse H ome (a
charity for the homeless), Turning Point, STAR, Har-bour Light and focused charities for substance abuse and HIV, as well as the Salvation Army. Partnering with
other organisations can offer innovative ways to reach
our communities and strengthen sex ual health services. There is also strong collaboration with obstetricians to provide antenatal care and safe delivery for uninsured women.
In 2022/23 a total of 83.6 per cent of pregnant
women attending the clinic received three or more an-tenatal appoint ments. Evidence suggests more antenatal contact with professionals is associated with greater
maternal satisfaction and reduces perinatal mortality.
The maternity benefit, introduced on 1 November 2021,
assists antenatal clients with payment to their assigned OB/GYN. Other components of sexual and reproductive health services include immunisations for antenatal
clients, cancer prevention and health screenings for
males and females.
The number of people compliant with treatment
for HIV infection remains high at 98 per cent, an important factor in preventing AIDS, prolonging survival
and reducing the risk of transmission of HIV to others.
Madam Chairman, the Sexual Assault Response Team [SART] recently reconvened to review


Bermuda Senate collaborative efforts. The Sexual Ass ault Response
Team is supported by Sexual and Reproductive Health
Services through coordination during the investigation
process. A team approach assists professionals to provide an immediate, quality victim- centred response to
sexual assaults in the community. As mentioned previously, funding for SART will be provided by a grant from
the Ministry Headquarters in 2023/24.
Madam Chairman, the Sexual and Reproductive Team starts a new initiative this month, which will
see male and female clients between the ages of 18 to 26 years being offered the HPV vaccine. Human Papilloma Virus can cause certain cancers in both men and
women and is a common sexually transmitted infection.
Research has shown that HPV vaccines can prevent
more than 90 per cent of oral, anal and genital cancers
caused by HPV infection from ever developing.
Madam Chairman, the 2023/24 budget estimate for the Clinical Laboratory listed as business unit 32090 on page B -154 is $787,000. This comprises the
government clinical laboratory and the Bermuda Molecular Diagnostic and Research Laboratory (or MDL).
The incorporation of MDL to the Health Department’s
established clinical laboratory business unit accounts
for the increase of $519,000 listed in the Budget Book.
Madam Chairman, the government clinical laboratory is a Commission on Office Laboratory Accred-itation (or COLA) accredited laboratory situated at the Hamilton Health Centre. The government clinical laboratory currently supports the programmes within the
clinic, such as maternal health and family planning, the communicable disease clinic, the adult health programme, child health and oral health as needed.
The clinical laboratory also serves as the public
health clinical laboratory for Bermuda, assisting with
outbreak investigation and public health emergencies.
The clinical laboratory provides specimen referrals for highly infectious organisms that cannot be tested locally. The government clinical laboratory continues to
focus on microbiology testing while maintaining molecular testing for sexually transmitted infections such as
gonorrhoea and chlamydia. The laboratory will continue to participate in annual projects such as antimicrobial resistant surveillance. Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat that requires much attention and collaboration with several sectors in the public health system.
MDL is pursuing COLA accreditation and is enrolled in an international programme of proficiency testing as a quality assurance measure. The molecular la-boratory continues to provide routine scr eening of
COVID -19 for high -risk clients such as dialysis patients
and care homes across the Island and to assist with genomic sequencing. At the same time, MDL is expanding testing for programmes such as maternal
health and family planning, the communicable disease clinic, the adult health programme and child health using an immunoassay analyser. MDL may expand local testing for wastewater surveillance as well. The scop-ing of work is now underway.
Madam Chairman, the Department of Health
operates two exemplary long -term care facilities, Sylvia
Richardson Care Facility in St. George’s and Lefroy House Care Community in Sandys. Madam Chairman,
the 2023/24 budget estimate for Lefroy House Care
Community, is listed as business unit 32000 on page
B-154, is $4, 867,000. The 2023/24 budget estimate for
Sylvia Richardson Care Facility, listed as business unit 32015 on page B -154, is $5,713,000.
Both facilities provide skilled care and promote
independence and optimal health for persons aged 65
years and over who have significant nursing needs requiring 24- hour facility -based care. The two facilities
are residential care communities, providing compre-hensive medical, nursing, environmental and recrea-tional services to the residents and respite care elders.
Our aim is to maintain and improve quality of life for
elders and their loved ones. Demand for nursing beds
continues to very much exceed capacity. Sylvia Richardson and Lefroy House work along with Ageing and
Disability Services, Community Health and the Department of Health, and BHB’s [Bermuda Hospitals Board]
social work team to prioritise and fill the vacant beds as
they become available.
Madam Chairman, internal projects are underway at Lefroy House to provide and/or improve the rec-reational area for elders and to optimise the current
space. Works have commenced to replace the roof and
address other much- needed internal renovations to the
kitchen, dining and storage areas, including a new staff lounge. Construction in these areas will continue into the 2023/24 budget year.
As Lefroy House is an old facility, though, plans
to build a new Lefroy House at a new location which were mothballed during the pandemic are being revisited by the Department of Health.
This ends my presentation on the business
units of sect ion 2201, Community Health.

Oral Health

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the
2023/24 budget estimate for the Department of Health,
Oral Health, section 2202, is $1,492,000. It comprises
the business units of 32150, Oral Health Control;
32155, Oral H ealth Administration; and 32160, Oral
Health Prevention on page B -155.
Madam Chairman, the Oral Health section provides comprehensive public health dental services to
Bermuda’s children and seniors aged 65 years and
older. Our service is based on high qua lity patient -centred care, including dental examinations, consultations,
preventative and dental hygiene appointments, as well
as a range of restorative clinical treatments including
extractions and fillings. There is an overall strong emphasis on preventi on and working with our community,
352 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate and we also offer emergency service during regular
working hours.
The school -based programmes are an essential part of the Oral Health section’s service. Oral health education is offered to our school children along wit h a
school -based fluoride supplementation programme for
children aged six months up to 11 years of age.
This ends my remarks on section 2202, Oral
Health.

Senator, just a time check. You have
about 45 minutes remaining.

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Thank you, Madam Chairman. I am sure we will have some time for questions.

Central Laboratory

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the
2023/24 budget estimates for the Health Department’s
Central Laboratory section, 2204, are listed as business units 32200, Forensic Analysis; and 32220, Water
and Food Analysis on page B -155. The estimates are
$741,000 and $559,000, respectively, for a total of
$1,300,000. Central Laboratory’s budget in 2023/24 will increase by $28,000. The largest drivers for this increase are additional funds required for laboratory supplies, import duties, preventative maintenance con-tracts for equipment and increased electricity bills.
Madam Chairman, the Central Government
Laboratory [CGL] provides a wide range of analytical services divided between two programmes; namely,
the Forensic programme and the Food and Water programme. The Forensic programme performs seized drug and toxicology analysis. The drug cases submitted to the laboratory have been increasingly compl ex,
in addition to an increased number of items associated with each case. This has been as a result of increased
submissions due to several successful police raids.
There is an increase in the number of cannabis-derived products in the form of cosmetics and male
enhancements. And there has also been an increase in cases containing the newest form of THC; namely,
Delta -8 THC. While Delta- 8 THC is considerably less
potent than Delta- 9 THC, it must be noted that scientifically it has been shown to have psycho -active properties on the body and should not be considered a safe alternative.
Additionally, there has been an increase in
powder submissions which contain unusual mixtures of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. The varying forms of
products, together with th e differing types of compounds, has put an increased demand on the laboratory as the analysis for these items is more time consuming and complex. It should also be noted that the
powder mixture of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl is a very worrying trend and public health threat.
Madam Chairman, toxicology analysis is performed on coroner’s cases, cases of driving under the influence, and urine analysis for stakeholder agencies.
The compounds that are routinely tested for are the
common drugs of abuse in Bermuda, which include
cannabis, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and fentanyl. There
has been a steady year on year increase of cases sub-mitted to the laboratory and this year has been no different. The 2022/23 year saw an increase of 16 per
cent in the number of cas es submitted to the laboratory
when compared to the previous year.
Madam Chairman, the Water and Food Analysis Programme performs analytical testing of potable
[which is drinking] and non- potable water samples,
dairy products and food. It is primarily a laboratory support service to Environmental Health, with the results
used to identify bacteriological and chemical risk to human health and animal health. It is through this collaboration that the Department of Health can maintain a low incidence in water and foodborne disease.
It is noteworthy, Madam Chairman, that the
water quality of our main bathing beaches met the United States Environmental Protection Agencies
guidelines value every week through our routine seawater testing.
It should be noted that t he World Health Organization [WHO] has recommended the global elimination
of trans -fatty acids by 2023. The Water and Food Analysis programme collaborated with the Port Health Unit
to commence a baseline survey to determine the
amounts of trans -fatty acids in various food samples in
Bermuda.
Madam Chairman, it is anticipated that sampling for this baseline survey will finish by 31 March
2023. The first batch of results positively demonstrated that zero food samples contained two grams of fat,
trans -fatty a cids per 100 grams of food, a limit that is
set by PAHO [Pan American Health Organization]. This
project is supported by the United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency (or UKHSA).
Dairy products are tested monthly to determine
that they meet legislated limits as set out in the Public
Health (Milk and Dairy Farm) Regulations 1952. Food testing is currently performed when there is a suspected case of foodborne illness.
This ends my remarks for section 2204, Central Laboratory.

Environmental Health
Sen. Ariann a Hodgson: Madam Chairman, the
2023/24 budget estimates for section 2203, Environmental Health, of the Department of Health, listed on
page B -155 as business units 32170, Institutional Hygiene; 32171, Public Health Nuisance; 32172, Food and Beverage Safety ; 32173, Water and Sanitary Engineering Control; 32175, Environmental Health Ad-ministration; 32180, Housing Conditions; 32270, Occupational Safety and Health; 32285, Port Health; and
32190, Vector Control are a combined $3,960,000.


Bermuda Senate Madam Chairman, the En vironmental Health
section is an essential service providing monitoring, investigative and regulatory functions in such diverse areas as food safety, occupational safety, nuisance control, water quality, tobacco control and vector control. Environmental Health is implementing a new data system which will help to organise and store data in a form
that is readily accessible. The upgrading of policy and
procedures for the new system is underway.
In 2023/24, Environmental Health staff will focus on publicity, education and promotion to raise the
profile of Environmental Health, informing the public of
the wide range of responsibilities and activities within
the section. Also, new pesticide regulations, Madam
Chairman, are currently being developed inclusive of
stakeholder consultation. Draft regulations are expected in 2023/24 for this Throne Speech initiative. Madam Chairman, the Occupational Safety
and Health office inspects places of work throughout
the Island, investigates serious workplace accidents
and ensures Bermuda’s workers safety through devel-opment of policies and procedures such as the requisite training and permit system for asbestos abatement.
In 2022/23, the programme of proactive workplace inspections recommenced to ensure compliance with regul ations and that safety committees are established
and operational. Industry outreach collaboration with employer organisations and work education and awareness activities are underway to raise the profile
of safety at work, thereby improving standards.
Progress with ticketing for high- risk contraventions and re- establishment of the Advisory Council for
Safety and Health are key priorities for 2023/24.
Madam Chairman, the Port Health Unit assists in the monitoring of persons arriving on Island at the airport
and other ports of entry in order to provide controls against any infectious diseases arriving on Island from overseas. This includes carrying out inspections of
cruise ships and other vessels visiting the Island. The
unit also monitors food products ar riving on Island to
ensure that they are safe for human consumption. The port health function facilitates Bermuda’s compliance
with international health regulations.

Vector Control

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, Vector
Control is the team that ensures that threats of rodent -
borne and mosquito- borne diseases do not manifest
themselves in Bermuda. Residents are reminded, however, that the best way to limit rodent numbers is to
deny rodents access to food sources such as garbage
by using metal trash containers with lids and not putting
trash out on non- pickup days.
To reiterate this important message, the department will continue with communications outreach in the upcoming year along with having Vec tor Control
staff participate in education programmes such as Ministry fairs and career days. This ends, Madam Chairman, my presentation
on section 2203, Environmental Health.

Revenues

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, revenues
for the Department of Health are projected to reach
$3,606,000 for 2023/24. These estimates, Madam Chairman, can be found on page B -156.
These revenues come from the sale of medications, vaccines and biologicals, fees for clinical ser-vices, patient fees from the two long- term care facilities,
as well as fees for licences and permits issued by the
Environmental Health Section of the Department [of
Health].
Madam Chairman, there are several vacancies
throughout the Department of Health. The senior man-agement team of the depart ment is working with Management Consulting Services and the Department of
Employee and Organizational Development to build
back better. The impact of the pandemic cannot be
overstated, nor can the competition for nurses and
other medical professionals internationally. However,
we are taking a strategic approach to assessing services and programmes in light of the Bermuda Health
Strategy 2022 –2027 of which universal health coverage forms a part in placing our population’s health
needs first.
Madam Chairman, this concludes my remarks
on Head 22, Department of Health.
As I close you can see that the mandate of the
Ministry of Health is wide -ranging. We are lucky to benefit from the dedication, hard work, expertise and expe-rience of a broad range of health and business professionals. Their commitment to public health is unwavering, despite deep challenges with resources, the growing health needs of our ageing population and, of
course, despite the impact of such an incredible national health emergency on our ability to deliver public
health services. With that said, we look forward to collaborating with the wider health system participants as
we progress changes which will strengthen our health
system and achieve the Ministry’s vision for healthy
people in hea lthy communities.
Madam Chairman, this concludes my budget
brief for the Ministry of Health, Head 21, Ministry of
Health Headquarters and Head 22, the Department of
Health. Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Thank you, Senator.
We have until 12:04. Would any Senator wish
to speak on these heads?
Senator Tucker.

Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
And also thank you to the Junior Minister for a very comprehensive and informative brief this morning.
Before I start asking my questions, I w ould like
to first of all thank —and I want to sincerely, sincerely
354 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate thank all of the health care workers who have come
through . . . you know, their job is difficult on a regular
day and so certainly in the last couple of years having dealt with COVID -19 an d now with things diminishing,
although we know that COVID -19 has not completely
left us, but they have a very difficult job. And so I do
want to say thank you. Their efforts . . . I mean, other
people have said it. And their efforts have not gone unnoticed and unappreciated. So, I want to say thank you
to them.
My first question, Madam Chairman, comes
from page B -149, business unit 2101, General. The line
item is 31000, General Ad ministration. For 2022/23 the
original budget amount for General Administration was
$2,732,000. The revised figure was $3,410,000, which
represents a $678,000 spend for 2022/23. I do remember that in the Junior Minister’s presentation she did say that $55, 000 was allotted to the SART nurses. But I
would like to know if she could provide an explanation
for the remainder of the increased funds, what they are
allocated to be used for.
The second question comes from page B -150,
Subjective analysis of current account estimates, under
Salaries. The 2023/24 budget estimate is $2,044,000,
representing a $234,000 decrease from the original budgeted amount. Given that there is an increase in
full-time employee headcount by two staff, can the Junior Minister please provide clarity around the anticipated salary expense in this line item? Just so that I
can sort of connect the dots. We have a decrease in
the salary amount, but an increase in full -time employees. Relatedly, Madam Chairman, I would like to know
how much o f the Salaries line time is allocated to pay
the salaries for the MDL lab staff.
The next question, Madam Chairman, comes
from page B -150, still under Head 21. Page B -150 subjective analysis of current account estimates from Professional Services. Can th e Junior Minister confirm if
any expenses included in this line item were specific to the COVID -19 pandemic, and included in last year’s
budget, although COVID -19 remains applicable, in
some regard as I mentioned a minute ago? But I would
like to know how much of the Professional Services’
budgeted amount is still allocated to COVID -19 initiatives going forward.
A question from page B -151, Employee Numbers. Given that two new positions have been added,
can the Minister confirm also how many vacant and
funded posts there are and if there are any vacant but
unfunded posts in the Ministry Headquarters?
One more question from this head. And that
would be on page B -[153], Performance Measures,
business unit 31030, Health Care Registration and
Regulation. The second line from the top of the section,
Timely submission of quarterly reporting to INCB (the
International Narcotics Control Board), which has re-sponsibility for monitoring and supporting compliance
with the International Drug Control Treaties. (That is
based on the research that I did.) This was a new measure in 2020/21. Can the Junior Minister tell us if
Bermuda has met the reporting deadline for 2022? And
if not, when was the most recent report sent?
Now I will just ask two questions f rom Head 22,
and I will give everybody else an opportunity who wants to speak. From Head 22, I would like to ask the Junior
Minister if she can tell us the anticipated staffing structure for the Mangrove Bay Clinic. And given that there
was a shortage of health care providers worldwide,
whether any staffing sourcing has already begun. If it
has begun, if she can also tell us what positions have already begun to be sourced?
And the last question at this time that I would
like to ask from Head 22 comes from page B -158, Performance Measures, business unit 32000. That is
Lefroy [Care Community] and combined with 32015,
Sylvia Richardson [Care Facility]. I have just combined those because the question applies to both. The third
line from the top in each business unit, “Percentage of
incidents resulting in hospitalization, significant harm or
injury to the elder (includes errors, falls and omissions),” the target outcome for 2023/24 for Lefroy
House is 10 per cent, and Sylvia Richardson is 5 per
cent.
Can the Jun ior Minister tell us the number of
occurrences of hospitalisations due to falls and so on (what I have mentioned) in each facility during the last fiscal year? What is that number? So we can put these
percentages into perspective.
Thank you, Madam Chairman. That is it for
now.

Thank you.
Senator Wight.

Sen. John Wight: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
When looking at the Health Ministry’s budget
for the forthcoming year, in fact every Ministry that we
review, we always discuss the budget for the coming
year versus the budget for the past year. What I often
like to do is to review what actually took place in the
past year, because I think that is a better indication really of what the budget should be for the forthcoming
year rather than what the budget was prepared as over
a year ago.
So on page B -148, when I look at the current
expenditures for the coming year of $199 million, I note that this is about $14 million less than the current year,
in fact, if I go to the prior year that is again about $14 million less than the forthcoming year. So that got me
thinking. That is an unusual situation to be in, because
we would expect expenditures for the forthcoming year
to be probably more so, not less, than the past years.
So doing a little bit of di gging, I reviewed page
B-166, which actually refers to the patient subsidies
that come out of the Ministry of Health. And, Madam
Chairman, this refers to those in our community less
fortunate than we are, the indigent, the aged, the youth
for both inpatient subsidies and outpatient subsidies.


Bermuda Senate And by reviewing the actual figures paid out in the current year versus what we expect to pay out to all of
these individuals in the forthcoming year, there is an
$11 million shortfall, or decrease, which strikes me as
being really unusual.
We heard from the Junior Minister in her brief
discussion on the community health expenditures that they expect the medical supplies to be more expensive
in the coming year. So why would Government expect
payments for the indigent, the aged and the youth for
both inpatient and outpatient for the forthcoming year
to be $11 million less than the current year? So that is
my first question, Madam Chairman.
My second question which relates to the hospitals is last week we were presented with the audited
financial statements for the hospital for the March 31,
2018 year. And when I reviewed those financial statements, I saw that they were actually signed off by the
Auditor General in March of 2021. So my question to
Government is, Why did t hey wait two years to present
those financial statements to these Chambers? We
know that the hospital is a contentious and a very concerning facility in our community.
So first question is, Why did it take two years
for those audited financial statements that were prepared and ready for presentation two years ago to be
presented? And my follow -up question is, If we know
that those 2018 financial statements were ready, are
the March 31, 2019, financial statements or any more
recent year, have those been audited in their entirety by the Auditor General? And if so, why have they not been presented to these Chambers?
So, Madam Chairman, those are my questions.
Thank you.

Thank you, Madam
Chairman.
I did want to follow up on the questions of staffing. It is probably related. At page B -157, Head 22, I
see that the total number of budgeted staff, full -time
equivalents, is 290 which although only plus -five, or
2 per cent, from the last year’s budget is in fact 50- plus
people. Frankly, I find it unlikely that these will manage
to be higher, and I would like to understand the specific
plans to do that successfully. That is one question.
Mada m Chairman, also on page B -155, also
Head 22, in the Environmental Health, I see several ar-eas, Food & Beverage Safety, Water & Sanitary Eng.
Control (it looks like) and Housing Conditions. I assume
that is some kind of inspections. Those have been set
to zero. What can we learn about where those functions
are happening now? Or have they been ceased?
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Thank you. Would any other Senator care to speak to
these heads?
Senator Hodgson, are you in a position to address any of the questions posed?

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: I can answer as the information is received.
Just to respond to Senator Wight’s questions
concerning the hospital, I do want to make it clear that
the hospital, the details will be found under Head 24.
We are not debating Head 24 today, so I am not going to go down the hole of responding to those questions
in particular.
Senator Tucker had asked a question about
the vacant funded posts as well as the vacant unfunded
posts. And there are 54 vacant funded posts, as well as
11 vacant but unfunded posts.
And again, if you were to explore, I guess, the
increase in expenditures, if you looked at Head 24 in
the hospitals, we would be able to provide some clarity
around that. There was a question about th e professional services specific to COVID -19 and how much
are we going forward related to COVID -19? The answer is that COVID -19 funds are now under Health Disaster Coordination at $158,000. So there would be
none carried out besides, I guess, the Health Di saster
Coordinator.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam Chairman.

Yes.

Sen. Robin Tucker: Okay. So the follow -up question
is as it relates to the funded and unfunded positions. I would like to know, especially given the fact that as was
mentioned in the brief there have been some resource
issues in various areas, so I would like to know what
positions are funded and remain vacant? And if we can
get some information about the plan to source those positions, because obviously the people who have been . . . all of the hands that have been on deck during
COVID -19 and all of that, certainly there is a level of
stress and burnout and all of that. So I would like to know if more people are coming online to assist and alleviate some of that.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Thank you, Senator Tucker.
Senator Hodgson.

Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I guess along that same vein I will touch specifically on the question Senator Tucker just asked. But
356 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda Senate regarding the Mangrove Bay Clinic, there is recruitment, obviously, that will take place. And I have actually gotten a list of some of the ongoing open recruitments. So right now we are looking at one occupational thera-pist, one physiotherapist, one trainee physiotherapist, 11 nursing associates (although not to staff Mangrove
Bay in particular) and one dental hygienist. And it is
also worth noting that the sustainable way to move for-ward is essentially to rotate staff. But we will of course go through the recruitment processing efforts.
And there are some additional posts that we
will be advertising in the next few months. And those
include nutritionists and health nurses, a dental officer,
a trainee dental assistant and community health nurses as well.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam Chairman, can I ask a follow-up on that?

Please proceed.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you. Thank you to the Junior Minister for providing that information.
I guess relatedly, my question comes as it relates to rotating staff, because then does that not leave . . . if she can sort of let us know what gaps that will
leave in terms of . . . we are bringing online another
clinic. We already have a shortage of resources. So if we are rotating staff, then does that not result in gaps
and perhaps diminished service in some areas?
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Senator Hodgson, over to you.
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: What I can say as noted in
my presentation is that the Ministry is working with the
Department of Employee and Organization Develop-ment to best fill the vacancies that currently exist. The reality is that the Mangrove Bay Clinic will not be open
immediately, and we are looking at another two years.
So fortunately for us this is not an immediate problem.
But I trust that we will be able to work with the issues in order to best provide services to the wider public.
It is al so worth noting that in this next fiscal year
the department is putting a lot of emphasis toward fo-cusing on succession planning, given the fact that we
do have an ageing workforce. And this includes the development of their current employees, which is exc iting,
you know, the opportunity to advance into leadership positions throughout the department.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam Chairman, if I may.

Please proceed.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you.
Thank you to the Junior Minister for answering
that question. I guess I should sort of anchor it to an
earlier response that was given in terms of the 54 funded but vacant positions, because, again, we have
a resource issue in our health care systems, clearly. So if the Junior Minister can speak more spec ifically to how
and what the plan is in terms of filling and sourcing those positions, I would be most grateful. Thank you.

Hi, Madam Chairman.
I would actually like to pick up Senator Wight’s
question, and I am probably going to recast it in a way that I hope you will find permissible for this debate. I
know that we have selected some heads, but I am sure
that anything that is on the Ministry overview page would be well within debate. I think we ought to be able to ask questions about anything on that page.
My question would be, given that last year they
were $9 million over budget, how should we feel that
the Ministry will magically . . . Let me rephrase that. I
am not very optimistic. I have heard things in the debate
today that make me think that the same kind of going-over-budget will not happen again. And I would like to
understand, what was the driver of that going over
budget? And what plans will there be to reduce the lik elihood of that happening in the next year? Thank you,

Thank you, Senator De Couto.
Any other?
Senator Hodgson, over to you.
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: What I will say, Madam Chairman, is that generally speaking we can all appr eciate
that the Ministry was over budget due to COVID -19 expenses. I will not go any further than that.
There were some questions about Lefroy and
Sylvia Richardson. And I can confirm that there were no falls for Lefroy House, although I do just want to c onfirm for Sylvia Richardson.
To Senator Tucker’s question about the positions that are vacant at this time, I think it is worth noting that we actually have relief community health nurses, as well as service providers who assist with the shortfall that can be experienced.

Senator Wight.
Sen. John Wight: Just a follow -up to my question before about the subsidies, I am just hearing the Junior Minister refer to COVID -19. The $11 million that I referred to as being a reduction in the forthcoming year’s subsidy relative to last year’s current was both a combination of inpatient and outpatient and indigent, aged
and youth. So the difference could not be attributable
to COVID -19 for $11 million. So I guess my concern,
my question still remains.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Thank you, Senator Wight .

B ermuda Senate [Pause]
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: To respond to Senator
Wight’s question about the revised estimate of $123
million and the difference, it is worth noting that the $123 million actually includes the supplementary $15
million of additional funding that was provided to satisfy
the Government commitment on the Bermuda Hospi-tals Board’s funding model. So there is n’t such a difference in the numbers, as indicated.
[
Pause]
Se
n. Arianna Hodgson: And just to finish on the response to Senator Tucker, there were three falls rec-orded at Sylvia Richardson Care Facility. I am working to get the information pertaining to the INCB perfor-mance measure. I have not forgotten.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam Chairman, may I ask another question?

Yes.
Se
n. Robin Tucker: Thank you.
So this question comes from page B- 150, the
subjective analysis of current account estimates, Pro-fessional Services. So the 2023/24 budget estimate is $3,401,000, representing a $4,095,000 decrease from
the original budget amount for 2022/23. Before getting
to the core of my question, I would like to give a little bit of context.
The spending trend on this line item appears
just a bit inconsistent, so I would like to get some clarity. I looked back at the budget books from 2017/18 to the
present. And in each reporting year the original budg-eted amounts are significantly lower than the actual spend. So 2022/23 is an exception because the actual spend has not been reported yet for obvious reasons. But the revised figure is there, so the trend is pretty
clear.
I initially thought that the overages may have
been due to the pandemic, which is why I looked back
at the prior books. I looked at, as I said, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 to compare. And of course the same trend persists. The original budget estimates are
significantly different from the actual.
Can the Junior Minister explain the reason that
the amounts spent in the line item are consistent and
significantly higher than the original budget estimates? I really would like to know whether the original budget request amounts are realistic, given the trend that is
observed. So that is in anticipation of any expenditure
for professional services.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Senator Hodgson, we have about eight
minutes remaining. [
Pause]
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: Madam Chairman, there
were some further questions from Senator Tucker re-garding the Professional Services line item. And the Professional Services line item essentially covers the
consultants. It will fund the universal health coverage
expenses. And if you would have noted, as you men-tioned for 2021/22, the original estimates, the prior es-timates included the contract for the pandemic re-sponse IT systems and resQwest which are not being needed after the 31
st of March.
And there was a supplemental on funding over
$3.8 million that increased that number substantially, previously.

I see Senator Tucker. There are about
five minutes.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Thank you to the Junior Minister for that answer.
Just on the back of that, I thank her for the information provided that is more current. But again, it is the trend of low budgeting and then the consistent overspend that is the broader issue. So if there could be
some response in terms of why that is. There could be some legitimate reason why. So it would just be helpful to understand so we can know what is happening even going forward as to whether there is a reason for that.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.
[
Pause]
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: What I can say, I guess,
[wearing] my Junior Minister of Finance hat is that in
this budget cycle we talked about a reset. And so a reset to realistic spending numbers, realistic ( I guess )
needs for departments. So going forward . . . I cannot
speak to what happened previously and perhaps I will
do my own digging for that understanding, but going
forward we are just looking to cover the expected needs
literally in this budget season.
Generally speaking, the reason we found ourselves overspending was, I guess, the entire experience of going through a pandemic and trying to figure out the right response to COVID -19. So as you said, it
might not be a bad particular reason that these things
occurred. But we are looking to ensure that the budget
targets that we have set are realistic for the upcoming fiscal year.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam Chairman.

Yes, Senator Tucker.
Sen. Robin Tucker: I just want to say thank you to the
Junior Minister for her response. And I just want to point out that when she does have a look, if she can look back at prior years because the question will probably
come up again.
358 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate [Laughter]

Sen. Robin Tucker: Because there is a consistent
trend. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Sen. Arianna Hodgson: I will make sure to have that
answer, Senator Tucker.
And again, just trying to confirm the answers
regarding the INCB performance measure. I do know
that typically and historically we meet the deadlines, but
I do want to confirm with the office.

Sen. Robin Tucker: Madam Chairman, can I just . . .

Absolutely, Senator Tucker. Two
minutes.
Sen. Robin Tucker: Thank you.
I just want to sort of get a little follow -up as it
relates to the INCB, just based on the Junior Minister’s response just a second ago. Because I noted that, again from the performance measures, the 2023/24
book in 2021/22 the actual outcome on that performance measure in terms of the reporting to the International Narcotics Control Board was deferred. And in 2022 the original forecast was 75 per cent and the target outcome for 2023/24 is 50 per cent. So I want to
know why the quarterly reporting was deferred in 2021/22 and also why the measure for 2023/24 was reduced from 75 [per cent] to 50 per cent?
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

We can now start with the Ministry under consideration, being the Ministry of Youth, Culture
and Sport. We are looking to have presented Head 71 found on page B -238 regarding the Ministry of Youth,
Culture and Sport Headquarters; and Head 20 on page
B-241 regarding Youth, Sport and Recreation.
So the time right now is 12:10 on the clock in
the Chamber.

The Clerk: The correct time is 12:06.

Thank you, 12:06 is the correct time.
So we will go until 12:30 and then recess until
two o’clock. The number of hours allocated to these
heads is two. The Senator or in this case the Minister
in charge is Minister Darrell.
So, Minister, how would you wish to proceed?

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, thank you.
I move that the Committee now do take under
consideration Head 71, the Ministry of Youth, Culture
and Sport Headquarters; as well as Head 20, Youth,
Sport and Recreation.

Thank you, Minister. Please proceed.

MINISTRY OF YOUTH, CULTURE
AND SPORT
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, I am
pleased to present the financial year 2023/24 estimates of revenue and expenditure for the Ministry of Youth,
Culture and Sport, which can be found starting on page
B-237 of the Estimates Book. Mr. Chairman, I will briefly


Bermuda Senate discuss this M inistry as a whole, following with information for Head 71, the Ministry Headquarters, and
then detail the departments that fall under the Ministry,
which are Head 20, the Department of Youth, Sport and
Recreation, as well as Head 52, the Department of Cul-ture.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Ministry of
Youth, Culture and Sport is To develop and celebrate
our people. I truly believe that the uniqueness of our
people and our culture is the country’s greatest asset. Our values, our strength and our resilience are every-thing that make Bermuda the incredible country that it
is today. And our Ministry is committed to developing
and celebrating our people.
Mr. Chairman, before I get into the details of
the budget, I want to share with the Senate some of the
success of 2022 for my Ministry. The launch of the Na-tional Sports Policy, which was a 2021 Throne Speech
commitment , provides a roadmap for this Government
to raise the value of sport in Bermuda and to increase
participation and regional success over the next five
years. The policy outlines steps needed to create an
environment supporting consistent excellence in sport and underscoring the central role of sport in our society.
The Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation are
primarily responsible for the impl ementation of the policy and will work collaboratively with the National Sports Governing Bodies and other stakeholders.
Looking back on the last year, Mr. Chairman, I
also wish to highlight the very welcome return of the
Bermuda Day Heritage Day Parade in its regular format. As you know, Mr. Chairman, the first Bermuda Day
Parade was held in 1979. And it was design ated specifically to unite the community , and it remains an integral celebration of the Island and its people. The Bermuda Day festivities are a vibrant celebration winding
through Hamilton full of music, culture and a patriotic
pride. Showcasing culture at its very best, the parade
features dance groups , bands, majorettes, decorated
floats and Gombey troupes .
Mr. Chairman, w hile the traditional floats
harken back to the Easter Parade using natural materi-als, the new categories have been introduced to highlight modern art and the creative works of Bermu dian
float builder s. Children showcase their hours of rehearsal from dance school s. Community groups walk
alongside a banner and are cheer ed from the sidelines ,
and hundreds of people dance in the streets as Gombey rhythms carry them forward united as Berm udians.
Truly, Mr. Chairman, Bermuda Day is a family -oriented
day, and it celebrates our Island home and the cultures
within it.
Mr. Chairman, t he Ministry continued to support the production of the Clyde Best film. The overall
aim of this initiative is t o produce a feature, a 90-minute
documentary film, on the Bermudian football legend
Clyde Best. This film will give a first -hand look at overcoming racial discrimination in sport through the lens of
a barrier -breaking player. Clyde Best [ is well] known for being the first Black role model in English football. He
is a Bermudian native who played 221 games for West
Ham United Football Club from 1968 to 1976, scoring
58 goals as a striker and in the process became one of
the trailblazing non- White footballers in the 1970s in the
UK and in the United States. Mr. Chairman, the objective of this initiative is to distribute the film on a major
worldwide streaming platform and film festival s.
Mr. Chairman, I had the opportunity to attend
the second World Anti -Doping Association ( also known
as WADA) Forum held for the Ministers responsible for
Sport in the Caribbean. It was held on the 26
th to the
27th of January in Kingston, Jamaica. Mr. Chairman, I
attended with Ms. Debbie Jones -Hunter, who is the
CEO of the Bermud a Sports Anti --Doping Authority
(also known in Bermuda as BSADA). Mr. Chairman, the
intent of the second WADA forum is to follow up on issues raised at the inaugural, which included the following:
• to clarify and define a plan of action for the advancement of strong anti -doping programmes
in the region including testing, education and
capacity building;
• to receive reports from member countries on measures that will be taken in respective countries toward strengthening their programmes;
and
• [to identify ] areas in which WADA may support
member countries.
Mr. Chairman, delegates including myself and
CEO Jo nes-Hunter were able to tour Jamaica’s Anti -
Doping Commission’s facilities including the mobile unit
that they have, which is one of a kind in the Caribbean
and the second in the world. Mr. Chairman, th is event
provided an excellent opportunity to strength en our engagement in sport with the region. The benefits of
learning more about anti -doping issues will prove critical as we continue to strive to raise the game of clean
sport.
Mr. Chairman, as you would also know, I recently returned from Argentina wher e I attended the International Cricket Council (ICC) Qualifiers held from February 25 through 28. A s you are aware, Mr. Chairman, Bermuda also has won the bid to host the ICC
2024 Men’s T20 World Cup America Qualifiers in this
year, September .
As the Gover nment’s ambassador for sports,
this travel allowed me the opportunity, along with Bermuda’s first female Director of Youth, Sport and Recre-ation, Ms. K. [Kimberly] Charryse Bean, to
• assess the regional ICC event on display;
• engage with key officials and administrators to
gain further insight into the process required to
stage an ICC event ; and
• signal to ICC executives that Bermuda is com-mitted to presenting cricket at a global ly exceptional level.
360 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Mr. Chairman, I would say that my presence at
these matches underscored Government ’s commitment to supporting the Bermuda Cricket Board in delivering a first -class final World Cup qualifying tournament
in Bermuda. Furthermore, it highlights the Ministry’s
pledge to enhance the development of sport on the Island.

Ministry Priorities for 2023/24

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, I would
like to talk about some of the Ministry’s priorities for this
upcoming fiscal year. Next year the Ministry intends to
continue to develop and celebrate our people through
a variety of initiatives. We recognise the value of sport
in our country and continue to explore avenues that will
promote Bermuda as a sporting jurisdiction.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Football Association [the BFA ] has confirmed it is set to host the
Conc acaf Nations League match that will take place
this Saturday, March 25, against Guyana at the Flora
Duffy South Field Stadium. Such international sporting
events can assist in bringing much- needed revenue to
the Island.
Mr. Chairman, as indicated earlier, the Government is supporting the Bermuda Cricket Board who are hosting the International Cricket Council (ICC) 2024
Men’s T20 World Cup America qualifier s in September.
Not only will this event bring a spotlight to Bermuda as
a locale for sports tourism, it also puts us in the running
to be considered as a first -class ICC training venue for
our partners in the Caribbean and the rest of the world.
Mr. Chairm an, it is clear from the realignment
of funds in this upcoming fiscal year that the Government is demonstrating that it values the development of
sport in Bermuda and that it values the development of
young people. Mr. Chairman, t here is increased funding for our very popular Summer Day Camp and Afterschool Programmes. T his will help in increasing the
number of available spots for young people. The Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation is also providing investment grants this year to assist young people
who wish to pursue their recreation passions in areas
including art, oration, culinary arts, science, technol-ogy, engineering and math.
Mr. Chairman, during this upcoming fiscal year
we will provide support to ensure that our athletes con-tinue to dominate on the world stage, proving that a
small population can create world- class sportsmen. In
that regard, we are offering additional assistance to our elite and high- performing athletes. Mr. Chairman, in
line with goal 2 of the Sports Policy, achieving sport ing
excellence regionally, our elite and high- performance
athletes need to be prepared for international competition, and we are pleased to be able to allocate additional funds to this important Government priority despite our challenging fiscal environment .
Mr. Chairman, goal 5 of the Sports Policy, establishing a framework for talent development , focuses on long- term athlete development, and the Department
of Youth, Sport and Recreation will be working with National Sports Governing Bodies so that athletes can
reach their full potential. The department will continue to work on their leadership in the development of their
long-term athletic development plans. The objective in
this regard, Mr. Chairman, is to educate the National
Sports Governing Bodies on the importance of longterm athletic planning and to encourage th ose organisations to think analytically about their sport and how it can be improved.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Culture has
several initiatives planned, which include the creation
of a s hort [film] series called “Gold Bermudians ,” which
will highlight the accomplishments of Bermudians who
have punched above their weight on the international
stage, partnering with the Ministry of Education to pro-vide “Tradition Bearers in Schools.” This [will be a ] programme where we will support a master artisan who
will offer workshops to primary and middle school students.

Report on the Estimates Book

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, I would
now like to draw your attention to page B -237 of the
Estimates Book where you will note that the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport budget for the financial year
2023/24 is $13,718,000. This is an increase of
$849,000, Mr. Chairman, or 7 per cent. Mr. Chairman,
page B -237 shows that the revenue estimate for the
Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport is $751,000. This
is an increase of $90,000, or 14 per cent , from the financial year 2022/23.
Mr. Chairman, page B -237 also details the current account expenditur e of departments that make up
the overall budget for the Ministry by head , as follows:
• Head 71— Ministry Headquarters, the estimate was $1,273,000, and this year it will be $1,168,000;
• Head 20— Youth Sport and Recreation,
$9,616,000. This year it will be $10,659,000;
• Head 52— Culture, $1,980,000. This year,
$1,891,000.
Mr. Chairman, the summary shows that for the
upcoming year , Youth, Sport and Recreation saw an
increase in their budget of 11 per cent, while Culture
and the Ministry Headquarters saw decreases compared to the revised budgets of 2022/23 in order to reallocate the funds to Head 20. Mr. Chairman, this reallocation shows the Government’s commitment to the
sport s and youth of our country . Enriching the lives of
the community in areas of sport and recreation will
bring people together and build unity. Sports remind us
of what connects us and enhances our cultural integrity.
Mr. Chairman, as see n on page C -20, the
grants and contributions budget across the Ministry is $4,052,000, an increase of $784, 000. The grants and


Bermuda Senate contributions for the Ministry of Youth, Culture and
Sport include [ Head 20, ] Department of Youth, Sport
and Recreation, which is $3,619,000 for the development of young persons, increased funding for elite and
high-performing athletes as well as sports development. This is an increase of $773,000, or 27 per cent.
Well, Mr. Chairman, there has been a significant increase as it relates to the Youth and Sport budget. Sport is linked to culture, as is stated in our National Sports Policy. It brings joy. It promotes health,
and it inspires national pride. This increase in realign-ment of funding is a testament to the Government’s
commitment to youth and sport s in Bermuda.
Head 52, Department of Culture, $328,000 for
community and cultural affairs . This is a decrease of
$34,000, or 9 per cent. Much of the funding was reallocated to the Youth, Recreation and Sport , as there has
been a cry in the community that not enough is being done.
Head 71, Ministry Headquarters, $105,000 to
support Parish Council commitments and to help support the Cup Match Classic .
Mr. Chairman, these grants to the community
align with our mission to develop and celebrate our
people.

HEAD 71 —MINI STRY OF YOUTH, CULTURE AND
SPORT HEADQUARTERS

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, I now turn
to the current account expenditure for Head 71, the
Ministry Headquarters.
Mr. Chairman, the financial year 2023/24 estimates of expenditure and revenue f or Head 71, the
Ministry Headquarters, are found on pages B -238 and
B-239 of the Estimates Book. Page B -238 shows that
the budget estimate for the Ministry Headquarters for fiscal year 2023/24 is $1,167,[7]14. This is $104,191,
or 8 per cent, lower than the original budget for the prior
year due to the reallocation of funds to Head 20 to
achieve some of the Ministry’s strategic goals. The
budget estimate includes $45,000 for Cup Match grants which was transferred from the Cabinet Office.
Mr. Chairman, the M inistry Headquarters comprises a single business unit, 81000, [Administration, ]
on page B -238, which supports the Minister’s Office
and the Ministry’s Centralised Compliance and Accounts functions. Th e unit consists of eight full -time employees and salaries to provide these services essen-tial to the Ministry’s operations. Mr. Chairman, the Min-istry Headquarters directs the development and implementation of policy and legislation, has overall responsibility for the management of the Ministry’s budget and
provides guidance on programming to the departments
within the Ministry.
Through its centralised account ing section, the
Ministry Headquarters provides accounting and finan-cial management services to all departments under its responsibility. The key activities of this department are to
• undertake strategic leadership of the Ministry ’s
departments;
• manage the Ministry’s accounts and ensure
compliance with Financial Instructions;
• lead and operationalise policy and legislative
developments;
• issue and manage ministerial grants aligned with the Ministry’s mission; and
• appoint and oversee five boards and nine Parish Councils.
Mr. Chairman, I now turn to the subjective analysis of the current account estimates found on page B -
239. I would like to highlight certain line items in this
section.
Salaries: The amount budgeted for salaries for
the fiscal year 2023/24 is $831,000 which represents
an increase of $15,000, or 2 per cent. The increase reflects the regrading of specific posts within the Ministry
Headquarters.
Professional services: The amount budgeted
for salaries for fiscal year 2023/24 is $117,000 which
repres ents a decrease of $155,000, or 57 per cent.
This decrease represents the reallocation of funds to
the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation in order
to enhance the financial support for young persons ,
elite and high- performing athletes , and sports dev elopment.
Grants and contributions: The amount budgeted for salaries [sic] for fiscal year 2023/24 is
$105,000 which represents an increase of $45,000, or
75 per cent. (That is not salaries; sorry.) Th is increase
reflects for the Cup Match grant which was transferred
from the Cabinet Office.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry Headquarters performance measures are listed on page B -245. O ur annual indicators reflect the administrative nature of the
Headquarters’ functions. We were able to complete one of the two compliance reviews intended for the year
and three training sessions.
Lastly, we completed 100 per cent of the ministerial policy priorities for this fiscal year, namely, in the
form of the aforementioned National Sports Policy and amendments to the Parish Councils Act.
Mr. Chairman, before closing I would like to
take this opportunity to thank the small , however immensely dedicated team at the Ministry Headquarters
for the work that they do in ensuring that the Ministry
meets its mandate. It is headed by Per manent Secretary, Ms. Marva- Jean O’Brien; supported by Comptroller, Ms. Wendy Pond Hunt ; and Policy Analyst, Ms.
Jane Brett. The Ministry Headquarters is technically supported by the Director of Culture, Dr. Kim Dismont -
Robinson; and the Director of Youth, Sport and Recreation, Ms. Kimberley Charryse Bean .
Mr. Chairman, as I look ahead we hav e much
to look forward to. A nd our Ministry will continue to do
what we can to ensure that our youth, cultur al and
362 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate sports communities are celebrated supported and uplifted. Mr. Chairman, the Ministry has a great role to
play in the fabric of Bermud ian society and the national
identity by which we will continue to develop and celebrate our people in every way that we can.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my presentation
for the fiscal year 2023/24 budgetary allocations for
Head 71, the Ministry Headquarters . And after lunch I
will move to Head 20, the Department of Youth, Sport
and Recreation.

Thank you, Minister.
Yes, for the benefit of Ministers and Senators
and the listening audience, it is now 12:30. So we will
break and reconvene again at two o’clock to complete
the remaining Head 20.
Thank you.

Proceedings in Committee suspended at 12:30 pm

Proceedings in Committee resumed at 2:00 pm
[Sen. John Wight, Chairman]

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
FOR THE YEAR 2023/24

MINISTRY OF YOUTH, CULTURE
AND SPORT

[Continuation thereof]

Good afternoon, listening audience. It
is now two o’clock. We are resuming the Ministry of
Youth, Sport and Recreation. Minister Darrell before
the lunch break had complet ed Head 71 on the Ministry
of Youth, Culture and Sport Headquarters and will now
start Head 20 on page B -241 relating to Youth, Sport
and Recreation.
So, Minister, whenever you are ready. Thank
you.
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. (Give me one second.)

[Pause]

HEAD 20 —DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH, SPORT
AND RECREATION

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, I will now
present the fiscal year 2023/24 estimates of expenditure and revenue for Head 20, the Department of
Youth, Sport and Recreation, which can be found on
pages B -241 to B -247 of the Estimates Book.
Mission Statement

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the mission statement of the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation is, To develop Youth, Sport and Recre ation
through our services and to celebrate the accomplishments of our people.

Department Objectives

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the objectives for 2023/24 are as follows:
• Provide funding and support for National
Sports Governing Bodies.
• Provide funding and support for National Youth
Organising Bodies.
• Manage and maintain government sports and
recreation facilities.
• Provide After -School Programmes for school -
age children.
• Provide Summer Day Camp Programmes for school -age children.
• Provide Out of School Programmes for school -
age children.
• Prepare and manage the budget to ensure in-tended deadlines are met.
• Meet and fulfil the objectives of the two department policies: National Youth Policy and National Sport Policy .
Mr. Chairman, th e Department of Youth, Sport
and Recreation administers nine programmes and 21
business units for which a general summary can be found on pages B -242 and B -243 of the Estimates of
Expenditure and Revenue for fiscal year 2023/24. The
budget allocation for t he Department of Youth, Sport
and Recreation in fiscal year 2023/24 is $10,658,764,
an increase of $1,042,461, or 11 per cent , as shown on
page B -243.
Mr. Chairman, I will now discuss the individual
programmes under Head 20.

Programme 2001— Administration
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the
budget allocation for business unit 30045, General Administration, is $839,429. The allocated funds provide
for the administration and operation of the Youth, Sport
and Recreation Department ’s Headquarters , which is
located in Craig Appin House situated at 8 Wesley
Street, Hamilton. In addition, the administrative section
provides administrative support for eight programmes
within the department and is responsible for monitoring
departmental spending and ensur ing that policies and
procedures are adhered to in achieving efficiency and effectiveness.

Programme 2002— Sport Development



Bermuda Senate Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the Sport
Development Programme is operated through business unit 30055. The budget all ocation is $427,975, an
increase of $9,500, or a 2 per cent increase. This increase represents the funding allocated to assist National Sports Governing Bodies [NSGBs] with the development of their long- term athletic development
plans. The NSGBs will parti cipate in workshops the department will host over the next year , the long- term development of Goal 5 of our National Sport Policy.
The residual funds in business unit 30055,
Sports Development, includes salaries at $269,975,
training, recreational services, supplies and other funds
to ensure the efficient and effective administration of
the sports programmes.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30065, Sports Investments, is dedicated to highlighting how the Ber-muda Government invests in the community through
sport . In 2022 the National Sports Policy was updated
with a five -year promise to raise the value of sport with
a new vision that “ Sport Matters .” To assist with the National Sports Policy, business unit 30065 has been allocated a total of $2,259,000, an increase of $773,000,
or 52 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, the funds in this business unit
are allocated to contributions to sports development
which are investments to the National Sports Governing Bodies. The increased funding also offers additional assistance to el ite athletes through special grants and
provides increased free access to the National Sports Centre for national athletes and teams in advance of international competition. Additionally, this unit represents funding allocated for the hosting of the ICC T2 0
World Cup Final Qualifier which will be held in Bermuda
from the 28
th of September to the 8th of October 2023,
and funding to the Bermuda Sport Anti -Doping Authority, which is a statutory authority mandated for Bermuda to be able to compete international ly.
Mr. Chairman, during fiscal year 2023/24, the
Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation intends to
continue focusing on all aspects of sporting development and to work with various government agencies to
maintain sporting and recreation facilities that fall under
the department’s remit.

Programme 2003— Sports Incentives and Awards
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the estimate for business unit 30030, Athletic Awards, is $160,000. This represents the allocated funding for the
Elite Athlete Assistance Programme and the National
Junior Sponsorships Awards Programme. The funding
will support junior athlet es with important training and
competition that will assist in developing them into elite
athletes. The investment in sport incentives and recognition is vital for the continued development of sport in Bermuda. This business unit supports the achievement
of these goals.
Programme 2004— Sports Facilities Management

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the
budget estimate for business unit 30060, Sports Facili-ties Administration, is $1,313,069. There is no change from 2022/23.
Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for business unit 30060 primarily comprises funding for the National Sports Centre [NSC]. The National Sports Centre
provides internationally certified facilities for sport training and competition, as well as a venue for recreation
and entertainment. It is an essential part of the country’s sporting infrastructure and entirely deserving of
the funding designated for it to reflect the Government’s
commitment to sport development.
Mr. Chairman, the National Sports Centre continues to have financia l concerns. Last year it was
stated that the installation of an energy -saving microgrid system would assist in the critical financial recovery of the NSC. Unfortunately, the energy project has had a number of delays and is not complete. These
delays include shipping, supplies, work permits and inclement weather. The Ministry still believes that the energy project when complete will make the NSC energy
independent and will be a great benefit in the long run. The board and management are also still committed to
correcting the audit deficiencies and are actively working with the Office of the Auditor General to do so.
Mr. Chairman, the remaining budget for the
sports facilities business unit 30060 is dedicated to salaries and wages totalling $194,269, and operational expenses.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30075, Michael
Preece Softball Diamond, is allocated $138,099. This represents an increase of $2,000, a 1 per cent increase
over the 2022/23 budget allocation. This allocation reflects the cost for industrial st aff and funds to maintain
and operate the softball park.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30080, WER Joell
Tennis Stadium, is allocated $421,477, a decrease of
$54, or less than 1 per cent, over the prior 2022/23
budget. This business unit provides funding for salaries
and wages totalling $337,177. The remainder of the
funds will be used to maintain and operate the tennis stadium.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30090, the [Bermuda] Motorsport Park, is allocated $8,000. The de-crease of $2,000 represents a reduction of 20 per cent
from the 2022/23 budget. These funds are used for in-surance, maintenance and water at the Motorsport
Park.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30390, sports
community fields, is allocated $47,000. There is no change from 2022/23. The funds for this unit are allocated for the maintenance and operation of the com-munity fields under the department's remit.

Programme 2005— Youth Development

364 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget for fiscal year 2023/24 of $415,306 is for
two of the business units under the Youth Development
Programme. Youth Development Administration, business unit 30210, has a budget allocation of $315,306 for fiscal year 2023/24. The funding for this unit provides clerical and office support, administrative gui dance and staffing for all programmes operated within
the unit.
Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget for business unit 30350, Youth Investments and Grants, is $100,000. These investments are vital and provide
funding to youth service agencies working with yo ung
people. In addition to these investments, Mr. Chairman,
the programme is responsible for overseeing and execution of the National Youth Policy. The working group
of the policy have just completed its first year of imple-mentation of the eight policy goa ls focusing on developing and empowering Bermuda’s youth. The working
group consists of officers from the Department of
Youth, Sport and Recreation, representatives from the Bermuda Youth Parliament and other organisations
with a focus on young people.

Programme 2006—Community Centres
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the
budget allocation for three community centres fall un-der this department’s remit, and it is $1,394,577, a
$53,276 decrease, or 4 per cent, over the prior 2022/23
budget. The decr ease represents a realignment of
funds to assist with other programmes in the department.
The Community Centres’ full -time employee
count is 18 for fiscal year 2023/24. These staff facilitate
a wide range of programming for seniors, adults and
children, providing engagement and participation opportunities for families while promoting the philosophy
for the department’s mission.
The Eastern Zone Community Centre has a
budget allocation of $447,179. The Sammy Wilson
Central Zone [Community] Centre has $517, 354, and
the Western Zone Community Centre had $430,044.
Mr. Chairman, the three community centres
provide safe, structured programmes with trained staff
and the opportunity to build positive and lasting relationships. The community centres’ programming wi ll
provide a wide range of sports, recreational and social
experiences year -round that reflect the needs and interests of the community. We will encourage community participation in positive programming that offers the
community desirable and enjoyable alt ernatives. Residents and visitors of the community, both young and
old, will be provided with the opportunity to work on
special projects such as sporting events, cultural
events, recreational and educational programmes and activities, and much more in a v olunteer service role,
thus promoting civic pride and unity in the community.
Programme 2007—Camping

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the
budget allocation for the department’s Camping Pro-gramme is $940,381, a decrease of $41,199. This de-crease represents a realignment of funds to assist with
other programming in the department [as follows]:
• Darrell’s Island has been allocated $311,240 ,
a decrease of $10,382, or 3 per cent ;
• Paget Island, $261,644, a decrease of $10,182, or 4 per cent ;
• Ports Island, $106,547, a decrease of $12,399, or a 10 per cent decrease; and
• White’s Island, $89,226, an increase of
$3,618, or 4 per cent increase.
The allocat ion for the camping provides for the
staffing operation and administration and includes 10
full-time staff who maintain the facilities and marine
equipment.

Programme 2008— School Age Activities / Summer
Day Camps

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the
budget allocation for Summer Day Camps is $823,600,
an increase of $73,000, or 10 per cent. This increase
supports providing assistance with the burden on working-class parents. The funding will see an increase in
the number of obtainable placements for students in
the Summer Day Camp Programme.
Mr. Chairman, this programme supports approximately 1,500 school -aged children and is provided
in various schools throughout the Island. Approximately
130 part -time workers deliver this programme, supervised by qualified educators. There is also a special
needs programme that provides care for c hildren with
exceptionalities.
Mr. Chairman, the camps in programme 2008
for preschool -age children were created specifically for
the transition of children from pre- school to their first
year of elementary school, primary school age children and middle s chool age children.

Programme 2009— After School Programmes
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, business
unit 30125, previously After School Programme, is expanding to meet the needs of parents and guardians.
The Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation maintains its commitment to keep young people safe and
protected from harm. This cost centre has extended to
provide out -of-school programmes during the mid- term
breaks, infusing developmentally appropriate sports
and recreation activities. In suppor t of Bermuda School
Reform, safe spaces and places with experiences (i.e.,
Career Exploration) that promote healthy social, emotional and physical growth are a key focus. This unit is
slated to run a before- school programmes pilot in September 2024.


Bermuda Senate Mr. Chairman, this programme’s budget allocation provides for staffing, communications, materials
and supplies for 14 [youth] programmes. The budget
allocation for business unit 30125, Youth Programme,
for fiscal year 2023/24 is $1,470,851, an increase of $282,501, or 24 per cent. This increase supports
providing additional spaces for young people in our programmes via the afterschool and out -of-school programmes.
Mr. Chairman, currently the Youth Programme
supports approximately 450 preschool, primary and
middl e school aged children across 14 facilities, and
employs 61 seasonal workers along with two full -time
senior supervisors.

Performance Measures
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the performance measures for the Department of Youth, Sport
and Recr eation can be found on pages B -245 through
B-247.
For business unit 30030, Athletic Awards, an
average of $3,000 was awarded to each [of 17 Junior
Athletes] participating. This year saw Trey Mallory become the inaugural Flora Duffy Award recipient, and he
was awarded $10,000 toward his pursuit of excellence
in the sport of tennis.
Mr. Chairman, the Department requires all National Sporting Governing Bodies to be certified. To
date, 25 National Sports Governing Bodies are registered with the department. Thi rteen of the registered
NSGBs have received funds to assist with the development of their sports which include athlete, coaching and
administrative development.
Mr. Chairman, during the Annual Sports
Awards, which was held in -person for the first time in
two years, 30 awards were presented. It was a wonderful evening for all who attended to celebrate sports excellence with Dame Flora Duffy and Jah- Nhai Perinchief crowned Sports Persons of the Year.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30075, the WMC
Preece Softball Park. As the Island gradually returns to some resemblance of normalcy, the use of the facility
has started to increase. The softball diamond saw an average of 220 persons utilise the facility per month
during the season.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30080, WER Joell
Tennis Stadium, the average monthly use was lower, down from 300 down to 220 persons using the facility
each month. This was due to the damage of the light fixtures during the hurricanes . This forced the facility to
close early when daylight was limited and drove down
the number of participants playing tennis. The repairs
to this facility are ongoing, materials have been
sourced and the lighting project should be completed
by April of thi s year.
Mr. Chairman, for business unit 30090, as the
Island is learning to live with COVID -19, use and participation have improved at the Motorsport Park. After the restrictions were eased Island- wide, the facility
came back to life with participants enj oying its use
again.
Mr. Chairman, business units 30120, 30130,
and 30146, the Community Centres. The number of at-tendees continues to increase from the prior year, from
35,000 to 40,000. This again is due to the Island opening back up safely after the pandemic. We are pleased
with this improvement, thanks to programming enhancements, but we also recognise that it was lower
than originally forecast at 50,000. Unfortunately, this was due to the pandemic and the lockdowns and restrictions which limited the f acilities’ use at the beginning of the year. A bright highlight was that the programmes delivered, increased to 30, more than the
original target of 28.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 30125, Youth Programmes for the department, increased its average
number o f participants from the prior year despite the
pandemic. The aggressive target of 450 students was
met and rose slightly to 455. The After School Programmes and Clubs operate on the same schedules as
the public schools, and this year the introduction of th e
Out of School Programme, which ran while schools were on break, helped to ensure that working parents
had another resource for childcare.
Mr. Chairman, business units 30150, 30160,
30165, 30170, Camping Facilities, continued to see a rise in the number of campers. The programme exceeded its performance target of 1,600 [increasing] to
1,932. The camping section received increased requests for our camping facilities. As the Island opened
up entirely from the pandemic our number of users in-creased. Notably, the user -experience measures
reached 100 per cent satisfaction for 2022/23. The department is very pleased to be able to serve the country in this way, providing safe, fun and local recreation and
holidays.
Mr. Chairman, in business unit 30180, Day
Camps, there was a decrease in the camping participants from 1,600 to 1,435. This decrease was due to the number of COVID -19 cases spiking during the programme's operations. Although the target outcome was not reached, the user satisfaction was 93 per cent, with
95per cent of users saying that they are going to use
the programme again.
Mr. Chairman, from the evidence of our performance measures, the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation was able to have a successful year deliver-ing valuable well -received programmes to the community.

Year in Review

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Mr. Chairman, the National Youth Policy Working Group has completed a year. Tasked with developing a working plan to meet
the goals, they met on a monthly basis, as well as subcommitt ee meetings in between. Across government
366 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate departments, key stakeholders, third sector organisations and members of the general public have all been
engaged in research and deliberation. The first annual
report will convey the way forward.
Mr. Chairman, the youth section launched the
Out of School Programme: Summer. This specialised
programme supports the tenets of the National Youth
Policy —empowering young people to express themselves in the area of the arts, sports, environment and civic engagement. With expert facilitators, trained actors, camping leaders and sports coaches, the department is committed to ensuring that the potential of
every child can be explored through affordable experiences. The department is committed to providing quality youth programmes for preschool, primary and middle school aged children, ensuring safe and structured
recreational programmes.
Mr. Chairman, the Youth Investments and
Grants were reinstated. This year, 13 youth agencies
received investments. Government recognises that a
great deal of the work to support youth in Bermuda is
being done by private agencies. Although youth agencies solicit funding from the private sector, we believe
that Government has a very important role in standing
in the gap. There were three new organisations on-boarded in the area of sport, civic engagement, and
physical and mental health.
Mr. Chairman, in this past year the department
saw the completion and commencement of implementation of the National Sports Policy. This policy , which
is due to ru n from 2022 to 2027, promises to
1. increase participation;
2. achieve sporting excellence regionally;
3. improve access to sport ing facilities;
4. increase the value of sport; and
5. establish a framework for talent development.
The department has already started to fulfil the
objectives of this policy and looks forward to solidifying
its commitment to Bermuda sports.
Mr. Chairman, the sports section continues to
produce a monthly sports newsletter, The Competitive
Edge , to increase awareness of NSGBs’ programming,
events and performances that may not reach the main-stream media. There were many great things accom-plished by our National Sports Governing Bodies
throughout the year and were encapsulated within the
newsletter.
Mr. Chairman, we also saw the ret urn of the
Annual Sports Awards. The return of the National Junior Athlete Sponsorship Programme, which saw 10 jun-ior athletes and seven NSGBs allocated funding toward
their training and junior programming. These annual
ceremonies are aligned with the department’s mission
statement, which is To celebrate the accomplishments
of our people.
Mr. Chairman, the former Director, Mr. Norbert
Simons, attended the 49
th CARIFTA Games in Kingston, Jamaica, where he witnessed many outstanding
performances. The U20 women’s relay team of Sanaa Rae
Morris, Keturah Bulford- Trott, Shayla Cann and Caitlyn
Bobb powered their way onto the podium with a third -
place finish, setting a National Junior Record in a time
of 3:48.69.
The U17 women’s relay team also took to the
track with a medal clearly on their collective agendas.
Madisyn Bobb, S’Nya Cumberbatch, Jaeda Grant and Elise Dickinson powered the team into 2
nd place and
the silver medal at the games.
The former Director also attended the [2022]
Commonwealth Games in Birm ingham [England],
where he had a bird’s eye view to witness Jah- Nhai
Perinchief earn the triple jump bronze medal, leaping a
distance of 16.92 metres. Additionally, the Director was
proud to witness our Dame Flora Duffy secure Ber-muda a gold medal at the games. Winning the gold
medal saw Dame Flora Duffy successfully defend her
Triathlon title at the Commonwealth Games, becoming
a back -to-back champion.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the dedicated staff at the Depart-ment of Youth, Sport and Recreation led by the Director, Ms. Kimberley Charryse Bean for all of the work they do in advancing amateur sport, recreation and youth development for all, which enhances the quality
of life for residents of Bermuda. Also, it is important for
me to recognise the significant contributions made by our sportsmen and sportswomen and the pivotal role
that they play in inspiring our youth to achieve their true
potential.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the presentation
on the fiscal year 2023/ 24 budgetary allocation for
Head 20, the Department of Youth, Sport and Recrea-tion.

Before we start speaking on the heads,
I just want to recognise that we have in our Chamber
the Permanent Secretary for Youth, Culture and Sport,
Marva- Jean O’Brien, and the Director as well, Kimberly
Bean. Thank you.
So at this point, would any Senator wish to
speak on these heads?
Senator Smith, over to you.

[Committee of Supply, continuing]

Sen. Ben Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good
afternoon.
First, I would like to thank the Minister for the
brief that he just presented to us. Obviously, sport is a
very important part of my life, and I know that it is an
important part of the lives of a lot of people in Bermuda.


Bermuda Senate I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the
new Director on her appointment. I have worked with
her for several years in her other capacity, and I know
that she will do an amazing job in this role. So congratulations to her.
I would like to start off by saying that I appreciate the time that I have had to communicate with the new Minister on the policy and on the things that both
of us agree on that need to happen going forward to
continue to encourage sport to be a priority for every
government. I think it is important that we realise as a
community what sport can do for our community. I think
that what you see in this year’s budget is the start of
moving toward giving more funds toward sport . And I
believe that some of that has been the catalyst of Flora Duffy winning a gold medal. And it starts to get people
excited about what the possibility is. You have to have somebody be a trailblazer in order for others to follow
that path.
Bermuda has had a long history of athletes
who have been able to blaze that trail. The Minister
spoke earlier today about Clyde Best and what that
meant. And we had an opportunity to talk about what
that documentary will mean to our community. And I
think it is impor tant that we continue to highlight the athletes and the trailblazers for our country who become
the example for our youth to follow. Many times we see
the headlines of the negative things that happen with our youth. But it is more important for us to celebrate all
of the positive things that our young people are doing.
And it is this department that spends a lot of time and energy making sure that these athletes and our young
people are supported.
So those are my opening remarks before I ask
some questions on the heads so that we can get into
the details of where we are now and where I hope we
will go as we continue to try to get more support for this department.
So, Mr. Chairman, I am going to start on page
B-242. The Minister said that there was . . . I think it is
[cost centre] 30030, Athletic Awards. He said it was $160,000 that has been put forward for training and
competition for athletes. If the Minister can give us a
breakdown of the number of athletes that we would be talking about in this particul ar area and the average
amount that would be given to these athletes toward
training and competition.
I will say as somebody who deals with the administration side of traveling with teams for both training and competition, it has become more and more ex-pensive for you to be able to take a team away, even if
it is just a couple of individuals. Getting off Bermuda is
expensive with the airfare, and then you have to accommodate and feed, and renting facilities. There is a
lot of cost that goes into getting a performance from
athletes. And that is the reason why it is important that we continue to see an increase in the funding. But we
have just really started to scratch the surface of what the needs are. And those are what I am hoping to be able to point out t oday.
So on [business unit] 30065, Sports Investment, the Minister laid out in his brief that this is where
we would see the major increase of $774,000. And in this area, you will have the funding that goes into the
National Sports Governing Bodies in ord er for them to
be able to fund the athletes for the upcoming year.
When you look at the breakdown in the book, they are
actually going to show you the breakdown from a past
year. I believe it is 2021/22. So if the Minister can give us a breakdown of what w e should be looking for in this
upcoming year. Who will be getting the grants? And
what can we expect out of the sports that are receiving
these grants?
The reason I bring that up, Mr. Chairman, is
that I think it is important that we look at the structure of each sport. We see what the support system is that is
put around our athletes for them to be able to perform.
And then are they actually achieving the results that
were expected when the funding was given?
As we get to the part at the end of this year, as
the Minister had pointed out we have awards that we
give out. And you would have heard me ask a couple
of days ago whether we are just going to be giving a
certificate or whether there was going to be funding that
was attached to it. And I wi ll continue to drive that message. Because I know how expensive it is for our ath-letes to train and to perform. The part that is important
is that I am not sure that everybody else always understands all of the things that go into achieving a performance f rom an athlete. Everybody in Bermuda was really excited at the end of that long journey when Dame
Flora Duffy was able to achieve that gold medal. But
that journey started in Bermuda when she was a young
girl, and that support system that was people suppor t,
coaches, officials, people who are helping her along the
way. But there was a lot of monetary support that had
to happen in that journey for her to get there.
And in order for us to be able to produce another Flora Duffy in the future, we have to under stand
what the cost is to get them on that journey and under-stand that Bermuda is a more expensive place than anywhere on the planet. So when you look at the overall
funding that this particular Ministry is getting compared to the result that we are expect ing, even though there
is an increase, it actually does not match what we are
hoping for.
When you realise that we are spending significantly more money on our prisoners than we are on de-veloping our young positive athletes, you will realise we
are actual ly putting our money in the wrong spot. If we
spent more money, more support at the beginning ages where we could develop the positive behaviour that I
believe everybody in this Chamber would like to see,
maybe the result at the end of the day would be mor e
Flora Duffys and fewer people who are locked up in our prison facilities.
368 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate So, Mr. Chairman, there a very specific issue
here when the Minister started to talk about the National Sports Centre. So this is under . . . I believe it is
cost centre 30060. No. Under Sports Facilities, yes, business unit 30060. And he said the National Sports Centre and mentioned that it is an internationally certified facility.
So I have some significant questions on this
particular area, starting with, Can the Minister provi de
us the details of the new trustees of that facility? In the
past we would have known that several of the trustees stepped down because of the project that the Minister
mentioned when there was an issue with how the loan
was brought about in order to get the solar panel system brought online. The Minister has now stated to us that the deadline for when that solar panel project
should have been completed has passed. Would he be able to tell us what the deadline was and what the new
expected completion date would be? Could he give us
the amount of money that we have lost in that period
where we should have been looking for revenue or at least savings in the period while the project has continued to be well over -date? What is the estimated recovery for the power bill?
Mr. Chairman, can the Minister give us a breakdown of what the actual energy bill is for the National Sports Centre? And if possible, is able to give us what
the separate cost is for powering the pool at the Na-tional Sports Centre compared to the rest of the facility?
Obviously I am speaking specifically to that area, which
I happen to have expertise in when it comes to the pool facility. The Minister and I have had several conversations on this particular issue. Heating and cooling a facility of that size has an extreme cost to it. You also
have to circulate the water, and you have to put chemicals in that water. The question becomes, Do we have enough users to be able to cover the cost of a facility of that size considering the size of our popul ation has continued to dwindle? So, can the Minister give us an idea of the revenue that is coming in for the pool, and then
be able to compare that with the cost of running that
pool facility? When the pool was built there was a
changing room facility that was built that was supposed to be temporary because originally the next phase of the project was supposed to have a purpose- built building, a very large building that has not happened. So can
the Minister let us know what the expected life expectancy was of that changing room facility, whether that
changing room facility has now gone past its lifespan and what is the plan for how that will be replaced in the future if that is what needs to happen?
One of the biggest issues that we have in Bermuda is that we build facilities, but we do not tend to do
the maintenance that needs to happen in order for that
facility to stay at the level that it needs to operate. So
these questions are specific to how we are progressing that in this major facility that we have. At the facility we
will have several diving boards that are used for the div-ing portion of the sport. So I am going to ask the Minis-ter whether he is able to provide for us how many diving
boards there are. What was the life expectancy of those
diving boards? And what is the usage? Because I think
Mr. Chairman mentioned it in another debate about value for money . So at some point you have to ask
yourselves, Are we putting money into something that
is not giving us a full return?
The heating of the pool i n the wintertime is significant. What happens is as you are heating that pool, with cold air you are evaporating. That evaporation is literally money that we are sending up into the atmosphere. My question is, Why is it that we have bought
covers for that facility and we have never used them?
Would it not make more sense for us to find an engineer who can figure out how to put the covers on, to keep
them on in that windy site so that we could save the money from that evaporation? I know from running a
facility that the savings are significant. And it would
have been a much easier and cheaper deal than having
to go out and get solar panels to get (I am going to say)
roughly the same amount of savings. So it would be
important to find out whether the Minister has had an
opportunity to look into that detail, whether he has been given a reason why that has not happened. And at this
point have we had covers that have been sitting there
from the first day that the pool opened that are now not at the level that they should be for us to even use, which
would mean we would have to now purchase more.
Mr. Chairman, I have a couple of questions under programme 2004, still under this Sports Facilities
section. The tennis stadium. If the Minister can let us
know . . . I ha d a conversation last year with the previous Minister, and I brought it up in the debate that there
was the potential for bringing international tennis
matches in if we had added a couple of tennis courts.
Would the Minister let me know whether there have
been follow -up conversations with the Tennis Association about adding that and getting this opportunity to have further tennis tournaments come to Bermuda,
which obviously would be a sports tourism option that I
think everybody would agree would be a good idea for
us to try to bring more revenue in to pay for our sports
facility?

Okay. Thank you.
Sen. Ben Smith: No problem.
I have asked this question for several years
now. I do not know where to ask it. The question is, the
Government purchased the Sandys 360 facility. It was
supposed to be transferred to Sports. It has not been
transferred to Sports. It is a sports facility. It is one of


Bermuda Senate the initiatives of the new policy that there will be further
sports facilities. When can we expect it to be transferred? Is it operational? What is the amount of money
that is outstanding for that facility? And if it is not going
to be opened as a sports facility in the future, it would be great for the community to get an update on it.
I specifically bring that up because that facility
is in the western end of the Island. And I note that under the Community Centres, the facility in the western end
has a reduction of $53,000. I was wondering if the Minister can let us know whether that will have any impact on the services that are available considering that last
year that facility cost more than the eastern zone community centre. I know the Minister in his brief said that
it was reallocated funds. I am just wondering if that re-allocation will now have an impact on this community
centre that would be important to the community in the western end of the Island.
Mr. Chair man, there was also quite a long discussion about moving the Bermuda School Sports Fed-eration from Education to Sports. I bring that up be-cause the Minister also is a spokesperson for Education, so he would be the perfect person to be able to
give me an answer on whether that is still something
that has the potential of happening. And if it is, when will it happen? Because I think it would be important for
us as we are moving toward more focus on supporting
our sports that we have synergy between what is ha ppening in our schools and what is happening in the rest
of the sports community. Most of us grew up in Bermuda where sports in school was the priority. It was the big deal that happened. And I think all of us will speak
of it with pride.
As we are trying to have a healthier population,
which means that we would want to have our young
people exercising, participating in sports, let us figure
out a way to pull those two things together so that we can continue the priority — which I agree with —that the
Government is moving toward in this area. In any way that I can support making that happen, I will continue to
push that particular agenda.
I think at this time I will give the Minister an opportunity to answer some of the questions that I have
given. I have ot hers, but I will give him some opportunity to answer.

Thank you, Senator Smith.
Minister, over to you.

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That was a mouthful, and I expected nothing less
from the national swim coach in another capacity. I am
sure he has the answers to a lot of these questions already. But I will do my best to work through them, Mr.
Chairman.
So for question number 1, Senator Smith
asked about the breakdown for training and competi-tion, the $160,000 breakdown. So what we do not do at
the beginning of a budget year is give a breakdown or average. The Bermuda Olympic Association [BOA] actually deals wi th the elite athlete distribution. And it is
dependent on the athlete category and the number of events on the individual athlete’s calendar. So for the
elite athletes, the Bermuda Olympic Association has a matrix that they work out. I think there is a Cat egory A,
a Category B and a Category C. And based on whether
the athlete actually fits into those categories, it is based
on what the BOA actually gives.
I will get back to that in just a minute. I have got
some more to add on to that.
Question 2, the question was about sports investment under [cost centre] 30065. We see an increase, and that is the intent of the department, to increase our funding and investment in sport. Senator
Smith has asked for a breakdown. He has asked, Who
will get grants and what is the expectation from those who are receiving sports grants? So the investment is
based on performance. With previous years’ allocated
funding, long gone are the days where funding was provided to NSGBs without a return on investment. So for
2023/24, we actually are in the process of looking at
these allocations, and the funding will be finalised next
week.
All of the NSGBs are required to send in a report to the department. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sports officers who admini strate and
monitor this , Senior Sports Manager, Mr. Jekon Edness, as well as Mr. Maceo Dill. Anybody who works the National Sports Governing Bodies will be familiar
with these two gentlemen and the work that they do to
basically look over the NSGBs, all 25 of them, to make
sure that they are compliant with the criteria of the National Sports Governing Bodies.
So as was mentioned a moment ago, what do
we do as far as, what is the expectation? The expecta-tion is that if you are receiving this grant, then you are
able to show how you have invested that money, what you have used it for. And a lot of that also is like, do you
have youth programmes? There is a whole expectation
that comes with these grants and being part of the National Sports Governing Bodies.
Also, we go back to the breakdown of funding.
For the National Junior Sponsorship, also under [cost
centre] 30030, we currently have sent out the applica-tions to the National Sports Governing Bodies for those
fundings.
So it is very important —I would like to point this
out here and kind of use it as giving my answers —to
give a public service announcement to these National
Sports Governing Bodies that it is very important that
you stay in touch with the sports officers. When they
send out information, make sure you are getting it. Because there have been some unfortunate situations
where National Sports Governing Bodies have not kept
up with their administration. They have not met deadlines. And it puts sometimes the sporting organisations
in a difficult sit uation if we have had to allocate that
370 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate funding elsewhere. I mean, if we are waiting for an application and it does not come . . . we are not going to
hold onto money, we give it to an organisation.
And I would also say there have been some
National Sports Governing Bodies that have been allocated a certain amount of funds. For whatever reason
in their organisation, they did not use it and they did
return it. So that does happen from time to time.
There were some extensive questions regarding the National Sports Centre. And I would first like to
say that anybody who has been using the National
Sports Centre for the last couple of months will know
that especially on the western side, the parking has
dwindled down quite a bit because we are putting up
the car port.
So that is what it is. I know we always refer to
it as an energy project. But a lot of people say, Well, we don’t understand what that facility or what that structure
that is going up is. So what it is, it is a very unique and
space- saving way to ac tually put up solar panels. And
it is going to be a carport, so we are not going to be
losing any parking spaces once it is completed. But we
put it up. The solar panels are on the top. If you take a
drive by Roberts Avenue today or any time soon, you
will see that. I think the majority of the panels have now
been put in place, and the next step is to actually run
the trenches to run the connections. So that is what it
actually is. As mentioned in the brief, it is anticipated that a majority, if not all, of the energy coming from the
National Sports Centre will be generated from those so-lar panels once it is all set up and connected, and all necessary provisions have been put in place.
One of the questions wa s to provide the details
of the new boards of trustees. Now I can tell you that I cannot speak to the thoughts of any previous board
members befor e I actually was on the board. Most people would know that I was the Chair last year. But be-fore that is when the energy project was discussed and
decided upon. So unfortunately I cannot speak to or answer what the thoughts of any former members of any
former boards on the NSC [National Sports Centre]
would be. But I can happily, Mr. Chairman, talk about
the new members of this National Sports Centre Board
of Trustees.
I would like to commend those who have recently left the board for other reasons. And that would
be myself who had to leave, and a young lady by the
name of Ms. Ojeda Smith. Ms. Ojeda Smith is a young
lawyer who is doing very well in her professional career.
She is a fitness guru, I would call her, and she did good work while she was a member of the board of trustees.
And due to work commitments that she has had to step
away. So I can tell you that the two resignations that we
did see are on the immediate past board had nothing to
do with any controversy, Mr. Chairman.
I am happy to announce today, and most people would have seen it gazetted, that about a week ago the new Chairman of the National Sports Centre is a
former track star himself, now a regulator at one of the local companies, a young man by the name of Mr. Taijuan Talbot. He has previously been on the board, but
he has now accepted the role of chairman. Mr. Wayne
Dill remains on the board of the National Sports Centre
Board of Trustees, as well as Mr. Leon Bascome remains on the board.
Now Mr. Leon Bascome, I would like to publicly
thank him. From the time of October to just recently last week, Mr. Leon Bascome, who was previously the Deputy Chair of the Board —and he will stay as Deputy
Chair. But Mr. Leon Bascome for almost six months
stepped into the role that I know was a very, very difficult, difficult time for him in his professional and personal life. And he stepped in to assist with the leading
the Board of Trustees at the Nationa l Sports Centre. So
I want to publicly today thank Mr. Leon Bascome for his service in stepping into that role to lead the Board of Trustees and the running of the National Sports Centre.
Mr. Mark Steede, most people would know him
in his capacity as the President of the Devonshire Rec-reation Club. He also has an affiliation . . . I think on the
management of the Bermuda Football Association. Mr. Mark Steede also won a triple crown many years ago
with Devonshire Cougars. So I want to thank Mr. Mark
Steede for continuing his time on the board and his service to the National Sports Centre.
As well as Ms. Vanessa Turner. Ms. Vanessa
Turner is the mother of an up- and-budding track star.
(Her name escapes me right now. I will just call her Ms.
Turner.) Arima Turner, who is going to be representing
Bermuda at the CARIFTA Games in the Bahamas this
year. She is overseas, and she is an amazing track
star. So, Ms. [Vanessa] Turner, I want to say thank you for your expertise on the board.
But, Mr. Chairman, as the Senator asked . . . I
am glad he asked about this board because I want to
publicly welcome two of the newest members of the
NSC. Mr. Grant Hopkins comes with a very extensive
financial background in another place of his professional life. And he is going to come onto the board of
the NSC and assist with the management of how we increase revenues and how we deal with a lot of the
business end stuff. So thank you to Mr. Grant Hopkins
for accepting the role to come on as a trustee of the
National Sports Centre.
And of course, the final name of one of the
newest board members of the NSC is Mr. Jon Beard.
Anybody who has been connected with sports over the
last (I would say) 30- plus years would know that Mr.
Beard has a great passion for sports in this country. He
has previously served on the board before my time.
And in his new -found life he has a little bit more time.
And I did ask Mr. Beard if he would come and lend his expertise to this National Sports Centre Board of Trustees, and he has accepted.
So I want to thank . . . once again I will repeat
their names. The Chair of the Board, Mr. Taijuan Talbot; Mr. Wayne Dill; Grant Hopkins; Jonathan Beard;
Leon Bascome; Mark Steede; and Vanessa Turner for

B ermuda Senate their service to the National Sports Centre, which as we
did s ay in the brief, always has its difficulty in being on
that board. They have to balance the National Sports
Governing Bodies that always are looking for usage
and increased usage of that. They have to balance the
issues as the National Swim Coach did point out with
the Aquatic Centre. The Aquatic Centre is a beautiful
facility. But it does (and I will get into that in a minute)
cost quite a bit to run such a facility, as well as the
hockey teams and everyone else.
So that is a facility as we did say in the brief
that is very near and dear to Bermuda. But we have to
come up with unique ways to balance how we increase
the revenues and how we cut back on some of the expenses in what is, as would have been pointed out by
some, becoming an ageing facility. So the department
along with the connections of the trustees, as well as
the users all are working together to figure out how we
best utilise the National Sports Centre and run it on a
daily basis.
So thank you. Thank you, Senator Smith, for
asking those very important questions about who the
board members are and how they go about their duties
and responsibilities for running the National Sports
Centre. We really do appreciate your asking so I can
take time to highlight those individuals, Senator. So,
thank you. I do appreciate that. Yes.
So, on to some of the other questions. I know
that there was a lot about the National Sports Centre.
And yes, I did mention in the brief that the energy project at the national stadium is running behind. I mean,
we did have a pandemic. It was a pandemic that is still
technically going on. And I will tell you that this pandemic caused a lot of things around this country to slow
down, construction projects and the like. So, while the
time that we would have liked this solar project to be up
and running has passed, I can assure you that it will be
up and running shortly.
I know I would like to give a shout-o ut now to
Earl Basden from islandstats.com . I was in an interview
with him last week. He had very interesting drone footage of the project. And anyone could look at that and
see that the project is coming along ni cely. And it is
something that I think Bermudians will be definitely
proud of. And as I said in the brief, the savings on that
project will be immense. I am hearing . . . and I am no
solar expert. But I am hearing that we are looking to
cover the cost with t his project.
So, yes. And I do have confirmation that all solar panels have been installed. As I mentioned, the next
phase is trenching to lay some cables, to connect the
electrical rooms for the grandstand. And then, you
know, you have got to dig some other trenches to connect the south fields. And yes, unfortunately as everyone would know, due to this delay the board has been
faced with some bills of the Aquatic Centre. I mean, it
is very important, the Aquatic Centre, because think:
The Aquatic Centre hosts our national swim meets.
Many of the swim clubs use the Aquatic Centre. But yes, the bill for that Aquatic Centre is climbing because
we are a little behind on the completion of this energy project.
But to answer your question, we have not lost
any money on the project itself. We have not. And the
energy bill for the National Sports Centre is very steep.
It is a yearly bill that is very high. And I cannot wait until
this energy project comes online so we can bring that cost down.
So the energy project, as stated, will cover the
facility as a whole. And I would like to talk about the covers that were mentioned by Senator Smith. We can
go back and maybe discuss some of the intricate details of how people can save money. I mean, I wish my kids would turn the lights off more at the house. But with that said, I think that we need to focus our energies on this National Sports Centre and the solar project that is coming on, because once we have this solar project up
and running, I do not feel that the covers and getting a
proper engineer to put covers on and take them off will be an issue anymore. The energy project, the solar pro-ject will cover that. And we will not have an issue of cover.
It is thought that putting the covers on and taking them off every day, with the amount of wind that is
up there, would cause a significant number of man -
hours, which may take any savings that are made with this project and take them at a nil savings. (Give me a second. I am just looking at this.)
Okay. So there was also a question about the
National Sports Centre about the temporary building. Yes, the building was supposed to be temporary, and again this is all connected to trying to gain more reve-nues and cut down on costs. But this building is about five to six years past its useful life. And the centre core
plans were actually never moved on.
There were plans that were put in place to build
a centre core. There were plans, and I have seen them
(I think it was phase 5 they called it), which was to have a gym and some other fancy facilities. But I would say,
Mr. Chairman, that right now the Board of Trustees at
the National Sports Centre are focusing right now on, how do we get the expenditures for what we have under control and gain some revenues before we even can look at what whether we are going to phase 4 (which is the centre core and phase 5)?
I can tell you that there are individuals who are
keen to get that moving. But what has not been figured out is, How do we pay for that? Because what we will not do, Mr. Chairman (and this Government is being fiscally responsible), is to bite off more than we can chew as far as building more when right now we are not
able to effectively cover the costs of what we have.
But just in case anybody wanted to know, those
centre core plans include a basketball court, some offices, changing rooms, concessions and meeting
rooms. So when we get where we are currently under control, we will be able to move on to possibly looking
372 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate at the viability of moving into phase 4 or phase 5 of this
budget.
So back to the pool covers. Yes, I do have
some more information on the pool covers. A thorough
analysis was spearheaded by Kennon Johnson. He
was one of the architects for the project about 10 years
ago. And it was decided at that time that putting the covers on and off on a daily basis did not indicate any
significant savings. As we know, the National Sports Centre, based on its location, Mr. Chairman, is exposed to strong northerly winds. And the covers do not have the mechanism to be secured. And [with] the strength
of the winds, we would likely experience ripping on the
covers or create sail, which means the covers would be flying. And we could find ourselves in a situation where the damage from those flailing covers could cause sig-nifica nt injury.
The weight of the rollers and the covers would
possibly break the tiles. And, Mr. Chairman, I can say, and I am sure the National Swim Coach in another place, but in this case Senator Smith would agree that that is very dangerous. And it is probably a bad deci-sion.
Senator Smith asked about the diving boards.
There are about four diving boards that are at the Na-tional Sports Centre. And I want to take this time to rec-ognise Bermuda’s only Olympic diver, Ms. Katura Hor-ton-Perinchief, who has consistently decided to give
back of her talents in her diving camp that she has
every year up at the National Sports Centre. And with
the use of the four diving boards that we have, two of those diving boards are one- metre boards. And two of
those boards are three- metre boards. And Ms. Horton
as well as her team have this camp, and they are work-ing toward possibly producing another diver of her calibre so one day Bermuda can once again say that we
have another, or next Katura Horton- Perinchief to use
those diving boards at this wonderful facility.
So the current boards, as asked by Senator
Smith, are 10 years old. Yes, Mr. Chairman, 10 years
old. And no, I have not jumped off of the diving board
yet. I heard that it was supposed to be something that the Chairman or the Minister has to do. But I have not had a chance to dive off of those boards. But maybe I will be contacted by our former Olympic diver and she could show me a trick or two. But yes, those boards are
10 years old. They are due to be replaced this year.
And much to the National Swim Coach’s delight, I am sure that he would be happy to hear that the
replacement boards have already been ordered. And according to industry standards, the boards should be replaced every seven to ten years. So if we take those
industry standards, based on the window that we are
in, we are right on the back end of the life of those boards.
Yes, so I am being reminded that if I do dive,
Mr. Chairman, it has to be off of a 10- metre diving
board. Maybe the National Sports Centre could get some revenues to see the Minister dive off of a 10- metre platform.
[Laughter]
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: So I think there is some
more on the NSC. Let me just see. Changing rooms we talked about. The savings. Yes, so I think we have ex-hausted [the subject] when it comes to the pool.
And we will just get to the other questions. I
would never like to leave any questions unanswered by the good Senator.

Just as a reminder, I think the tennis
stadium was one question that he asked, whether we
would be adding any tennis tournaments —
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Absolutely. I am getting
to that right now, Mr. Chairman.
Tennis stadium. So the Senator asked about if
[we] have had any follow -up conversations about extra
courts and more tournaments. So there have been no
conversations with the Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, who regularly use the WER Joel Tennis Stadium.
And currently if you go down to the tennis stadium to-day, on day like today, you will notice that the tennis stadium, unfortunately, is underutilised in the day. And
that is why you would have seen and heard a lot of complaints coming into the department about getting
the lights up, because most people, especially who are
using that facility, are individuals who like to go down and have recreation tennis after work. So I am so glad that daylight savings time came and gave us a little bit of extra time to get the lights up. But I do not think it will be wise for us to expand the tennis stadium at this time.
However, it may not be a proper return on investment
as currently there is only one ITF tournament per year. So work is currently going on behind the scenes to en-sure that the facility increases revenue going forward.
And I would just like to highlight kind of a new
association that I expect very shortly that they may ac-tually become a National Sports Governing Body, and that is the Pickleball Association of Bermuda. And if you know anything about pickleball, I got a great education on this. Pickleball is one of the fastest -growing sports
in North America. And quietly there have been pickleball tournaments that have taken place in Bermuda. I
know that Mr. Lamb up there at Pompano has con-verted some of his courts to pickleball. I do know that
the Pomander Gate has converted many of their courts
to pickleball. And even if you would have seen a publi-cation recently, Government House (most people do
not know this) has tennis courts that have also been
converted to pickleball.
So I will tell you this. I have been invited to play
pickleball. And I know there may be some other Sena-tors in this Chamber who think they can beat me in pick-leball. But I will not play them until I get caught up to
speed.


Bermuda Senate But back to the tennis stadium, Mr. Chairman.
I am happy to report that we are actually in the process
of converting one tennis stadium, one tennis court, to a
pickleball court. And what is unique about this sport,
and we are talking about revenues here, is that we can-not find enough pickleball courts in Bermuda at this current ti me. And I have been made to understand that
many of the pickleball, or some of the pickleball enthusiasts like to play during the day. So why not use this
growing sport as an opportunity to increase revenues
at the Sports Centre?
So what we have done and are in the process
of doing, I just got a picture about two hours ago, that
the pickleball court that is being put at the government
tennis stadium is almost complete. They have put the
lines down. And out of one tennis court, you can actually convert that to four pickleball courts. And I think
pickleball, if I have this right, has four players at a time.
So if you do the math on that, we can definitely increase
revenues at the tennis facility by moving. And this is an
example of, under the leadership of our Director, Mr. Chairman, that we are being innovative with sports.
Sport matters , Mr. Chairman.
And what we see here is that, rather than let an
ageing facility just languish and people who are not using it, we have actually pivoted and we are going to put
pickleball . . . There are some tennis enthusiasts who
may not be thrilled about that. But as the Minister responsible for Sport, I think it is wise of me to see what
we can do to increase participation, which is one of the
goals of the Sports Policy, i n sports all around Bermuda. So I am happy to announce that today about
pickleball coming on board. I am sure in upcoming
weeks you will hear more about the pickleball associa-tion.
And I do not know, Mr. Chairman. Maybe we
can invite you to get involved i n this very large and exciting pickleball tournament that I think we are going to
probably have later this spring or early in the summer.

Minister, I will follow you off of the diving board first, and then to the pickleball courts —

Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: Absolutely. See? Sports
matters .
Mr. Chairman, I am going to get through these
questions. I am so glad that the Senator asked them.
And it gives me an opportunity to answer them in great
detail.
So, Mr. Chairman, Senator . . . oh, sorry. Great
news! And this has just come in. The lights for the ten-nis stadium, for those who have been asking. I am not
going to call her name, but it is one very, very popular
doctor in Bermuda has been asking me about tennis
lights for a while. And I am glad to say that, as long as
the wind is not at high levels tomorrow, the lights are due to be installed tomorrow at the tennis stadium. So
we are l ooking forward to that, and we can get back out
and start having some night tennis. Number 5, there was a question about Sandys 360. Unfortunately, and I know there has been some frustration as you
mentioned before about where this lies. But Senator
Smith will know that this Sandys 360 is a building, part
of government. And it is currently . . . Well, I am not
even sure it is part of government. But it is not under
the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport. So I do not
think in this debate it will be wise for me to mention anything about Sandys 360 because it does not come under our Ministry.

Minister, we have about eight minutes
left.
So, Senator Smith, have all of your questions
been answered, or is there a follow -up?
Sen. the Hon. Owen Dar rell: No, no. There is more
there. There are questions 5, 6, 7. Yes, I am going to
get to them all, Mr. Chairman.
There was a question also, Mr. Chairman,
about the reduction of one assistant community worker
and a decrease in salaries by $53,000. So no programmes will be affected by this, and the two remaining
assistant community workers will be spread across locations. And I just want to take this opportunity to speak
about the amazing work that is going on at these centres. I know in this particular cas e we are talking about
the West End. And the West End Community Centre, which I have had the opportunity to visit all of them. The
West End Community Centre is doing really good work
up there under the leadership of Ms. Diane DeRosa.
They do different thi ngs for the community. Recently
they had a wine night. They have had youth nights. I know coming up for the holiday, I am sure they will be
having some kite- making up there. And it is really, really impressive to see the work that goes on at these
communit y centres. And it is almost like an open- door
policy where after school, you know, more like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, how we come in and it is a
safe space for our youth. So I want to talk about that,
that we are doing great work up there.
And also at the Sammy Wilson [Community
Centre], which we know is closed right now for health
and safety reasons. But it should be open very, very
shortly within probably the next week or so. And I know that they host camps when school is out, as we said in
the brief. They have a ping- pong night with some organisations. I know there are drumming classes that
happen there. Again, there are some very prominent names in this community that have been able to be
raised and be benefited from the services of these co mmunity clubs.
And not forgetting the East End Community
Centre, which churns out the St. George's Dancerettes and other programmes. So yes, no programme has
been affected by the decrease in salaries for these
community workers.
Question 6 talked about t he Bermuda School
Sports Federation. And I have heard discussions about
374 23 March 2023 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda Senate that. It does seem to make sense. So the question was,
Does this have potential to happen? And we need synergy between schools and sports. So that is a decision
that I will take under advisement. I will sit down and we
will have a discussion with the Minister of Education because that is where it lies. But it is interesting that we
talk about synergies between education and sports.
We do know, you would have known, Senator
Smith, that there have been sports meets for the last
couple of weeks happening at the National Sports Centre and around school fields all around this country. And
I have had the opportunity to attend not many, but one
or two of these school sports. I do intend to att end the
senior inter -school sports coming up. They had to be
rescheduled. So there currently are very good synergies that take place between education and sports
when necessary. I did get a call earlier today that my alma mater, Harrington Sound Primary Sc hool, won the
inter-school sports yesterday. And if I were not here answering these questions and giving this amazing brief on sports in Bermuda, we would have been able to see those synergies and I would have attended Harrington
Sound.
So yes, there curr ently are many synergies in
sports and education. And specifically, with the BSSF
[Bermuda School Sports Federation Ltd.] we will revisit
that. And we will see if it is something that the Ministry
or the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation has the capacity to come in.
And with that, I think I have answered all of the
questions from Senator Smith. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Minister.
I think we have now only one minute.
Senator Smith, do you have any further questions? Or are you satisfied with [the answers]?

Sen. Ben Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
So two quick questions. The first one would be
if the Minister could tell us when the audited financials
for the National Sports Centre will be provided?
And the other one would be on the BSADA
[Bermuda Sport Anti -Doping Authority]. I know that
there was a strong discussion over the last year about
the potential of removing the need for sports to have
. . . we talk a lot about the performance- enhancing
drugs. But there is the illicit drug side of BSADA and
whether that is going to be something that goes forward or not, because obviously that would be a significant
difference in the funding to BSADA, because a lot of the testing is actually on the illicit side. So if the Minister
could speak on that, I think that would be helpful. Thank
you.

Thank you, Senator.
Minister, you have 45 seconds.
[Laughter and crosstalk ]
Sen. the Hon. Owen Darrell: The audited financials, I
said in the brief very clearly that we are currently working with the Auditor General to work through those to
get those financials sorted.
And I am happy to report that on the matter of
illicit drugs, I will bring a statement to this Senate
Chamber very shortly to clarify the position of the Bermuda Government when it comes to testing for illicit
drugs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.