March 8, 2024

Were you personally aware of the
contract?

Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Deputy Speaker, I have answered the question already, and I am not going to repeat what I have said on this particular matter.
This matter has been canvassed repeatedly,
and I know the Honourable Member is trying to go
somewhere. But if we want to go somewhere, we can
certainly talk about many different contracts, whether
or not it was the former Government and all the rest.
The f act is that this matter was dealt with by public officers, handled in that particular way to make sure that
the Attorney General’s Chambers has the resources
necessary to make sure it can provide advice to the
Government of Bermuda.

It says [at Standing Order
19(11)(d)], “ It shall be out of order to use offensive and
insulting . . .” It is not that one. But [Standing Order
19(11)](f) says, “ No Member shall impute improper motives to any Member of the House or indulge in personalities, except on a substantive motion moved for that
purpose. ” That is the way I understand it and what I told
you.

Mr. Premier.

Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Deputy Speaker, the contract
was handled through the traditional government contracting method that was done via contracting for legal
services. The one thing that is important to note is that I can confirm, like when I was asked this question in the
last Premier’s Question Time, that where . . . because
I saw that the OBA’s people went online and —

You don’t need any further explanation.
Hon. E. David Burt: No. I have got it.
—where the OBA’s people went online and say
that it requires the approval of the Attorney General. The Attorney General certainly recused herself from
this particular issue and it was handled by public offic-ers. Because clearly if she was involved that would
have been a conflict. That is the way it was handled. And I know the
Honourable Members want to continue to press upon
this point. But the fact remains that this was handled
through the standard processes, and those things were
done.

Thank you, Mr. [Deputy] Speaker.
Mr. [Deputy] Speaker, the Cost of Living Commission eliminated duty on 35 staple goods. The Throne Speech said that the list would be expanded
upon. Could the Honourable Premier please advise,
where does this promise stand?
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.
And I thank the Honourable Member for his question on
that matter.
It is important to note that the Cost of Living
Commission did bring forward a number of recommen-dations that we put through in this House that have reduced duty anywhere from duty on dishwashing detergent or female sanitary products, all of these matters
were rated to zero duty. I do know that we have re-ceived a preliminary report from the Cost of Living
Commission, who has met, who has produced a number of various items that will be added. Those matters
have been sent back for additional clarity.
The Honourable Attorney General, who is the
Minister responsible for consumer affairs, did update
the Cabinet on that recently. And we are expecting that
we will be bringing those matters to the House when we come back in the next session so that we can se e
further duty reductions and elimination on staple goods, fulfilling the promise that we laid out in the Throne
Speech and making sure that we continue to expand
the zero- duty rates across the country.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy
Speaker. I was not expecting to have time. So my question is very quick.
Is the Premier renewing the Middle East consultant Alexia Hefti’s one- year contract at $20,000 a
month?
Hon. E. David Burt: So I am not going to speak to what
the negotiations may be, but I think it is important to
note that the Middle East contract, as I stated, is inclusive of costs, whereas there are others that are not. So
we do not have significant additional costs. We ar e not
paying for office space. We are not paying for those other items which we have to pay for in the Brussels Office, in the [Washington,] DC Office as well. We are
going to be looking and reviewing that particular contract. And when t here is a new contract that is done, we
will certainly make sure.
But here is what I can make sure the Honourable Member is clear on. We will not stop our engagement with the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] region.
We are going to press forward with that engagement with the GCC region.
[Desk thumping]

Hon. E. David Burt: And despite whatever noise that
the Opposition wants to make, we are going to press
ahead. I know they want to make political points. I know
they want to talk about X, Y and Z and all the rest
around these particular things. But the point is the en-gagement in that region is important. It is bearing fruit.
We know that we are expecting visits from ministers this year who are coming to look at various projects here in this country. We know that we have a delegation
coming from the Emirates Family Office Association,
the MOU which was negotiated by Ms. Hefti in conjunction with the Ministry of Economy and Labour to set up
more family offices in line with the Economic Development Strategy.
Every single other Government in the world is
making sure that they are paying attention to the GCC region. Whether it is the UAE [United Arab Emirates],
whether it is Qatar, whether it is Bahrain, whether it is
Kuwait or whether it is Saudi Arabia or Oman, that is
what they are doing. And this Government will do the
same. You need to make the investment in order to en-sure that you get the return. And these things, as difficult as it may sound sometimes, cannot always be done
on the cheap. We are making the investment and we
are going to continue to make the investment.
The Opposition may make noise about it in
their election campaign. That is fine. But we are fo-cused on delivering results. We have delivered thus far.
And we are going to deliver some more.

Yes.

QUESTION 1: UPDATES TO THE BERMUDA
IMMIGRATION AND PROTECTION (PROHIBITION
OF ENTRY) ORDER —BERMUDA’S VISA
CONTROLLED NATIONALS LIST
Hon. Jarion Richardson: My apologies, Mr. Deputy
Speaker. I am sorry.
This is a question as it relates to Honourable
Minister Hayward’s Statement on the Bermuda Visa
Controlled Nationals list. I thank the Honourable Minister for his Statement.
May I read from a portion of it?

Yes. Go ahead.

Hon. Jarion Richardson: Thank you.
On page 2 the Honourable Minister outlined
the Prohibition Order of 2023, the purpose of the Pro-hibition Order, where he says, “ This Order ensures that
security and vetting takes place prior to an individual
arriving in Bermuda and that tourist visitors and
910 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly residents of Bermuda have ready access to the US, UK
and Canada through commercial air service. ” The Minister’s Statement appears to resolve a particular problem with the Order, which is that our dependence on
overseas means that they can change the circum-stances of the issuing of a visa, and that means that
Bermuda is impacted by those overseas controls.

[Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]
Hon. Jarion Richardson: There is another problem
that the Prohibition Order brings up. And that is a
chicken -and-egg scenario wherein the work permit processing and the length of time it takes can either precede or pre- date the process of getting the visa in these
countries —that is, the US, the UK or Canada. So we
have a problem in that it is very difficult oftentimes to land additional specialist labour in Bermuda due to first,
again the time it takes, and [second,] the chicken- andegg scenario where you need the work permit to get the
visa, but you need the visa to get the work permit.
So to that end, I was wondering if the Minister
was aware of these particular other problems and if he
has any plans to resolve those.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Opposition Leader.
Minister.

Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, we are well aware
of the process. What typically takes place is [where] a
work permit is submitted and the individual requires a
visa and the visa is contingent on the work permit, we
grant the work permit and then allow the person to ob-tain a visa. However, if that person does not obtain the
visa prior to arriving in Bermuda, that individual will not be landed. So we are flexible as it pertains to issuance of permits so that persons can obtain the visa to come
to Bermuda and engage in work.
But it should be also noted that there are a
number of countries that can transit through the UK
without obtaining a visa, and those individuals, on the
issuance of a permit are allowed to use that transit provision.

Okay.
Minister, that was the only question for you on
that Statement. However, your second Statement also has questions. And again, they are from the Opposition
Leader.
Opposition Leader, would you like to put your
question?

QUESTION 1: FINTECH IN BERMUDA, A YEAR IN
REVIEW

Hon. Jarion Richardson: Yes. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
My question relates to the Honourable Minister’s Statement, FinTech in Bermuda, A Year in Review. With your permission, can I read from page 1?

Yes.
Hon. Jarion Richardson: The Minister said, “These initiatives” (referring to the Digital Asset Business [Act],
or DABA, or the Innovative Insurer General Business
licence) “ have laid a solid foundation for well -regulated
companies to join and strengthen Bermuda’s FinTech ecosystem. ”
My question is to the Honourable Minister, Is
he aware of any crucial pieces missing from that foundation as it stands right now?
Actually, let me declare my interest, Mr.
Speaker. I actually work on a number of licence appli-cations that go before the Bermuda Monetary Authority
in this space.

[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Jarion Richardson: So I wanted to make sure
that everyone is well aware.
So my question relates to the missing pieces of
the framework. There are a couple of guidance notes
that are outstanding. And in fact, the Honourable Premier spoke to it during the [Budget] Debate on the Ministry of Finance, for example, being the sectori al AML risk
assessment for digital asset business. So there are still
pieces outstanding.
Would the Honourable Minister be able to outline what pieces of these foundations that he knows are
outstanding and when he intends to remediate (either
he or the Premier, I am not sure)?

Minister.

Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I believe the Opposition Leader is clear on what is outstanding because
he was able to articulate what is outstanding. But what
I would articulate is the process which we are currently
engaged in. And so there are two separate processes
going on:
1. There is ongoing consultation with the BMA [Bermuda Monetary Authority] to have a better
regulated environment and close those legislative gaps.


Bermuda House of Assembly 2. Then there is a second process that is going on
with industry stakeholders where we have had
a number of stakeholder meetings to not just
close the regulatory gaps, but also the gaps in
our ecosystem.
We will be putting together a comprehensive
FinTech Strategy Report which I will table in this House.
The report will highlight the areas in which we need to
make further progress to ensure that our ecosystem is
first class.

Go ahead.

Hon. Jarion Richardson: The Honourable Minister
said, Mr. Speaker, “ Bermuda’s FinTech vision includes
attracting top- tier companies and investors, creating
job opportunities for Bermudians . . .”. My question relates to these job opportunities for Bermudians. This sector requires a number of different kinds of people to operate in it, everything from coders to senior executives to compliance and risk professionals. So my ques-tion relates to a sta tement on page 3 where the Minister
said . . . may I read?

Minister.

[Crosstalk and laughter ]

Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, I do not have that
information readily available. I will seek to endeavour to
see how detailed I can get that information. The information is normally submitted to the Department of Statistics in occupational categories. I am not sure if it is defined by each role in terms of the way in which those
data are aggregated to put out to the public. But I will
endeavour to give a further breakdown of the occupational categories in which those individuals work.

Minister.
Hon. Jason Hayward: Mr. Speaker, we went through
the employment numbers earlier, and we recognised that we have 20 Bermudians working in the FinTech
sector under DABA and the IIGB licensed companies.
912 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly That does not comprise our entire FinTech ecosystem.
So it would be very difficult to determine whether or not
there is a direct connection between somebody taking
a coding programme in high school and then ending up
in the tech job in industry. So we do n ot have those
numbers as it pertains to direct correlation.
But what we do know is that we are building
capacity. And that is the main thing of the programme. It is not just to connect people with jobs; it is to make a
more tech- savvy ecosystem and a more tax -savvy nation. And that is what we are doing. If one comes out of
those programmes and they have increased their capacity in terms of their technological capabilities, that is
a win for the Government of Bermuda.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank
you, Minister Furbert, for your Statement this morning
to the House stating that you were going to take deci-sive action on collecting the abandoned vehicles.
My first question is, notwithstanding having
heard your Statement, How is this supposed to work? So more specifically, who should the member of the
public call if they have a particular thing? I ask because
when we were clearing out two abandoned vehicles in
my own constituency, attempts to call TCD [Transport Control Department] to get those removed, they were told there was no truck available. And you referenced
private hiring, towing companies and the Parks Department. So should the calls still go to TC D? And does
TCD have a truck, and will they be doing the moving?
Or does someone else have to do it? Thank you.

Minister.
Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: It is quite simple, Mr. Speaker.
We are just being a little more compassionate. It has
been our understanding that sometimes those vehicles
have been there for quite some time. But we are just
trying to work with individuals. As you know, as I said
in the Statement, some vehicles actually have to be removed by the owners themselves. But we just want to
give them enough time to move those vehicles. They
now have 14 days before we will actually take action.

Second question; quite right. Still
on the same area, but second question.
Again, on removal and the notice. Would it not
make more sense that if someone has abandoned a
bike, after seven days we would want to get it off of the
road rather than leaving it for another seven?

Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: Well, that is something that
yourselves would do, but we are trying to be more compassionate. We are more compassionate than the
OBA, so that is why we take 14 days.

[Laughter and desk thumping]

And third question: Does the Honourable Minister have a sense of why we are seeing the
increase in these abandoned vehicles? You mentioned
that there are now two or three calls a day. It is obvious
from just seeing around the Island there are more. Do
you have a sense of why there are more?

Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: There has been one reason,
Mr. Speaker, because the Honourable Members did
not take action between 2012 and 2017.
[Laughter and inaudible interjections ]

But on a serious note, Minister,
there are clearly more. And you have said that this morning in your Statement. My understanding, at least
again in a particular incident that I had to deal with, is
that people are driving these bikes unlicensed. And if
they get in an accident, they flee the scene and leave
the bikes. Can you speak to that?

914 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The Speaker: Minister.

Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: The Honourable Member is
speculating. There are certain actions being taken by the authorities, such as the police concerns. And I just cannot speak to that part.

Second supplementary.
And in terms of the licensing connection . . .
Sorry. I will wait until the Minister is ready. (Sorry, Minister. When you are ready. Second supplementary on
the last question, so you are almost done.)
But in terms of the abandoned vehicles, are
you finding there is an increase of these vehicles being
unlicensed vehicles rather than licensed vehicles? Are you having greater difficulty, as I understand the police
say they are, in connecting a particular abandoned vehicle with a particular person? Because there is just no
trace there anymore. Is that correct or incorrect?

Hon. Wayne L. Furbert: I am not clear on what the
Honourable Member is saying. But most abandoned
vehicles are not licensed.

I had not even had a chance to finish,
and everybody is jumping up this morning.
Premier, I will take you in your purple tie first
this morning. How is that?

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker. I appreciate that. And in the space of the purple tie, this is a strange congrats and obits for me.

Go ahead.

Hon. E. David Burt: Because I know that congrats and
obits is to ask the House to send a letter. And so what
I will ask is the House to send a letter to the Woman of the Year who has just been awarded this morning. She
is none other than Ms. Tammy Richardson- Augustus —

[Desk thumping]
Hon. E. David Burt: —someone who I do believe is the
current Deputy Chair of the Bermuda Monetary Author-ity, someone who has worked with the Government on
a number of issues, someone who is well known in the
corporate community, but also in the philanthropic and third sector . And I wanted to make sure that the House
recognised that.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day
you will see that a number of Honourable Members are donning their purple today in honour of International
Women’s Day. And certainly to the women of this Honourable Chamber, whether they be the Ministers of the
Government, whether they be the backbench of the Government, or whether they be the Members on the
Opposition benches or the ones who work inside of the
office to make sure that this place works, I wish to ex-tend a happy International Women’s Day to them and
to all of the persons in Bermuda.
And I would sincerely hope that we can send a
letter of recognition to the Woman of the Year as awarded this morning, Ms. Tammy Richardson- Augustus.
On another note, Mr. Speaker, I had the honour to attend on behalf of Bermuda the 138
th Bermuda
AME Annual Conference that took place at my home church of St. Paul AME. And I would ask if this Honourable House could send a letter of congratulations to the
Right Reverend Bishop Julius McAllister who is retiring after 30 years of pastoral serv ice. Of course he is the
Bishop for Bermuda, as Bermuda falls inside of his par-ticular district. And he served as bishop since 2008, has visited our shores on a number of occasions. And I certainly hope that we would wish him well in his endeavours as he goes forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Senior Magistrate is responsible for a number of our courts. The Senior Magistrate
is most committed to some of our treatment courts
which include and are not limited to the Drug Treatment
Court and the Mental Health Court, the Probation Court and the newly formed Juvenile Court that will come
above the parapet in the not -to-distant future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like for us to send condolences to the family of Mr. Collins Fisher. Mr. Collins
Fisher is a long- standing resident of Parsons Road, Mr.
Speaker. His family gained prominence in the 1970s
with as you know, Mr. Speaker, the Fisher case. I would
like to associate the whole House with this, specifically
the Deputy Leader. Mr. Speaker, the Fisher family
came to Bermuda, Ms. Fisher came to Bermuda, and she had four kids. And she was married, and they had
one kid with her husband. The four children who were
not of the marriage were deemed not to be Bermudian.
One day the then Minister of Immigration asked them to leave the school, and indeed because they were not
of the marriage they were asked to leave the country.
This matter in the West Indian community, specifically in the Jamaican community, caused a lot of uproar that these children of the Fisher family after they
got married were not considered children of the family and were not being given the right of Bermudian status.
Mr. Speaker, this matter was appealed twice in its civil
capacity in the Supreme Court of Bermuda. It then went to the Privy Council. The case was taken to the Privy
Council by Mr. Julian Hall.
The Fisher family at great expense . . . Mr. Collins Fisher, who financed this on behalf of his children,
and his wife, Eunice, worked three jobs seven days a
week to take this case. In our community this was a first
where a local immigrant family challenged the Bermuda
Government all the way to the Privy Council. The Fisher
family in our community, the Parsons Road community,
they are heroes. They are folk heroes in our commu-nity. They were ultimately successful in this case, and
the children lived and have had prominent roles in our
country to this date.
We weep and we mourn with the Fisher family.
We ask that the appropriate condolences be sent to the
Fisher family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I would like to start off just in the
words of Tupac,
“And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game
from a woman . . .”
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of International
Women’s Day, it has been mentioned, but I would just
like to add those few comments. We all came from a
woman, so we all should respect and recognise and, just again—

[Inaudible interjection and laughter ]

And again, Mr. Speaker, just remember that that would be your mother, your grandmother. You might have a daughter, nieces . Whoever
they are, Mr. Speaker, they are all women. And we
should all recognise them today on this International
Women’s Day.
And, Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of International
Women’s Day, I want to highlight another young
woman. Back in December we recognised this young
woman as she was a Bermudian on her college football
team that won the NCAA Championship. Well, Mr.
Speaker, f rom that, young Ms. Leilanni Nesbeth, she
had signed a contract with the Chicago Red Stars of
the National Women’s Soccer League in America. So again Bermudians! I cannot say how many other professional women football players are representing Bermuda, but I would go to say she is probably the only
one. So I would like to again congratulate her on—

[Inaudible interjections]

Thank you.
Does any other Member —
Mr. Caines, do you want to make a second
one? Oh, okay.
Minister.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, again in honour of International
Women’s Day, I would like congratulations sent to a
daughter of the soil, a constituent of mine who flies between Bermuda and the Carolinas. I believe it is North
Carolina. [Kennette Burgess] was recently named 40
Under 40, named a 40 Under 40 honouree. And this,
916 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Speaker, recipients range from CEOs to educators,
bankers, human resource professionals, community
leaders and lawyers, in every sector. But we are fortunate that a daughter of our soil was named amongst
these prestigious awards that took place a few w eeks
ago. Some of us will know Kennette’s father, who recently passed away, Kenneth “Pop” Leroy Simmons.
So he only did pass away last year. So I am sure it was
an emotional experience for her to be able to accept
this award without her dad being there, who was an inspirational influence in her life, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you very much.

Well, they might have
been from Parsons Road when they had issues with the Privy Council and the Supreme Court. But they
presently reside in Cedar Hill, Warwick, constituency
27, Mr. Speaker. And it is one of the few houses that
when I canvass we usually had a conversation about
politics and what needed to be done. And then we had
a conversation about my second- favourite place on the
planet, Jamaica. And so it was always a pleasant and
lengthy exchange, I might add, canvassing that house.
So I was quite surprised to learn of Mr. Fisher’s passing. And I offer condolences to his wife and his family.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Good morning.

FIRST READINGS

PAYROLL TAX AMENDMENT ACT 2024

GOVERNMENT LOANS AMENDMENT ACT 2024

Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Speaker, I am introducing the
following Bills for first reading, which according to section 36(3)(a)(i) of the Bermuda Constitution require the
Governor’s recommendation, so that they may be
placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meeting:
the P ayroll Tax Amendment Act 2024; and the Government Loans Amendment Act 2024.

That takes us now, Members and listening audience, to the resumption of the annual Budget
Debate. This morning the first item up will be the Ministry of Education, which will have five hours; and the remaining three hours is for the non- ministries later t oday, a total of eight hours.
As has been said before on each day, once we
go into Committee the Speaker is out of the Chamber for those eight hours. And we will be in the able hands of the Panel of Chairs led by the Deputy Speaker. And
once the Premier moves us forward, I will remove myself from the Chambers. I believe the Deputy Speaker
has the first sitting this morning.
Hon. Derrick V. Burgess, Sr.: Yes.

Honourable Members, we are now in
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25. And we will be doing [the Ministry of] Education this morning, Heads 16, 17, 18 and 41. This is a five-hour debate. And it will be headed by the Minister
of Education, the Honourable Diallo Rabain.
Minister, you have the floor.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, I move the
following heads now be taken under consideration:
• Head 16— Ministry of Education Headquarters;
• Head 17— Department of Education;
• Head 18— Libraries and Archives; and
• Head 41— Bermuda College

Continue, Minister.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased
to present the budget of the Ministry of Education which
comprises the Ministry of Education Headquarters,
Head 16; the Department of Education, Head17; the
Department of Libraries and Archives, Head 18; and
the Bermuda College Head 41.
Mr. Chairman, the 2024/25 budget for the Ministry of Education is $142,589,000 and can be found on
page B -132 of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. This represents an increase
of $2,742,000 when compared to 2023/24’s original
budget. The current account 2024/25 estimated revenue for the Ministry of Education is $262,000.
Mr. Chairman, the capital expenditure estimates for acquisitions and development increased from
$6,085,000 to $8,012,000 in 2024/25. The number of
918 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly full-time equivalents for the Ministry decreased by 23
from 1,099 to 1,076 employees.
Mr. Chairman, it may not always be apparent,
but the Ministry of Education accounts for nearly one -
quarter of government employees represented across
four union bargaining units. Recognising the significance of these unions, in particular the Bermuda Union
of Teachers [ BUT], is essential to our collective success. Our relationship has indeed faced its challenges with occasional disagreements. However, the constructive dialogue and valuable insights from our union part-ners, especially during our educational reform efforts,
are encouraging and indispensable.
Mr. Chairman, our recent presentation on education reform to the Bermuda Trade Union Congress
exemplifies our numerous steps to keep our union partners informed, engaged and actively involved. Estab-lishing regular quarterly meetings with the Bermuda
Union of Teachers, alongside bi -weekly sessions orchestrated by the Education Reform Unit [ERU], has
opened the door for meaningful discussions and ex-changing ideas. Furthermore, the Education Reform
Unit’s participation in the monthly meetings with our
principals [organised by the Commissioner of Education], including BPSU representatives in various educa-tion reform working groups and education boards, underscores our belief in collaborative approaches.
I wish to emphasise, Mr. Chairman, that education and education reform are a collective endeavour. Achieving excellence requires all stakeholders’
wisdom, experience and involvement. In this spirit I sin-cerely thank our union partners, particularly the BUT for
their commitment to challenging us and contributing to developing a superior educational system for Bermuda. Together we are making strides toward a future where
our education system reflects our community’s strength, diversity and potential.
Mr. Chairman, it is important to note as seen
on page B -132 that the revised budget for 2023/24 was
adjusted to $142.589 million, a rise primarily due to recently finalised union- negotiated pay awards. These
necessary adjustments which resulted in a $5.585 million increase from the original budget underscore our
commitment to fair compensation for our educators.
Mr. Chairman, this year we have also undertaken a comprehensive review of the past three years’
budgets to enhance our financial stewardship. This rigorous evaluation, which aims to identify and implement
spending efficiencies, ensures that every dollar r equested and allocated supports our educational mission as effectively as possible. I will discuss the outcomes of this exercise in more detail when addressing
Head 17, the Department of Education.
Mr. Chairman, some may wonder why our proposed budget for 2024/25 does not match or exceed
last year’s adjusted figure. This question is valid and important. I feel it necessary to mention this to provide
some clarity for the public and my colleagues opposite
about the reasoning behind our budgeting decisions —particularly why our proposed budget for 2024/25, although higher than last year’s initial budget, is set below
the previous year’s revised total.

HEAD 16 —MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
HEADQUARTERS

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, I commence
the Budget Debate today by detailing the expenditure for the Ministry of Education Headquarters, Head 16.
The mission of the Ministry Headquarters, which is found on page B -133, is To provide strategic leadership
and policy direction for education and lifelong learning.
The objectives of the Ministry Headquarters have been
outlined accordingly on the same page.
Mr. Chairman, the commitment to educational
transformations in the public school system remains the main priority. The Education Reform Unit, the project management office for the transformation initiative,
has grown in capacity over the last year to meet the
growing demands of our transitioning public school sys-tem. Mr. Chairman, the unit is led by Ms. Lisa DeSilva,
an educator with over 25 years of experience. Including
Ms. DeSilva, 10 Department of Education staff members are reassigned to the Education Reform Unit, and
their salary continues to be paid by the Department of Education. Therefore, over $1 million of the Education Department’s budget is directly allocated to the Education Reform Unit’s resources. There are also three local
consultants worki ng with the unit.
Mr. Chairman, the unit is fully engaged in determining the changes that are necessary
• for the classroom such as curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment;
• in our schools such as ensuring they are more
inclusive and culturally responsive, and the
learning environments are fit for 21
st century
learning; and
• in the system itself including the way it is governed and funded.
We remain steadfast in our goal of enabling
every young person to lead personally and professionally, compete locally and contribute globally.
Mr. Chairman, the workload of the unit involves
17 workstreams and working groups consisting of the
following:
1. Inclusivity and Cultural Responsiveness;
2. School Choice and Admissions;
3. School Leadership;
4. System Leadership;
5. Professional Learning and Capability Building;
6. Learning Environments (including not only the
physical space but also IT and transportation);
7. Learning Partnerships;
8. Personalised Learning;
9. Data and Metrics;
10. Resourcing and Budgeting;
11. The Education Authority;
12. Communications and Engagement;


Bermuda House of Assembly 13. School Transformation;
14. Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment,
(which include not only our Bermudian frameworks but also the design of our Signature
Learning Programmes, revision of the senior school curriculum aligned with the new graduation requirements and design of the Parish
Primary School curriculum learning experiences);
15. Future Workforce;
16. Student Services; and
17. Early Years.
Mr. Chairman, this extensive listing of working
groups provides insights on the breadth of work re-quired and undertaken for impactful education reform.
But it also indicates the extent and type of workforce
and focused efforts needed to sustainably transf orm
our schools and the Bermuda Public School System.
Mr. Chairman, in September 2022 the first two
S1 Signature Learning programmes were implemented at CedarBridge Academy offering Trades and Profes-sions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM); and at the Berkeley Institute offering Health
and S ocial Care along with Financial and Insurance
Services. These students are now in S2, with another
cohort entering in September 2023. At the same time
our first P1 and P7 students experienced the new
teaching, learning and assessment models at our first Parish Primary Schools in Warwick and Hamilton Parishes .
Mr. Chairman, as we have stated from the beginning, the journey to transform our schools is intentionally staged and phased. This means that teams are
currently working to ensure that even more children and young people of Bermuda benefit from the transformation that is underway. I ask that you and the listening public bear with me while I explain what that looks like. Mr. Chairman, in the upcoming academic
year starting September 2024, we will have students
experiencing the new models in S1, S2 and S3 at our
current Signature Schools and P1, P2, P5 and P8 at our current Parish Primary Schools.
Mr. Chairman, in September 2025 not only will
these models continue to reach even more children and young people at CedarBridge Academy, the Berkeley
Institute, Francis Patton and Purvis, but this is also the
year where the following will take place:
• The next wave of Parish Primary Schools
phase in for Smith’s Parish on the Harrington Sound site, and in Devonshire Parish on the
Elliot Primary School site.
• Our third Signature Senior School opens for S1
students on the Sandys Secondary Middle
School site, offering Hospitality and Tourism
and Education Services Signature Learning Programmes.
• The existing Signature Learning Programmes
at the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge
Academy are expanding to include Sports and Leisure Management, and Arts and Culture
strands, respectively.
Mr. Chairman, September 2025 is also the
point at which our Signature Senior Schools will be-come five- year programmes, the remaining Middle
Schools will continue to be phased out, and our noncontinuing Primary School sites will be closed or
phased out, aligned with the rescoring process that is
currently underway.
Mr. Chairman, this Ministry continues to work
with the Ministry of Public Works to develop the individ-ual site plans for the learning environments at each of
our schools in transition and the master plan for school
infrastructure development. Details of t he plan will be
finalised once the rescoring process is complete. Mr. Chairman, education reform also includes the ongoing
work to establish an Education Authority. In collabora-tion with the Attorney General’s Office, the legislation
for the Authority will be tabled in this legislative year.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry continues media
outreach to keep our stakeholders and the general public informed about the progress of education reform
through the Education Reform Unit’s public relations
strategy. Most recently we aired our Education Reform
101 series over five weeks on TV. This series delved
into the critical aspects of reshaping education in Bermuda. The key topics were Curriculum and Learning
Experiences, Teaching and Learning, Assessment,
Learning Environments and Graduation Requirements.
We will continue media outreach to focus broadly on
awareness of education reform progress as well as
specific objectives that form part of the reform process.

Programme 1601, General

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, on page B -
133 you will see that the Ministry of Education Headquarters has been allocated a budget of $7,177,000 for
the 2024/25 fiscal year. Within business unit 26000,
General Administration, $869,000 will support the operational and admini strative functions of the Ministry.
Mr. Chairman, under business unit 26140, the
total of $4,135,000 is allocated for operational expenses for the Education Reform Unit. This includes
$221,500 for general office expenses, operations and supplies, and approximately $3,910,000 for consultants
for media and other professional support services for
professional learning, meetings and events, and professional technical services required for systems and school building infrastructure changes that form part of
education reform. Of the $3,910,000, there are
$707,856 is set aside for the Innovation Unit’s consultant contract, and additional funding for anticipated consultancy for the next phases of education reform.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 26080 maintained
the same level of budgeting as last year, $630,000.
These funds are allocated for external grants and the
Bermuda College Promise merit award programme.
920 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, $1,543,000 has been set aside
for business unit 26090. This business unit manages
the administration of the Ministry’s annual Scholarships
and Awards programme. The Ministry continues to support students in their pursuit of tertiary -level education.
Mr. Chairman, these awards are in place to improve
Bermudians’ access to education and training beyond
senior school. As most of our scholarships and awards
have a financial need criterion, many recipients would
have had difficulty realising their post-secondary education goals if not for scholarship funding. Our scholarships and awards give countless opportunities to students to help them achieve academic and career success for the benefit of our economy and community.
Mr. Chairman, last year the Ministry received a
total of 638 student application submissions, which is
an increase of 187 applications compared to the 451 received in the previous year. We provided 72 scholarships and awards last year. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased
to remind you that the Ministry of Education is currently
funding students at the following programmes and in-stitutions:
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, St.
John’s University;
• Cardiff Metropolitan University;
• University of North Carolina;
• Acadia University;
• Dalhousie University;
• Diploma in Marine Engineering at the Landing School;
• Kings College;
• Liberty University;
• Xavier University;
• DeVry University;
• Virginia Commonwealth University; and many more.
Mr. Chairman, I would also like to give examples of outcomes of past recipients. The 2021 Bermuda
Government Scholarship recipient was awarded a
scholarship for $35,000 for up to four years to study law
at the University of Bristol. This student is curren tly
completing a year as an exchange student at the University of Hong Kong.
Mr. Chairman, further, the 2021 Minister’s
Achievement Scholarship recipient was awarded a
$25,000 scholarship for up to four years to study Human Resource Management at Temple University in Philadelphia. She recently graduated from her programme and is now working a full -time position in her
career field at Appleby Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, in an effort to promote greater
gender diversity in the teaching profession, the Ministry
is launching a new awards programme designed to en-courage and assist males to embark on a teaching career. Four new awards will be offered to male stud ents
pursuing teaching practicum experiences as we aim to
inspire the next generation of male educators to bring examples of more men as role models into schools for
the benefit of all students.
Mr. Chairman, on page B -134, the Subjective
Analysis of Current Account Estimates are shown for
the Ministry of Education Headquarters. Line one, Sal-aries, stands at $644,000 and shows a minimal increase of $26,000 when compared with 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, this year $44,000 has been
budgeted for transport. This is a new expenditure for
the Ministry and is for transportation for students to and
from education reform Signature Learning Pro-gramme’s Taster events where students get exposure
to det ails of all of the Signature Learning Programmes
available to them. Reserves are also budgeted for contingency programmes. For example, this year Purvis
students were transported to and from the former
Heron Bay school site to practice for Sports Day while
the Purvis school field is not fully available due to construction onsite.
Mr. Chairman, the travel expenditure line item
of $94,000 increased by $46,000 which is directly related to travel expenditure for education reform, conferences, visiting other jurisdictions that have been
through reform that have fully implemented similar programmes as Bermuda, and training. Expenditure for
grants and contributions increased by $163,000. The
full breakdown of the $2,138,000 budgeted for grants
and contributions can be found on page C -18 of the
Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, $3,685,000 has been budgeted
for professional services. This reflects a decrease of
$315,000 for consultancy services by the Education
Reform Unit. Mr. Chairman, on page B -134, the number of full -time equivalents or employees in the Ministry
of Education Headquarters remained the same as last
year at six. Mr. Chairman, finally, on page B -135 performance measures for the Ministry Headquarters are
outlined. The targeted outcomes for last year were either achieved or are in the process of being completed
by the end of March of this year.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry Team comprises
the Permanent Secretary, our Senior Policy Analyst,
the Ministry Comptroller, the Scholarships and Awards
Programme Manager, a Relief Policy Analyst, the Administrative Assistant/Accounts Officer and the Execu-tive Assistant to the Minister and Permanent Secretary.
Mr. Chairman, each team member has contributed to
the success of the Ministry’s work programmes. I sincerely thank the Ministry Headquarters team, the Edu-cation Reform Unit’s team and the working groups f or
their continued support and diligence.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This concludes my
presentation of the budget for Head 16, the Ministry of Education Headquarters, and I will now move to Head
17, the Department of Education.
Mr. Chairman, I do note the time is 12:26. And
instead of going into the next head, I would like to move
that we go to lunch.



Bermuda House of Assembly [Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Not at this point? Continue.
Okay.

HEAD 17 —DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, I now present
the budget for Head 17, the Department of Education. Under the Commissioner’s leadership, the Department
of Education is dedicated to advancing the quality of education for Bermuda public school students and families. The mission To evolve into a top- tier 21
st century
education system is complex and critical, especially as
the Department works closely with the Education Reform Unit on transformative efforts.
Mr. Chairman, as shown on page B -132, the
Department of Education has allocated $117.5 million
for the fiscal year 2024/25, an increase of $2.64 million
over last year’s budget. This increase primarily sup-ports mandated salary increases and programme enhancements.
Mr. Chairman, following up on my presentation
of the Education Ministry’s budget, I would like to highlight our proactive steps this year. As found on page B -
132, our proposed budget for 2024/25 sees an increase
of $2.64 million over the prior year’s appr oved figure.
Yet it is essential to note the context of last year’s revised budget, which at $120.4 million reflects an unplanned increase of $5.56 million due mainly to recently
concluded union- negotiated salary agreements.
Mr. Chairman, this year we have rigorously reviewed the past three years’ budgets to embrace the
zero- based budgeting approach. This deep dive revealed instances of year over year overestimation with
some allocations remaining unspent for consecutive
years. Such findings were eye- opening, underscoring
the need for a more disciplined and reflective budgeting
process. Mr. Chairman, our objective is not merely to
adjust the numbers but to fundamentally rethink how
we reallocate resources. This shift in perspective is crucial as we embark on transformative education reform.
The changes in our budget reflect a move toward more
strategic and considered expenditure, ensuring that funds directly contribute to enhancing educational outcomes.
Mr. Chairman, this budget is not just a financial
document; it is a testament to our commitment to en-suring every student has access to quality education. It
represents a thoughtful reallocation of resources, prior-itising efficiency and impact. As we proc eed, I will delve
into specific adjustments made within our business
units detailed on page B -137, illustrating our strategic
approach to funding education in these changing times.

Good afternoon, Members. We have
resumed the Budget Debate on the Ministry of Education, Head 16, 17, 18 and 41. This debate is for five
hours. And it is being led by the Honourable Minister
Rabain.
Minister Rabain, you have the floor.

Programme 1701, Central Administration

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, picking up where I left off at programme 1701, Central Administration, the upcoming
budget for business unit 27000, General Administration, will provide for the purchase of educational and office supplies needed throughout the school year. F or
the fiscal year 2024/25, expenses are planned to be re-duced by $216,000 compared to the previous year. As
mentioned, this adjustment reflects our commitment to
efficient budget management while ensuring our
schools are well -equipped with the necessary s upplies.

Programme 27001, Office of the Commissioner

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, this year the
Office of the Commissioner which includes the Commissioner of Education, the Director of Academics, the
Director of Educational Standards and Accountability (ESA) and an administrative assistant has been allocated $685,000. This marks an increase of $287,000
over last year primarily to support operational costs.
This team leads strategic planning and staff supervi-sion and supports education reform initiatives.
Mr. Chairman, additionally, the office funds a
communications consultant to enhance its engagement
with the school communities through a comprehensive
communication strategy. This includes developing strategic communication plans tailored to the needs of
922 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly every school and conducting workshops to familiarise
school leaders with these plans. Mr. Chairman, to keep
our stakeholders informed, the Department of Education distributed three newsletters: The Scoop for public
school families, BPS Matters for school staff and The
Link Express for Department of Education staff. Last
year 97 newsletters were issued providing avenues for feedback and engagement through mini -surveys and
the BPSS Family Feedback Form, which received 72 submissions.
Mr. Chairman, communications plays a crucial
role in ensuring that our messaging is coherent and
aligned with the department’s and the wider educational community’s goals. The communications consultant is a member of the Education Reform Communications an d Engagement Working Group. This helps to
ensure that the department and Education Reform Unit
[ERU] is better coordinated and aligned with the messaging sent out by the Department of Education to parents and BPSS [Bermuda Public Schools System] staff.

Human Resources

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, business unit
27030, Human Resources, has been allocated a total
of $701,000 to fund the salaries of technical and administrative staff, expenses to advertise and recruit staff,
and monies for annual long -service awards to teachers
and other employees who are members of the Bermuda Union of Teachers.

Staff Development

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, this year the
business unit 27031, Staff Development, budget has
been minimally decreased from last year to $629,000. This funding supports the salaries of four mentor teach-ers and enables a range of local training and professional development activities. These initiatives are designed to boost the skills of our educators including
teachers, support staff and Department of Education
personnel, reinforcing our commitment to continuous
professional growth across the board.
Mr. Chairman, key highlights of the professional training offered are as follows:
• Professional Development Days: These are allocated days within the school calendar dedicated for professional learning, led by the Department of Education, the Education Reform
Unit and school leaders. This collaborative effort focuses on curriculum enhanc ement, new
pedagogies and school improvement initiatives.
• Bermuda Teacher Induction Programme
(BTIP): This is a specialised programme that
lasts for two years for new Bermudian teachers, offering orientation, workshops, coaching
and in- school support led by experienced mentor teachers. • Focused Training for Early Childhood and Primary Education: This consists of ongoing training for preschool and primary school teachers
in the Creative Curriculum for Preschool and
P1 and specialised programmes like SEE -KS
and SCERTS to strengthen preschoolers’ social-emotional skills.
• Professional Development for Instructional
Team Leaders: These are regular after -school
sessions for primary and middle school subject
leaders focusing on empowerment, data understanding and leadership in professional development.
• Specialised Training Programmes: These programmes consist of the following:
o The Bermuda Maths Learning Leadership Programme, which I announced
was being implemented in last year’s
budget brief. I am pleased to report
that 15 public primary and middle
school teachers completed this programme.
o The Certificate for Intellectual Disabil-ity Aid Programme exemplifies our
commitment to specialised high- quality training that enhances educators’
skills and the educational experience
of our students. Currently, a second
cohort is working toward the compl etion of their certification.
o P1 Teacher Reading course delivered
by officers from the Department of Ed-ucation. The course was based on the science of reading, and teachers were
equipped with practical pedagogical
strategies to be readily implemented in
their classrooms.
o The Instructional Coaching Institute is
a 16- week Online Instructional Coach
course that five officers are currently
undertaking. The Instructional Coaching Institute [offers] a comprehensive foundational course that gives
coaches and administrators from s tart
to finish everything they need to know
to become successful coaching partners. It is backed by more than 20
years of research conducted by Jim Knight and researchers at the Instructional Coaching Group.
Mr. Chairman, this year’s theme, Empower,
Evolve, Excel! underscores our dedication to fostering
a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in
education through targeted professional development and training.

Educational Standards and Accountability



Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, the funds allocated to business unit 27090, Educational Standards
and Accountability, is $676,000, an increase of $31,000
over the prior year’s budget. Mr. Chairman, the Educational Standards and Accountability [ESA] unit plays a pivotal rol e in overseeing the quality and performance
of our educational institutions which include 17 primary
schools, three middle schools, two senior secondary
schools and the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy.
Mr. Chairman, the ESA team, led by an Assistant Director, focuses on enhancing leadership, teaching
quality, services and programme offerings across all
schools. The Assistant Director also supports the four
school transformation teams, continuing our commitment to elevating educational standards and accountability. Through dedicated leadership and targeted support the ESA aims to ensure that every student receives a high- quality education that prepares them for success.

Attendance

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, the budget
for the Attendance business unit, previously under
business unit 27095, has been incorporated into busi-ness unit 27090. This change supports the [salaries for]
the registration and attendance coordinator and four
school attendance officers. This dedicated team ensures daily school attendance compliance for children
of compulsory school age. The coordinator leads the
attendance officers and manages the annual school registration and transfer processes for al l public
schools.

Substitutes

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27160, Substitutes. Mr. Chairman, substitute teachers are essential to maintain educational continuity at our schools.
They step in when regular teachers are unavailable due
to illness or leave. In the past year a specialised group
of substi tutes supported our schools, especially during
the critical phases of school transformation and rede-sign activities at CedarBridge Academy, the Berkeley Institute, Francis Patton Primary and Purvis Primary.
Mr. Chairman, for the upcoming fiscal year
2024/25, we have adjusted our strategy to have staff involved in School Transformation Teams [STTs] complete their tasks after school hours. This shift aims to
lessen daily teaching and learning disruption, thereby reducing our reliance on substitute teachers. Consequently, the substitute budget (business unit 27160)
has been adjusted to $3,380,000, marking a $260,000
decrease from the previous year. Mr. Chairman, as previously mentioned, the department has been c hallenged to adopt different methodologies than may have
been used in the past. This budgetary decision reflects
our commitment to financial efficiency without compromising the quality of education. Mr. Chairman, the overall budget for the Central Administration programme is $6,528,000 for the
2024/25 fiscal year, which is $215,000 less than the
previous year’s budget.

Programme [1702], Student Services
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, Student Services facilitates 13 essential programmes that provide direct services such as counselling, screening, early intervention and assessments across Bermuda’s public schools for all students, and special education for students with exc eptionalities or special education needs.

Behaviour Management

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27061, Behaviour Management. Mr. Chairman, this budget supports
the crucial work of behavioural therapists in preschools
and primary schools and funds two Alternative Education Programmes designed for students facing behavioural challenges. The total allocation for the upcoming
fiscal year is $1,558,000.

Success Academy

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27062, Success Academy. Mr. Chairman, the Success Academy
Primary Programme (or SAPP) was relocated to Paget
Primary in September 2023. SAPP is designed to support students with social -emotional and behavioural
challenges. With a focus on fostering positive behav-iours for reintegration into mainstream classes, the pro-gramme currently serves six students and has the capacity for eight. It offers specialised and mainstream
classroom experiences to facilitate this transi tion.
Mr. Chairman, the Success Academy MiddleSenior (or SAMS) caters to middle and senior students.
SAMS currently supports nine students. This programme aims to help students develop positive behaviours for a smooth transition back to their mainstream
school environments or to prepare for GED or Penn
Foster programmes. SAMS emphasises restorative practices, social -emotional learning, academic programming and community service. Additionally, SAMS
provides up to four weeks of short -term respite support
for midd le school students, offering temporary assistance before returning to their regular schools.

School Psychology
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27063, School
Psychology. Mr. Chairman, this year $846,000 has been allocated to support our school psychologists,
who play a pivotal role in addressing students’ academic, behavioural and mental health needs. They provide crucial services i ncluding psycho- educational
evaluations, counselling and intervention strategies. Integral to the Multi -tier System of Support (MTSS), the
924 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly psychologists work within a team to tailor interventions
that support each student’s unique needs, leveraging
data from their assessments.
Mr. Chairman, post -COVID -19, the demand for
mental health and behavioural support has surged. Our school psychologists are at the forefront, assisting in
overcoming social -emotional challenges and trauma
while guiding parents, teachers and schools in creating
environments conducive to learning.
Mr. Chairman, despite a slight budget adjustment from the previous year, our commitment to em-powering students through comprehensive psychological support remains steadfast.

Adapted Physical Education

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27064,
Adapted Physical Education. Mr. Chairman, this year
$313,000 has been allocated to support the Adapted
Physical Education [APE] Programme delivered by
three specialist male teachers. These educators are dedicated to ensuring students with diverse physical
needs receive the necessary adaptations to participate
fully in their school’s regular physical education programmes. These adaptations are designed to align with the student’s individualised education plans [ IEPs]
which follow the objectives of the standard physical ed-ucation curriculum.
Mr. Chairman, the APE team also organises
the annual Department of Education Adapted Physical Education National Track and Field Invitational. This event welcomes students from P1 to S4 with special
[physical] needs, including those who have moved on
to the K. Margaret Carter Centre and other facilities.
Following its triumphant return after lifting COVID -19
restrictions, we are committed to making this invita-tional an annual event to celebrate and support our stu-dents.

Hearing

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27065, Hearing. Mr. Chairman, $305,000 has been allocated to support the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programme. This funding supports the employment of a specialised
teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing. This teacher
provides tailored academic instruction and works
closely with classroom teachers to ensure that all students’ needs are met effectively during regular classroom activities.
Mr. Chairman, there are plans to expand sign
language instruction to middle and senior school levels.
Furthermore, the teacher will collaborate with
paraprofessionals and educate administrative staff on
the unique needs of deaf or hard of hearing students ,
enhancing school -wide awareness and support.

Vision
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27066, Vision.
Mr. Chairman, a budget of $111,000 has been dedicated to the Vision Programme, focusing on supporting
students with visual impairments. This funding ensures
the provision of a specialised vision teacher, the nec-essary technical services, materials in accessible formats (including braille) and technology to guarantee
these students have equal access to educational curricula.
Mr. Chairman, some key initiatives within this
programme include the following:
• Continuing to collaborate with Vision Bermuda
to facilitate the transition of senior school students with visual impairments to adult services.
• Enhanced focus on assistive technology, independent living skills, orientation, mobility training and social skills development.
• Partnership with Vision Bermuda and Workforce Development to prepare students for job
placements including participation in orienta-tion services, assessments and the Bermuda
Job Board registration process.
• Encouraging and strengthening students’ orientation and mobility skills through project -
based learning opportunities at HSBC and
Phoenix, where they had use of elevators and
escalators.
Mr. Chairman, success stories from this initiative include students securing summer employment
and scholarships for further education, demonstrating
the programme’s effectiveness in educational support
and preparing students for the workforce and independ ence.

Office Support

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27071, Office
Support. Mr. Chairman, the business unit Office Support has been allocated a budget of $678,000. This
business unit serves as the secretariat for the Student
Services section and funds the salaries of one Assistant Director of Student Services, two administrative assistants and four learning support teachers who provide services to students with special education needs.

Counselling

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27072, Counselling. Mr. Chairman, this year the Counselling Programme has been allocated $3,109,000 to support a
comprehensive and developmental approach to student counselling. This programme is modelled on inter-national standards and encompasses four key areas:
• Classroom Guidance;
• Individual Planning;
• Responsive Services; and
• System Support.
The aim is to foster academic, personal, social,
emotional and career success for students, integrating


Bermuda House of Assembly preventive and developmental strategies into the
school’s educational mission.
Mr. Chairman, research highlights the effectiveness of such programmes in improving student
achievement and preparedness by offering preventive and intervention services, especially for mental health,
within the school setting. Given the critical role of
school -based mental health services, this budget supports the salaries for an Education Officer for Counsel-ling, sixteen school counsellors for preschool and primary levels, nine for middle school, and one for alter-native programmes.

Learning Support

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27074, Learning Support. Mr. Chairman, this year’s Learning Sup-port budget of $4.38 million supports the crucial work of
two Education Officers for Special Education and
Learning Support, and 38 Learning Support Teachers.
These professionals provide special education services
across the educational spectrum including preschools,
primary and middle schools, the Dame Marjorie Bean
Hope Academy and our trauma- responsive programmes at Success Academies. This budget allocation also covers essential assessment materials for accurately diagnosing students with special education
needs.
Mr. Chairman, significant investment has been
made in professional development for Learning Sup-port Teachers, covering many critical areas such as the School Team Process, Pre- Referral Intervention, IEP
and ILP planning and audits, and specific learning d ifferences such as dyslexia and ADHD. This training en-sures that our teachers can implement IEPs and ILPs
effectively, collecting accurate data to support student learning.
Mr. Chairman, para- educators receive ongoing
training to assist in meeting students’ learning, behav-ioural and personal objectives. The Curriculum and Assessment division has facilitated all necessary access
arrangements and exemption requests for standardised testing including the Cambridge Checkpoint assessments and IGCSE exams, accommodating stu-dents’ diverse needs.

Early Childhood Education

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27076, Early
Childhood Education. Mr. Chairman, Early Childhood Education has been allocated $142,000 which reflects
the funding for the salary of the Education Officer for
Early Childhood Education.

Paraprofessionals

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27079,
Paraprofessionals. The Paraprofessionals unit has been allocated a budget of $6.384 million for the upcoming fiscal year. This reflects a decrease of
$1.258 million from the last fiscal year. This funding is
critical as it underpins the delivery of essential services
by paraprofessionals and educational therapist assistants, who play a pivotal role in our education system. Their expertise and dedication are instrumental in supporting teachers, safeguarding the well-being of students and providing specialised assistance to students
with diverse learning needs. This includes invaluable
support for students with physical challenges and those
who are deaf, are hard of hearing or have visual impair-ments.
Mr. Chairman, this budget allocation reflects a
strategic approach to funding based on a thorough analysis of the past three years’ budgets. The study
aimed to ensure that our budgeting accurately mirrors
our actual spending needs, allowing us to allocate resources more effectively across our educational programmes.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27083, Autism
Spectrum Disorder [ASD]. Mr. Chairman, this business
unit has a budget of $696,000. This funding covers salaries for teachers and paraprofessionals working in
ASD programmes across three primary schools, one
middle school and one senior school.
Mr. Chairman, currently we have four ASD
classes in primary schools and one ASD class in middle schools. This will not be enough to accommodate
the transitioning students, and plans are in place to increase our ASD offerings at the middle school level. In the past couple of years, the approach has included
blended programmes, allowing students to integrate
into general education settings with and without additional support. This year five students are participating
in such programmes.
Mr. Chairman, as the demand for ASD classes
grows, we plan to increase the number of Functional
Skills classes at the primary level to meet the rising projections from preschool enrolments.

Alternative Education

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27084, Alternative Education. Mr. Chairman, this budget supports the Success Academy Middle- Senior [SAMS] and additional alternative education placements for eight students who cannot be accommodated at SAMS. With
the closure of Impact Mentoring Academy, we are exploring local alternative programmes to accommodate
our students’ needs. Currently, three students are enrolled in Adult Education with two more awaiting placement, increasing our alternative education enrolment to
twelve students.
Mr. Chairman, educational therapists, assistants and the Multi -Tier System of Support (MTSS)
teams provide essential behavioural support across all
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Bermuda House of Assembly tiers, especially for students facing challenges. These
supports include daily tracking schedules, crisis management plans, behaviour intervention strategies, and
developing functional behaviour and behaviour intervention plans. Mr. Chairman, we are addres sing an uptick in Tier 3 behaviours at the primary level by
strengthening partnerships with agencies like the Department of Child and Family Services and Child and
Adolescent Services. These collaborations, including
the High- Risk Intervention Committee’s monthly meetings, enhance our students’ support network.
Mr. Chairman, we are also enhancing the use
of Functional Behaviour Assessments (or FBAs) and Behaviour Intervention Plans (or BIPs) for Tier 3 students, with 33 currently requiring this level of support.
Efforts to boost teacher support and monitor student
progress include collaborative intervention plans and adopting technology solutions like Kickboard. Kickboard, piloted in eight schools, offers real -time behaviour assessment and progress monitoring, providing insights into students’ school experiences and interactions.
Mr. Chairman, the Student Services Section
provides an extensive range of educational services for our students with exceptionalities. The total budget al-location for Student Services, programme 1702, for the
2024/25 fiscal year is $19,783,000.

Programme 1703, Finance and Corporate

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, in this programme, business unit 27002, Finance and Corporate
Services, with a budget of $732,000 employs a dedicated team of 10 staff members to manage the Educa-tion Department’s financial operations. The team comprises a range of roles inc luding a Departmental Comptroller (currently vacant), a Trainee Departmental Comptroller, a Financial Services Manager, a Payments Supervisor, a Salaries Supervisor, a Salaries
Clerk, three Accounts Clerks and a Messenger.
Their primary responsibilities include
• offering financial advice to the department’s senior management;
• delivering cost -effective financial services; and
• providing corporate planning solutions to the
department, its employees and schools.
Mr. Chairman, directed by the Ministry’s Comptroller, this team efficiently handles the payment of salaries for over 1,000 educators and staff, processes
payments to suppliers and vendors and ensures the ac-curate reconciliation of leave entitlements. They are instrumental in identifying cost -saving opportunities and
advising on financial efficiencies to support the depart-ment’s mission of educational excellence.

Office Accommodation

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27003, Office
Accommodation. Mr. Chairman, this business unit has a budget of $489,000 that funds the salary of the office
receptionist and covers the costs for the annual rent,
office maintenance, electricity and communication
costs for the department’s physical offices at 44 Church
Street.

Educational Stores

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27040, Educational Stores. Mr. Chairman, this business unit has been allocated a budget of $483,000 which supports salaries for six staff and other expenditures such as
rent, inventory, freight costs and gas/diesel. The Stores
Section provid es centralised purchasing, inventory
management and distribution services to all public schools, Bermuda College and other government departments such as the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation.

School Transport

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27041, School
Transport. Mr. Chairman, this business unit has been
allocated a budget of $458,000 and funds the salaries
of three bus drivers and two bus attendants to transport
students who attend Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy safely to and from school and transports students in the ASD programmes in other schools. Two groundsmen who maintain school sports fields and one Labour,
Transport and Safety Officer are also funded from this
budget. This budget enables transport services for our
most vulnerable population of children.

Buildings, Grounds and Equipment

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27042, Buildings, Grounds and Equipment. Mr. Chairman, this year the budget for maintaining our public schools’ buildings,
grounds and equipment is set at $1,112,000, a decrease of $222,000. These funds are critical for the Facilities Manage r to oversee comprehensive maintenance across all public school facilities. This includes
ensuring the functionality and safety of life safety equipment, elevators, alarm systems, water dispensers and
HVAC systems, in addition to managing pest control and security services for middle schools and an alternative school.
Mr. Chairman, key priorities for this budget period are as follows:
• timely completion of maintenance tasks;
• ongoing training for Facilities staff on eco-friendly and health- conscious cleaning practices at Bermuda College;
• promptly address health and safety concerns; and
• regular cleanliness inspections to maintain
high standards throughout the year.

IT Support


Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Business unit 27050, IT Support. Mr. Chairman, for the fiscal year 2024/25 the Information Technology (or IT) section has been allocated $2,429,000. This budget supports the salaries of
key IT personnel including an IT Manager, Computer Services Officer, Management Systems Officer and IT
support officers who are essential for delivering and
managing the department’s IT strategy and services.
Mr. Chairman, key achievements, ongoing projects and priorities over the next year within the IT Department are as follows:
• Wi-Fi Enhancements —continued upgrades
across all educational levels to ensure robust and accessible Internet connectivity.
• IT Security —ongoing improvements to the IT
security framework to protect against external threats including regular updates and patches for hardware and software. And, Mr. Chairman,
I would like to take the liberty to educate our
listening audience and Members Opposite that
the IT network for the Ministry of Education and
the Department of Education is separate from
the IT network that services the rest of government. They are two separate networks.
• Transforming IT Support —shifting from a reactive to a proactive education solution support
model.
• Chromebooks and Laptops Distribution— expanding access to digital devices for students and staff.
• IT Operations and Service Delivery —enhancing processes, monitoring tools and service desk operations for improved IT service delivery and security.
• PowerSchool Ecosystem—Accelerating the
adaption and integration of PowerSchool modules for enhanced operational efficiency.
• IT Security Awareness —Collaborating on
standardised IT security training and phishing awareness campaigns.
• Wi-Fi Infrastructure —Further enhancements to
ensure high-quality reliable wireless Internet
access across educational facilities.
Mr. Chairman, in summary the Finance and
Corporate Section provides key services and support to our public schools. It has been allocated $5,703,000
for the 2024/25 fiscal year.

Programme 1704, Preschools

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, moving onto
page B -138, the total budget for our 10 preschools for
the fiscal year 2024/25 is $5,019,000. A significant portion, 94 per cent, is allocated to staff salaries, highlighting our commitment to quality early childhood educa-tion. T he remaining 6 per cent covers essential operational costs such as resources, training, development,
electricity, part -time cleaning services, telecommunication, office equipment and drinking water. Mr. Chairman, our preschool curriculum emphasises a blend of student -led and teacher -facilitated
learning. It focuses on math, literacy and language
within an environment that encourages exploration and
investigation. This approach ensures that progress i s
observed and documented according to each child’s
developmental stage.
Mr. Chairman, we have recognised the need to
enhance our resources in response to an increased
number of preschoolers with high needs requiring specialised attention for safety and learning support. De-spite expanding the Growing Connects Programme at
Prospect Preschool, the demand for tailored support
has exceeded the additional spaces provided. As such,
there is a planned increase in the budget to hire more
early -childhood- trained paraeducators and educational
therapists to ensure that all children regard less of their
needs have equitable access to our preschool programmes.
Mr. Chairman, after a long hiatus, we are reintroducing a summer school programme for preschoolers requiring extra support to transition smoothly into
primary school. This further emphasises our dedication
to early childhood education and readiness.

Programme 1705, Primary Schools

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, continuing on
page B -138, the budget for our 17 Primary Schools for
the fiscal year 2024/25 stands at $32,672,000. This allocation supports the operational costs of providing
high quality education across these schools.
Mr. Chairman, significant achievements include the successful transformation and opening of Francis Patton and Purvis Primary Schools as Parish
Primary Schools in September 2023. These schools introduced a Year 1 and Year 7 (previously referred to as
M1) cohort and have begun implementing unique educational features and learning environments designed during their prototyping phase. In September 2024 a
revised Year 2 and Year 8 (previously referred to as
M2) will be introduced. To support these enhancements , their budgets saw increases of $763,000 and
$771,000, respectively.
Mr. Chairman, Elliott Primary School and Harrington Sound Primary School are on track to transform
into Parish Primary Schools by September 2025. Their
budget increases, $157,000 for Elliott and $272,000 for
Harrington Sound, will cover the necessary work to
continue the System Transformation Team’s (STT)
work required to transform them into Parish Primary
Schools. Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to the transformation teams, Department of Education Officers, and
the Education Reform Unit staff for their dedica tion to
the Parish Primary School initiative, ensuring a bright future for our primary education system.

Programme 1706, Special Schools

928 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, continuing on
page B -138, business unit 27120, Dame Marjorie Bean
Hope Academy [DAME], provides dedicated services
to students with severe to profound and multiple challenges and special needs. The programme’s primary focus at DAME is to prov ide students with enriching education and development support, increase student independence and help them achieve their ultimate potential. Mr. Chairman, a total of $578,000 has been allocated for DAME, a decrease of $81,000 over the last
fiscal year.

Programme 1707, Middle Schools

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, we now turn
to page B -139 for our Middle Schools. The 2024/25
budget allocation for the operation of our three middle schools is $14,678,000, reflecting a decrease of
$160,000. Mr. Chairman, although the plan is to phase
out middle schools as part of the education reform efforts, I want to assure the community that the leader-ship and staff at the remaining middle schools are committed to ensuring that our students’ learning experiences and achievements continue to improve.

Programme 1708, Senior Schools

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, continuing on
page B -139, the Senior Schools [programme] provides
grants for the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Acad-emy. The total budget allocation for 2024/25 is $28,887,000. Mr. Chairman, each senior school is provided with an annual grant for the operational management of their respective school. For the fiscal year 2024/25, CedarBridge Academy’s funding increased by
$1,520,000. The Berkeley Institute funding has risen by $1,280,000.
Mr. Chairman, students at the senior level continue to benefit from diverse local and international cur-ricula and programmes which prepare them for post -
secondary education, training and careers. In addition to the Cambridge International Curriculum, seni or students take the Business Technology Education Council which specialises in work -related qualifications, City
and Guilds, and Pearson. Students can also take advanced- level courses and participate in dual enrolment
academics and applied technology programmes at Bermuda College.
Mr. Chairman, I wish to extend commendations
and applaud the boards, teachers, staff and School Transformation Team members of the Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy for their commitment
and dedication to the continued development of the
Signature Programmes, which have entered their second year of existence.
Mr. Chairman, the signature learning pathways
include the following:
• at the Berkeley Institute Signature School — o Health and Social Care, which strands include General Health and Social
Care, Holistic and Allied Health Services, Medical Sciences and Services, and Social Sciences and Services;
o Financial and Insurance Services,
which include strands of Accountancy,
Banking and Financial Services, Business Administration and Management,
FinTech and Insurance.
• at CedarBridge Academy Signature School —
o STEM, which includes Animal and Vet
Sciences, Computer Science, Creative Technologies, Engineering and Environmental Sciences;
o Trades and Professions, which includes the strands of Automotives,
Carpentry, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts
and Hospitality, Electrical, Horticulture, Textiles and Design.

Programme 1709, Curriculum, Assessment
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, staying on
page B -139, the Curriculum, Assessment section covers funding for the Cambridge International Curricu-lum, City and Guilds, Penn Foster, system- wide reading assessments, Career Pathways, dual enrolment
and all related curricular res ources. The Department of
Education annually invests in the Cambridge International Curriculum, enabling Primary 6 and Middle 3 students to undergo Checkpoint diagnostic assessments
and sit for the International General Certificat e of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams, which are essential
for obtaining the Bermuda School Diploma [BSD].
Mr. Chairman, the assessments highlight literacy. Teachers need to possess strong teaching skills and apply culturally responsive methods that reflect
students’ backgrounds and experiences. The data from
Cambridge diagnostic assessments and system- wide
reading assessments are crucial for enhancing teaching and learning strategies.

Assessment and Evaluation

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Cost centre 27020, Assessment and Evaluation. Mr. Chairman, we are in our 10
th
year of administering Cambridge assessments and ex-aminations. All Cambridge assessments, including
reading assessments, are funded from business unit
27020, Assessment and Evaluation. The allocated
budget for the continued and effective delivery of as-sessment and evaluation is $343,000. We are pleased
to say that the assessments for learning are improving
the approach to teaching and learning by creating feedback to improve students’ performances.

Design, Development and Implementation



Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, business unit
27520, Design, Development and Implementation.
Through the Design, Development and Implementation
business unit, the Department of Education is dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes through comprehensive programming and s killed officers. This
unit, focusing on Mathematics Interventions, Language
Arts, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, the
Arts, ICT, and Physical Education and Health curricular
deliverables, ensures consistent curricular delivery.
The team of this unit has resumed curriculum monitor-ing and observations, as well as walk -throughs to ensure consistency in the delivery of curricula.
Mr. Chairman, here is a streamlined overview
of our efforts across various units:
• Foreign Languages —Our efforts include introducing an Accreditation for Languages in Busi-ness course, expanding foreign language
learning to primary schools, and leveraging AI
technology to enhance language education.
These initiatives aim to boost employability and
enrich student learning experiences.
• The Arts —The Acting Education Officer for the
Arts is developing culturally relevant fine arts
pathways, emphasising community partnerships and professional development to elevate
the arts within our curriculum.
• Information Computer Technology (ICT) —
Adopting the Schoology Learning Manage-ment System marks a significant advancement
supported by professional development ses-sions for teachers. This fosters innovative
teaching and personalised learning experiences.
• Reading —The Education Officer for Reading is
leading the adoption of impactful reading pro-grammes and assessments including the University of Florida Literacy Institute [UFLI] Foundations programme to enhance phonics instruction across primary grades. Last year the
Education Officer for Reading and the Education Officer for Early Childhood and Special Education teamed up to offer a 10- week course in
guided reading to selected P1 teachers in the
P1 classroom. This proved to be popular, and
it will be followe d up in the next few months
with a writing course for P1 teachers to extend the knowledge shared in the guided reading
course.
• Physical Education and Health—The Education Officer for Physical Education and Health
leads professional development workshops,
and new initiatives such as fitness testing and
the use of heart rate monitors are underway to promote active and healthy lifest yles among
students.
• Social Studies —Under the Acting Education
Officer for Social Studies, project -based learning opportunities are being expanded, incorporating entrepreneurship and Bermuda’s cultural heritage. Partnerships with local organ-isations and initiatives like the Legacy Lane
Challenge enrich social studies education.
Mr. Chairman, each officer and programme
plays a crucial role in our mission to provide a well -
rounded and effective education system. Their work supports academic achievements and prepares our
students for global citizenship and personal growth.

College Career Pathway

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, business unit
27524, College Career Pathway, has been budgeted at
$443,000. This business unit funds the Employability
Skills programme, the Certified Nursing Assistant certification, and the EMT certification at Bermuda College. This cost centre covers the cost of the leadership management of two College and Career Pathways Officers.
In addition, this cost centre covers the salary of the Applied Science Technology Instructor for our dual enrolment students in the Trades and STEM.

Early Childhood Education
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, on page B -
139 is cost centre 27175, Early Childhood Education
[ECE], a critical area that forms the bedrock of our children’s future learning and development. This business
unit encompasses Early Childhood Special Education
and Quality Assurance, illustrating our commitment to
transforming early childhood education through innovative initiatives and ensuring every child gets the best start in life.
Mr. Chairman, starting with The Basics initiative, we have introduced a parent education and coach-ing programme targeting families with children from
birth to five years old. This programme is a cornerstone
in closing developmental gaps before children enter primary school, offering personalised age- specific parenting tips via WhatsApp and SMS at no cost. To amplify this initiative, we invest in widespread engagement
through social media, radio, digital ads and family
events, ensuring continuous visibility and participation.
Mr. Chairman, we are laying solid foundations
with developmentally appropriate practices and inquiry -
based learning in our preschools and early primary classes. Introducing the Creative Curriculum Kindergarten (or CCK) in P1 classes exemplifies our ap-proach, supporting children’s growth across all developmental areas and tailoring education to meet each
child’s unique needs. The ECE Quality Assurance Officer plays a vital role in monitoring the fidelity and quality of CCK implementation.
Mr. Chairman, this school year has highlighted
an increase in preschoolers identified with high needs,
reflecting the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic on our
youngest learners. Our response includes targeted professional training for teachers in SEE -KS and SCERTS
930 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly models, ensuring that we meet the diverse needs of all
preschoolers, including those in the Growing Connections programme, and smoothen their transition into primary education.
Mr. Chairman, the Child Development Programme (or CDP), under business unit 27175, continues to be a beacon of support, funding the dedicated
staff who tirelessly work to maintain accreditation and
improve service quality. Despite challenges such as
staff vacancies, the CDP has served 569 children and
families this past fiscal year, offering various services
from developmental screenings to early intervention
support. However, the need for increased human resources is clear, as vacancies have led to long w aiting
lists for critical services. Mr. Chairman, recruitment and restructuring within the CDP are of utmost priority in addressing these challenges. Efforts to fill critical posi-tions, such as the Family Counsellor and Early Intervention Supervisor, aim t o enhance our capacity to provide timely and effective early intervention services.
Mr. Chairman, our dedication to early childhood education is unwavering. Through strategic investment, innovative programming and a focus on
quality assurance, we are setting the stage for a future
where every child in our care reaches their fullest po-tential.
Mr. Chairman, this budget covers the payment
cost for After Preschool Care workers. The funding has been increased to reflect an increase in their hourly pay
rate. There has not been an increase in more than 10
years. It has been challenging to fill positi ons as workers who are not employed otherwise find the pay covers
insurance coverage with little left over. This year the
hourly rate has been increased to be commensurate with the after -school care workers who serve primary
schools. This budget also funds after-school care for
Dame Majorie Bean Hope Academy.
Mr. Chairman, the total budget allocation for
programme 1712, Early Childhood Education, that co-vers Child Development and After Preschool Care, is
$1,767,000.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, I now refer
you to page B -140, the Subjective Analysis of Current
Account Estimates for the Department of Education. This page provides an aggregate of the detailed lineitem expenditures previously mentioned. The variances
of significance for the categories are as follows:
• Salaries and wages increased by $1,985,000
(or 3 per cent) and $284,000 (or 8 per cent),
respectively, mainly due to salary uplifts and
the addition of personnel for the Signature
Learning schools and the Parish Primary
schools located at Francis Patton and Purvis
Primary Schools. • Other personnel costs decreased by $31,000
(or 7 per cent), reflecting a decrease in recruitment expenses.
• Training costs are $82,000 (or 27 per cent) lower, while Transport decreased by $15,000
(or 28 per cent) over the prior fiscal year.
• Travel costs decreased by $31,000 (or 63 per
cent) over the prior fiscal year.
• Communication costs decreased by $75,000
(or 11 per cent), in part reflecting the completion of several IT support projects.
• Professional services decreased by $727,000
(or 34 per cent) due to a reallocation of funding
for education reform to the Education Reform
Unit established in 2023 and the realisation of
expenditure efficiencies.
• Rental costs decreased by $363,000 (or 34 per
cent) due to the IT and Facilities Sections being relocated to the same office space for effi-ciencies.
• Repair and Maintenance costs decreased by
$109,000 (or 6 per cent) due to reduced
COVID -19-related expenditures.
• Energy costs decreased by $316,000 (or
26 per cent) from the prior fiscal year due to
expected efficiencies at Clearwater Middle
School and Heron Bay Primary, which both
were closed last year.
• Materials and Supplies expenditures are
$432,000 (or 21 per cent) lower due to decreases in the purchase of inventory, assessment materials and office/stationery supplies.
• Grants and contributions increased by
$2,565,000 (or 9 per cent), and funds have
been allocated to support CedarBridge Academy’s school redesign and system transformation work.
Mr. Chairman pages B -141 and B -142 show
1,047 FTE [full -time equivalent] posts, a reduction of 23
FTEs compared to 2023/24. Most of these relate to the
decrease in paraprofessionals based on the previous
year’s spending. The department will continue to mo nitor and review the number of FTEs, ensuring both efficiency and effectiveness in staff resources.
Mr. Chairman, pages B -143 through B -146 list
the performance measures for the Department of Edu-cation. These measures reflect the priority areas that
will be monitored and for which school and department
staff will be held accountable during the year.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the Department of Education and school staff for all efforts undertaken in ed-ucation reform and general operations over the past
year. I look forward to the achievements and outcomes
in education reform over the 2024/25 fiscal year t hat
will move us closer to our vision for a 21
st century worldclass public school system of learning for Bermuda’s
children.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my presentation
on Head 17, the Department of Education. I will now


Bermuda House of Assembly move on to the Budget Estimates for Head 18, Libraries
and Archives.

HEAD 18 —LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, the Department of Libraries and Archives plays a crucial role in
providing access to information for research, inspiration, lifelong learning and recreation. Mr. Chairman, the
2024/25 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the
Department o f Libraries and Archives are found on
pages B -147 through B -152 in the Estimates Book. The
department’s mission statement and objectives are
stated on page B -147, along with a general summary
of its expenditures. Mr. Chairman, for the fiscal year 2024/25, the total budget allocation is $3,247,000,
marking a $162,000 increase over the previous year.
Mr. Chairman, this budget supports various
units within the department, including Collection Management (business unit 28000), Adult Services (business unit 28060), Archival Services (business unit 28100), Youth Services (business unit 28110), Records
Management (business unit 28120) and Administration
(business unit 28130), each addressing specific community needs and departmental objectives.
Mr. Chairman, significant changes include the
following:
• The Collection Management budget decreased
by $68,000 due to the retirement of one full -
time employee, which remains unfilled. Additional funds were added for digitisation.
• Increased budgets for Adult Services of
$98,000 and Archival Services for $17,000 are
attributed to mandated salary increases and programme enhancements such as website
development and digitisation projects.
• The increased budget for Youth Services
($24,000) can be attributed to mandated salary
increases and reallocation of funds to cover the
cost of youth programmes.
• A slight increase in the Records Management
Services budget of $7,000 for mandated salary
increases.
• An increase in the Administration budget
($84,000) to hire student assistants, support a
long-term succession plan and cover increased operational costs such as rent, elec-tricity, vehicle insurance and maintenance.
Mr. Chairman, efforts to enhance service offerings continue including expanding e- book and e- audiobook access, support for job seekers, and introducing
new programmes and partnerships catering to the community’s diverse interests and needs. The department’s
commitment to digitising and pr eserving Bermuda’s
cultural heritage is also highlighted with plans for improved online access to historical materials.
Mr. Chairman, digitising Bermuda’s materials
is crucial for enhancing access to, preservation of and
utilisation of these vital resources. In the next year the department aims to boost in- house scanning capabilities for historic documents and photos in the Bermuda
Archives and upgrade the Archives software. This will
enable online access to these materials. Prioritising
digitisation supports future research and exploration and strengthens Bermudians’ pride and understanding
of their rich cultural heritage.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s staff and all
Bermudian professionals remain dedicated to providing
exceptional service and support to the community with
ongoing professional development to ensure their skills remain relevant.
In summary, the 2024/25 budget for the Department of Libraries and Archives reflects a commit-ment to enhancing community access to information
and resources, supporting lifelong learning and recreation and preserving Bermuda’s rich cultural heritage. This budget presentation underscores the department’s ongoing efforts to serve the Bermudian community effectively and recognises the dedicated team’s
hard work and achievements over the past year.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to commend the Libraries and Archives team
for their commitment to providing quality service to Bermuda’s residents and visitors.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This concludes my
presentation of the budget for Head 18, Libraries and Archives. I will now move to Head 41, Bermuda College.

HEAD 41 —BERMUDA COLLEGE

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Chairman, Bermuda College’s mission is To provide the community with innovative programmes, training, support services and access to partnerships that lead to local and global success. [The college] demonstrates its commitment to the
success of its diverse student body by offering transfer
programmes leading to success at the university level,
professional and technical training leading to success
in the workforce and preparatory progr ammes leading
to success in the classroom.
Mr. Chairman, as found on page B -153, for the
2024/25 financial year Bermuda College has been allocated an annual grant of $14,653,901 by the Ministry of Education (as they were awarded last year), with an
additional capital grant of $350,000 for campus maintenance and upgrades.
Mr. Chairman, the college is led by Interim
President Dr. Branwen Smith- King and a Board of Governors chaired by Mr. Nasir Wade. It maintains high
standards as an accredited institution by the New England Commission on Higher Education (or NECHE) and
is working toward re- accreditation in 2025 to continue
offering top- notch education.
Mr. Chairman, notable achievements for the
past year include the success of the Dual Enrolment Programme, with 64 participants this past year and
three dual enrolment students graduating from the
932 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly college before earning their high school diplomas in the
May 2023 commencement. Twelve “students of excellence” were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honour
Society, joining the other 55 who have been inducted
since the college’s chapter was established i n 2019.
The college also partners with organisations like BEST
[Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce] for
environmental sustainability initiatives and hosts influential events like the annual Roche Science Week to
engage the community in science and conservation.
Mr. Chairman, significant educational milestones were celebrated including the graduation of 102
students across various disciplines. The college also
graduated 11 students with Bachelor’s Degrees in
Business Administration in partnership with Mount
Saint Vincent University.
Mr. Chairman, in May 2023 the Athora Professional and Career Education [APACE] Division
awarded 269 professional designations and Workforce
Development Certificates that included 10 public high
school students who received their Certificate as Nurs-ing Ass istants as part of the Education Department’s
Dual Enrolment programme with the college. A total of
72 high school students earned the City and Guilds
Certificate in Employability Skills, underscoring the col-lege’s role in workforce development.
Mr. Chairman, financially the college’s revenue
comes from government grants, student tuition and other sources totalling approximately $19.1 million. Salaries and benefits are the most significant expense, accounting for 69 per cent of the budget. The co llege also
invests in campus improvements and educational resources supported by the Bermuda College Foundation, which contributes to scholarships, programming and sustainability projects.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda College Foundation plays a critical role in supporting and enabling the college’s efforts to modernise its campus and programmes. Bermuda is grateful to the donors who have
supported the current Bermuda College Foundation
Fundrai sing Campaign and shown their commitment to
ensuring that all Bermuda residents have access to
quality, relevant, tertiary education right here at home.
Mr. Chairman, to celebrate its 50
th anniversary,
the college has created a commemorative logo and postage stamp. In addition, several other celebratory
activities are being organised. These will include a gala
banquet next year.
Mr. Chairman, as I close, I wish to thank the
board, executive, administration, faculty and staff of the
college for their work throughout this year. And I look forward to working with them in the coming year to help
students of all ages pursue their careers and personal
aspirations.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This concludes the
budget for Head 41, the Bermuda College, and my overall presentation of the 2024/25 budget for the Ministry of Education.

In the past we were told that the General Administration, there was a much larger budget for
this under cost centre 26000. A lot of that had been
moved to the Reform Unit. But if the Minister could just
give us a little bit more detail on what exactly happened
within the Administration outside of the Reform Unit, just so that we have an idea what has been taken out
and what is being left behind.
On cost centre 26080, Grants for External Bodies, can the Minister please give a breakdown on these
external bodies that will be receiving grants for this upcoming year?
Cost centre 26090, Scholarships and Awards,
can the Minister let us know how many scholarships will
be provided for the upcoming year? How many were
provided for the year past? Can the Minister please pro-vide how many applications there were for the schol arship so that we can see whether there was a higher demand than the number of scholarships that were ac-tually able to be provided?

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Point of clarification, Mr.
Chairman?

Yes.
If you do not mind it . . .
Continue.

POINT OF CLARIFICATION

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: If the Member would be
minded to look at the Ministerial Statement I gave this
morning on scholarships, I mentioned how many applications we got and how many awards we gave out as
well. That was given this morning. So it is in the public domain.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, would the Minister be able to
give us a breakdown whether there are students who
graduate from private schools who will apply for some


Bermuda House of Assembly of the scholarships that are provided by the government, and the breakdown of the difference between
students who are graduating from public school and private school to see where we are giving this funding to?
Because at that point of graduation they might still need further funding even though they might have been able
to finish their high school education from a private institution.
Mr. Chairman, I know this is not something
specific that the Minister might be able to answer right
away, but every year we hear that there are a large number of private scholarships that go unclaimed. I
have brought this up before, and I think it is an i nitiative
that would be important if we could have some kind of
collaboration with those private institutions. Because if
we have a higher demand for students to get funding
for education than what we are able to provide, then maybe [there could be] a litt le bit of collaboration on
how we can have access to some of these funds that
are being put aside from the private sector that are being left unclaimed. It seems that somewhere in there there could be some synergy that would help us to be
able to develop our students so that they can get the
education that is needed for them to be able to come
back and participate in our economy the way we would like them to.
Mr. Chairman, cost centre 26140, Reform Unit.
I am not sure if this is the exact spot, but can the Min-ister give us an update on where we stand on the Education Authority? How far away are we from getting the
guidelines of what is going to be involved in it? And
when can we expect to see it being implemented? As
they would be going through this process to prepare for
an Education Authority, can the Minister give us maybe an approximate cost of what it is going to cost Bermuda
in order to have an Education Authority? Obviously, some of this is going to be moved from the Reform Unit into this Education Authority. But as they are going
along, I am pretty sure they have started to look at what
those numbers will look like to go into the future.
Mr. Chairman, one of the reasons that I think it
is important that we start to look at the numbers . . . yes,
education across the Island is looked at as a significant Ministry and important for how we develop our children going forward. But we will have all seen that there is a
birth rate issue. Also, we are seeing a decline in the
number of students who are participating locally in education. And we are getting closer to the point where it
is 50 per cent public, 50 per cent private. So when we
know that we have a budget of $142 million, it is going
to be important to see what this looks like going into the
future. As we start to reform, close schools and make
adjustments, will we start to see a lowering of the overall cost of education considering that th e numbers of
students have decreased so significantly?
Still on the Education Authority, I know the Minister is still in the initial planning stages. But could they
give us kind of an estimated number of people who will
be part of that Authority? And if there is some thought in what the remuneration of the members of that Authority [will be] just as we start to move in that direction?
Because I know that that will be an important portion of
the reform of education going forward.

Mr. Chairman, it is difficult because
there seem to be people who are being taken from dif-ferent parts of . . . In order to get the education reform,
they are coming from different areas. So can the Minister provide how many teachers who would normally be
in a classroom are participating in the reform?
I know the Minister just said in his brief that
they have made a shift toward having those who are
participating now being able to work after school rather
than being interrupted and taken out of the classroom. So it would be important to know what that number was
for this past year so that we can see what interruptions
(potentially) were occurring that now will be fixed going
forward. As the Minister stated, they will now be working after school. And can the Minister let us know
whether there has been a conversation or some kind of
contract change that happens? Because now they are
obviously going to be extending their hours. Or whether
this is on a volunteer basis?

So, Mr. Chairman, as we are going
through the reform, obviously at some point we will be
at the maximum needed of the members of the Reform
Unit. But as we get able to move toward implementation, can the Minister let us know whether there will be
a reduct ion in the size of the members who are needed
for that unit? And then whether he envisions there
934 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly being a reduction in the cost associated with having to
have this unit happen?
Mr. Chairman, the Minister attended a conference in Tokyo, which was to represent the Education
Reform Committee, or Unit. Can the Minister give us a breakdown of the cost of that travel? How many members of the unit actually travelled? And can we get an
update of exactly what the return was? Was there a
specific report that was created? If there was a report
that was created, is that something that could be tabled
so that we can have a better understanding of what we got out of that trip? I just think it would be important. If
this is helping us toward our total education reform, getting the details on that would be important.
Mr. Chairman, so the travel for this kind of conference, would all of this travel cost be covered by the
Government of Bermuda for all of the members who would have travelled? If not, was there any sponsorship? Was there anything that would have kind of c ut
the costs for the government in order to attend the
travel to Tokyo? Any of that kind of information would also be important for us to know.
Mr. Chairman, still under Education Reform
Unit, the Reform Unit is responsible for the rescoring of the schools. I know that in the meeting discussing that there was going to be the potential of rescoring, obviously cost is impacted. Because the scoring had already happened or there had been a cost for that. Can the Minister give us an estimate of what the extra cost
is of having to go through the rescoring process?
The Minister spoke that the rescoring process
is still continuing. Can the Minister provide us the
names of the exact schools that are being addressed
in the rescoring? And can the Minister provide us when we should be able to hear what the rescoring is —obviously I know that he has a timeline —so that we can
move forward in September of 2024 and then Septem-ber of 2025? So the rescoring has to happen in order
for him to be able to go back to all of the Members who
were asking for the rescoring to make sure t hat everybody is understanding what the going- forward position
is and how long that process will take.

Yes, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
So, Mr. Chairman, as we are going through this
reform process, it would be important to know how we
are doing as we are going through. So the members of
the Reform Committee, is there a way of doing appraisals each year so that we know this is how many people
we have, this is how many people we need. What are we getting? What were the deliverables for that unit for
each year? So that as we step forward we know that
we are doing everything that we can to progress to our end goal, which is education reform. I know all of us are
looking forward to having it done because education is
important to our community.
So, Mr. Chairman, as the Minister stated, there
were several members who were brought in from other departments —well, within Education —to be part of the
Reform Unit. Was there a job description that was put
out for each of the roles? Was it advertised? Was it advertised internally? How did we get to the point to actually bring in each person? The Minister actually said
that there were also some local consultants who were going to also be brought in, or already are participating.
Can the Minister let us know what the roles were that
were expected for those consultants? And what services have they been able to provide to date?

You know, MP Smith, a lot of these
questions you are asking have natural answers. As you
would know, whoever is in Government, there is criteria, there are specifications one must have in order to
sit on these boards, right? Some things that I just think
. . . some of these questions are just a bit elementary
and something that most of us should know. No one
gets on a board just by picking people off of the street.
I know you are not indicating that. But there are some
qualifications necessary in order to sit on these boards.
It is not willy -nilly.

So, Mr. Chairman, unless the Professional Services are going to come under another area.
But I believe that part of the funding was coming from
this area. So what deliverables were put in place for the
Innovation Unit for the previous year that led to our renewing that contract? And what are the deliverables for this year so that as we go through we are able to gauge the difference?
The reason I am bringing this up is because
everyone is going to say, Well, it has this cost. So if we
are able to state, This is what the deliverables were,
and this is what was actually implemented and worked
with, I think then everybody is comfortable that you
have value for money. So it is just asking the question
to see if we can get a little further detail that allows us
to put the price tag with what was actually being performed.
So, Mr. Chairman, considering that the reform
of education has taken several years and we know it
will take several more years, because this is a process
. . . as the Minister has stated, you have to go through
each step as you are adding Parish Primary S chools,
you are adding closing some schools. Each of those reforms is taking time. So if the Minister can just let us know whether we are going to need to continue to have
the Innovation Unit going forward, I believe it would be
important for us to be able to say, Yes, they will be part
of this process going forward. They will be part of analysing each step, helping the Government to understand whether they were successful at each stage. And if it is, then important to maybe make some changes.
So, if that is going to be the process, [I am] just
asking whether we could know now that going forward this is a number that we should be expecting into the
future while the reform is continuing.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Moving on to page
B-135.

So, Consultation with key stakeholders. Can the Minister please give details on how the
consultation was done with the teachers? Are there
continuous meetings with the teachers to get input?
The reason I ask that question is because the Minister
stated th at there has been communication with the union partners; I understand that. But the day -to-day
teachers, is there a mechanism that allows them to
have continuous input? As the changes are made, they are the ones on the front line who would have seen
some of the impact. And if that communication is happening, is it happening where there are meetings that
are going to be during the day? Or are there meetings
that are held outside of school hours in order for them to have the time to give the input of what is happening
within the education reform?
If possible, could the Minister just give us just
an overview of what the initial feedback is that he is re-ceiving on the two new Parish Primary schools from the
teachers, the students and the parents? As we move through this process, it is always important . . . I know
that the Minister has done, I would say, an amazing job
from the standpoint of putting information out in multiple
ways, from television and ads and social media. But
this would be another opportunity for us to speak directly to the communi ty on what the impact is in these
changes so that as parents are looking to maybe enter
their children into these schools, they can be comfortable about where we are going. It is just another opportunity to speak directly to what that feedback is, positive
or negative, for the implementation of the two new Parish Primary Schools.
And, Mr. Chairman, just finally on this, obviously it has been noted quite a bit that there has been
some negative feedback from West End Primary and
St. David’s Primary. On page—

So in the public domain there has been
some outcry from these two schools. If the Minister can just give us just a quick update on whether he has had
some new meetings with them to kind of let them know that this process is happening and that he will be a ble
to give them the answers that they are looking for, I
think it would be a good opportunity to get that kind of
feedback.
Mr. Chairman, I am now going to move on to
Head 17.

Yes.

936 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: Starting on business unit 27001, Office
of the Commissioner. Would it be possible for the Minister to give us an update on the relationship that the
Office of the Commissioner is now having with the
teachers and whether we have progressed to a point where any of that tension has been alleviated?

So the Minister can correct me if I am
wrong here. I believe that the School Attendance,
which is business unit 27095, below there I believe that
that was moved into this area. That is why that line is now zero. Can the Minister please provide data on the
attendance numbers? Are we seeing an increase or a decrease in truancy, people not being at school? I think it is important that as we go into this reform, it allows us
to look at the data specifically for . . . are we seeing our
students at tending class on a regular basis? And if
there is a need to go out and get these students and
bring them back to school, I believe that this is the area
where that cost factor comes in.
Cost centre 27160, which is Substitutes.

So the Minister actually gave an answer that answered some of the issue that was seen
here. I had been given quite a bit of feedback about
what had happened in the last two budget cycles because there was a significant increase for the money
toward substi tute teachers. And then in this last year
there was actually a need for more substitute teachers.
Partially, I am gathering from the Minister’s brief, that is
because people from the Reform Unit are now being
moved. So that is why we are able to now reduce that
number, and it should alleviate the problem with the high need for substitute teachers.

So now I am moving into what has happened with substitute teachers, [which] is the demand
that came for substitute teachers would have been,
one, because there were teachers who were out of
class because they were in the [Reform] Unit. But there
potential ly are other reasons why we had a demand for
substitute teachers, which is the question I am now going to ask.

Is the Minister able to give us any data
that they have been able to collect when it comes to
long-term absenteeism for teachers, whether there are
teachers who have been missing for . . . We do know
that there are some teachers who have been out on
unpaid leave or paid leave due to suspensions. Is that
number part of the reason why the Minister has had to
have a large number of substitute teachers? So can he
give us some data around that w hich lets us know
whether that was one of the reasons why that substitute
number had grown the way it had?
So, Mr. Chairman, if there is the need to have
a substitute for an extended period of time, could the
Minister let us know who then is responsible for putting
together the lesson plan? Does that now then fall to the
substitute teacher? And the reason I as k that question
is because if we had a large number of substitute teachers in this last year, could the Minister let us know
whether that would have had any impact on the learning of the students that would have been interrupted by
that long- term—

Yes. Take your time.

[Pause]


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Ben Smith: Mr. Chairman, cost centre 27061, Behaviour Management. So I note that there had been a
reduction in the budget for Behaviour Management for
last year’s budget. And now there is an increase. Can
the Minister give us an indication of what would have caused the increase in the budget?

[Pause]

Mr. Chairman, business unit 27062,
Success Academy. The Minister gave quite a bit of detail on what was being provided from Success Academy. But the budget number is only $8,000. So I am
just wondering, is funding coming from somewhere
else in order to ac hieve all of those things? If the Minister can just explain how . . . Because I made the note
that there seemed to be a lot happening there. But $8,000 does not normally match in Bermuda for the
amount.

So, Mr. Chairman, considering that the
Minister stated that there had been quite a bit of need
for these services, I am just wondering if the Minister
can explain to us why we would have a slight reduction as opposed to . . . The importance of this, I would have
thought maybe we would have seen an increase in this area. I know that as we prolong out of COVID -19, but
there still would have been an impact from that and the
need for that kind of resource and support. I think that
everybody would be in agreement that we should be
giving that. So can the Minister just explain to us
whether he found some efficiency there that allowed
him to do that? If not, just an explanation of why that
would be [decreased].

The Minister stated that there seemed
to be the need for more learning support. I believe he said that by looking at the numbers that they are getting from preschool. Can the Minister give us . . . is it a percentage? Can he give us some kind of idea of w hat that
increased need is? Just so that we have an under-standing. Because obviously as that goes, they need
more support, which is going to have more cost going
forward into the future. So just can he give us a little bit of data that give us an understanding of what may be
needed as we go forward?

Cost centre 27079, Paraprofessionals.
This is a significant support system within education
presently. Could the Minister just give us some details on whether there will be a shift in the need for
paraprofessionals as we move forward?
The reason I ask that question is because, if
not, as we move forward in the reform, if there is going to be a reduction in the need for them, then obviously it
will have a reduction in the budget going forward. Be-cause as you go through the reform, there will be teachers who are being shifted from schools that are closing
down, which then potentially means that the
paraprofessional will be less relied on. So if the Minister
can just give us some clarity on that so that we can
have an indication on whether this will have a future
reduction in the budget as we go forward.
Business unit 27083, Autism spectrum disorder. (Just Autism?) Can the Minister let us know
whether the Ministry is the one that is being responsible
for educating everyone in that particular area? And how
many students are we talking about? Is there a growth in the number of students? Just so that we have an understanding [of] the cost for autism and whether that
specific funding is something that, because of the analysis they are doing, we should see an increase in or a decrease as —

I think you would know. We would
hope that we would be decreasing it. So that is not something that I think you would know until somebody
is diagnosed on and whatever. That is a difficult one. It
could go either way.
Just one second, Brother Smith.
Panel of Chairs, we will change at this moment.
938 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly We are doing the Budget Debate on Education.
And the next Chair would be the Honourable [Scott]
Pearman. Thank you.
[Mr. Scott Pearman, Chairman]

Thank you, Honourable Members.
We are in the Committee of Supply for further
consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25.
And we are in the middle of a five- hour (I believe) Education debate. We have heard at some length
from the Minister, the Honourable Diallo Rabain. And
we are now having questions from the Shadow Minister, MP Ben Smith.
MP Smith, you have the floor.

Business unit 27041, School
Transport. The Minister spoke to some of the costs that
are being incurred in order for this Transport number.
Can the Minister let us know whether there had been
any thoughts of also using transportation in order for the Bermu da School Sports Federation in order to get
transportation to certain events, whether there had been a request for some of that kind of transportation?
Mr. Chairman, if there is not a request, can the
Minister let us know whether there is a cost to specific schools if they have to transport, or does that come di-rectly from parents having to transport? Just so that we
know whether there is a cost to each s chool if this number is not where the transportation would happen for that question.
Mr. Chairman, cost centre 27042, Buildings,
Grounds and Equipment. Presently we have two
schools that would have been going through a renovation in order to transform them into Parish Primary
Schools that would have a cost associated with it. Can
the Mini ster let us know whether there were any increases or decreases from the original estimate for renovating these schools? And whether there were any issues with the renovation that might have increased
costs or savings that were found as they went through
the renovation process for both of those Parish Primary
Schools.
Mr. Chairman, during the consultation process
for Parish Primary Schools, it was stated that they were
going to be art facilities, Maker Spaces, gardens and
outdoor spaces. Can the Minister let us know whether
that was factored into the budget for renovat ion of these
schools? And if that was part of the budget, whether
those spaces have actually been implemented and the
students can look forward to using them going forward? So, Mr. Chairman, my next question is on
pages B -138 and B -139.

Which is going to cover programmes
1704, Preschools; 1705, Primary Schools; 1707, Middle Schools; and 1708, Senior Secondary Schools. So,
on these pages we are given the overall costs for each
of these facilities. And the Minister stated that . . . I believe he said 94 per cent of the costs for the schools is
actually salaries and 6 per cent is for other expenses.
[Inaudible interjection]

Yes, the 94 per cent was only preschools. So I am asking the Minister if he can give us
what that percentage is for the other levels of school.
And considering that one of the factors that we
are looking at when it comes to closing schools is going
to be the number of students who are in those schools, I think it would be important for us to know the amount
of money that each school costs. Can the Minister
break down for us how many students we have in each
of the classes? So that we as a population have an understanding of what the cost is for these schools. I believe that this going forward helps the argument that the Minister is making toward this reform. It is necessary
from the standpoint that you cannot run facilities at a
high level of cost when you do not have enough students to be in that school.
Specifically, can the Minister give us details on
Heron Bay Primary and Clearwater Middle School because although there was a reduction in the budget
from last year to this year, there is still a cost that would
seem to be more than just the incidentals? So last year
I believe the response was that some of that would refer to salaries. And if that does refer to salaries, can the
Minister let us know where those teachers have moved to or where the employees have moved? Is it a different
school? If they moved to that school, did we have
teachers who moved out from those classrooms?
How did we close two schools and continue to
have that amount of money, the cost for each of those schools being Heron Bay is still $712,000 and Clearwater is $1,435,000? So as I stated, there is a reduction,
but it is still quite a significant number. So can the Minister explain what that cost is associated with for the
two closed schools? And if it is salaries, where have
those teachers or support staff gone to?
Can the Minister please provide the number of
students who started at the beginning of the school
year in the new P7 at Purvis Primary and Francis


Bermuda House of Assembly Patton? And if there is a change, can the Minister
please provide what the classroom numbers are to
date?
Mr. Chairman, page B -140, Employee Numbers.

That covers the employment of the
teachers. So the question to the Minister is, Can the Minister let us know whether there are any teachers and/or principals who are holding the acting position?
And if they are holding the acting position, is there a
difference in the salary they receive under acting as opposed to having the full -time job? Just an understanding of what that is and whether there will be a process toward moving these people from the acting position into a full -time. And whether that process is part of the
reform process and that is why we have not moved to full-time.
Mr. Chairman, on page B -143, Performance
Measures, the first number under Central Administra-tion, programme 1701.

Correct.
It states, Percentage of performance appraisals completed for school and Department of Education
staff. And it was discontinued. Can the Minister let us
know where I can find where that information would be
now, considering that seems to be an important performance measure for us to know whether there were ap-praisals completed? With that I ask, Are performance
appraisals completed for teachers? How often are
these performance appraisals completed? And the reason I ask these questions is because when we are talking about the budget, we have to know that the money
that we are paying is being followed- up on to make sure
that we have teachers performing at the highest level
in front of our students. Not calling out specific teachers; it is just a mechanism that allows you to know that when you are paying money for employees, appraisals
are being done so that we can make sure that we are
getting the best out of the finances that are being paid
by the government.
Still on page B -143.

Programme 1702, Student Services. It
states under psychoeducational assessments that 90 per cent were completed. What was the outcome of
the assessments? Were 90 per cent of the cases dealt
with satisfactorily? And what is the process for us to get
to 100 per cent?
Programme 1703, Finance and Corporate Services, it says that there was a revised forecast for
2023/24 of 75 per cent for fire drills. Can the Minister
explain why that was not 100 per cent? Health and
safety inspection carried out in each school per annum
is 100 per cent. Can the Minister give us an idea of
what is inspected? And does he believe that once a year suffices? Can the Minister provide us whether any
issues were found during the inspections from last
year?
Programme 1704, Preschools. The percentage
of preschool students who meet the established standards of literacy and numeracy is 90 per cent. Can the Minister give us a number of the students who were assessed to reach this 90 per cent number? Can the Minister please provide us what is being done for the
10 per cent of preschool students who are not meeting
the literacy and numeracy levels? Can the Minister explain the “percentage of quality classroom lessons based on system indicators and criteria used dur ing
system instructional rounds”? What does 80 per cent
mean? And what is the quality of the 20 per cent?
Page B -144.

There is a measure that shows the targets for improvement in math, reading and writing. Can
the Minister please provide us details on what happens
when these improvements are not met? What is the level that these assessments are being compared to?
And wha t are we doing when we are not achieving the
levels that are expected? Does this compare to other
jurisdictions? Can [the Honourable Minister] give us an
idea of where the comparisons come from?
Programme 1707, which is Middle Schools, still
on page B -144. The percentage improvement that is
forecast is lower in middle school than is expected in primary. Can the Minister explain [the reason for] the
lower forecast? Can the Minister provide us what
940 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly percentage of middle school students are taking the
IGCSE English and Math exams?
The levels of assessment in reading, math and
writing are 60 per cent, but there is a forecast of 85 per
cent passing IGCSE. Can the Minister please explain
how we move from that level to the high level of
achievement?
Mr. Chairman, it says we are reaching a 90
pass for City and Guilds for English and Math. But there
is an assessment of 60 per cent in reading, math and
writing for assessment. Can the Minister please explain?
On page B -145, [programme 1708] Senior
Secondary Schools, Percentage of schools achieving their school improvement objective for reading. This
measure was 50 per cent. But now it has been discontinued. Can the Minister please explain why this has
been dis continued? And what can we expect as the
new assessment?

[It states] Students gaining college acceptance. Can the Minister please explain what is expected to get to the acceptance level, and is this for
entry into Bermuda College or international colleges and universities? The original forecast was for 85 per
cent for 2023/24 but was revised to 60 per cent. The
target in 2024/25 is 60 per cent. Can the Minister let us
know whether this percentage acceptance rate is of an
acceptable level compared to other public education systems, or whether there has been an analysis done?

[Pause]

Thank you, Honourable Member.
For the benefit of Members and members of
the listening public, we are in the Committee of Supply for Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the coming budget year 2024/25. This is a five- hour debate on
the Ministry of Education which will include and has included Heads 16, 17, 18 and 41. The debate is due to
conclude at 6:38 pm. We are now having questions
from the Honourable Ben Smith.
Please continue.

[It states] 92 per cent of students pass
with a Bermuda school diploma. Can the Minister
please give us an indication of what assessment is
done to receive the Bermuda school diploma and what
is that . . . what does that certificate give them access
to? Does that allow them to go to Bermuda College? What is the step that comes from receiving the Bermuda School Certificate [BSC]?

[Pause]

Thank you, Honourable Member.
Minister, you have had a series of questions in
relation to Head 17 from the Shadow Minister.
Minister, you have the floor. It is the Minister,
the Honourable Diallo Rabain.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, without embellishing too much,
I purposefully wanted to leave a lot of time for questions
on this particular one because I recognise that there is a lot of misinformation out there about education. And
one of the ways to dispel some of those myths is to
have questions that can be answered so the public can
have a reasonable understanding of what is going on
in Education.
But with that said, I am pleased with the questions that have been asked. I am a bit shocked at some of them that have been asked by the Shadow Minister
of Education, but I believe we have some 59 questions
that my team has recorded. So it is quite a bit t hat has
been . . . and I do want to start with the last one.

You have ample time, Minister.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Ample time. I do want to start
with the last one, the question asked about the Ber-muda school diploma.
Mr. Chairman, there is a graduation requirement in order to earn the Bermuda school diploma. It is
the graduation certificate that is internationally known
of what you get from graduating from public school. It
is the only diploma that you can have that al lows you to
apply to, whether it be the Bermuda College or overseas tertiary education entities because it proves that
you have achieved a level within the Bermuda public
school system and you have graduated based on the
graduation requirements. Currently those graduation
requirements are a minimum of three international
exam passes as well as satisfactory completion of the
rest of the credit hours that you need in order to pass.
That is three IGCSE [International General Certificate


Bermuda House of Assembly of Secondary Education] exams. It is just what we use
as our international benchmark.
There are other avenues for graduation that
are provided for public school students whether it be
through the City & Guilds or through Penn Foster, but it is an internationally recognised certificate that says
that you graduated from high school. So I do hope that
this answers that question because out of all the questions that were asked, that was the most shocking one.
What is the currency of that particular diploma?
I mean, that particular diploma is . . . Interestingly, if I
can embellish a little bit, I was having a conversation
with two of the private schools here recently and we
were talking about at one point in the past all schools,
public or private, were required to have that diploma.
And at some point prior to my time, prior to all of our
time, it was a diversion away from that. And private schools were allowed to . . . the private schools have
their diplomas [w hich] are accredited by overseas institutions and the like. But at some point it was required that everybody in Bermuda required that. Why we went away from that, you know, I have not really had an opportunity to research on that.
But starting at the beginning with Head 16,
which would cover the Ministry of Education . . . there
were answers here and now they are not [here].

All right. While you are finding those
answers, Minister, we will do a plug for the Parliament
(shall we?) for a moment and tell the listening public what they are listening to at the moment. Which is of course the Committee of Supply for the Estimates of
Revenue and Expenditure, i.e., Bermuda’s budget for the year 2024/25. And that is broken down into a series
of debates for various ministries and this particular debate is a five- hour debate on the Education Ministry.
And you have been hearing on the radi o the Minister
for Education, the Honourable Diallo Rabain. And you have been hearing questions from the Shadow Minister
for Education, the Honourable Ben Smith. And this is
broken down into four heads in the Budget Book. For
those who are following along in the Budget Book,
mainly Head 16— the Ministry of Education Headquarters; Head 17 —the Department of Education; Head
18—Libraries and Archives; and Head 41— Bermuda
College.
And at this moment the Minister is just trying to
locate answers and I think he may have them. I’m not sure.
Minister, no doubt you will interrupt me when
you have got them but for the moment I will just explain why we have paused for a moment.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: I will attempt to answer some
that I do know while—

And again, for the benefit of the listening public the Minister is supported by the professional
civil servants who would obviously have some of those
answers at their fingertips to assist.
So Minister, you have the floor. And I appreciate you may not follow in the same order as the questions were asked.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Yes.
Mr. Chairman, they say that repeating the
same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definitive of . . . it is the definition of insanity.
But I do believe that it is worth repeating. Some of the
questions . . . I would say probably a good portion of
the questions that were asked about Head 16, especially around the Education Reform Unit, the answers
are already out there in the public domain. But we will
answer them here because they have been asked.
But what I do . . . and when I say repeating the
same thing, is that I repeat my offer to the One Bermuda Alliance to allow the Education Reform Unit to do a presentation of what it is that they do, how they do
what they do, and what it is they are attempting to accomplish by doing it the way that they are doing it. And
I believe some of the questions asked would easily
come out of that type of presentation.
And so I want to start —

Indeed.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: And they do get that.
But I do want to begin with the scholarship. The
question was, How many scholarships are awarded?
That was actually something that was given in my Ministerial Statement this morning, so I would just grab the
Ministerial Statement and it speaks to . . . or was it in
the Ministerial Statement or was it in the brief? I think it
was in the brief when we talked about scholarships.
942 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly [Pause]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Ah! There we go!
Last year we received 168 applications. This
was an increase of 187 from the previous year when 141 were received and we issued out last year 72
scholarships and awards in total. We are looking to issue 103 . . . I believe it is 103 this year. I do apologise.
There were 96 issued eventually last year. And we are looking to issue 103 this year. And why I say eventually
is if you look at our scholarships, they will always denote up to the amount. And so after we issue them,
there are several students who do not spend all of
those funds.

Right.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: And whatever funds retain,
we call people up and say, We’ve got money for you.
And we send it out. So we have the initial group that we issue, and have the official ceremony and everything, but there are always students who come after the fact
that we issue awards to because we found more funding whether it was from funding that has remained or if
we have looked somewhere and found some funding and bring it over. That is one of those budgets you will
always hear me state, I want to see it at zero at the end
of the budget year because we are helping our students
to get off to school.
There was another question about the breakdown of scholarship applicants between private and public schools. I do not think we actually have that data
because every Bermudian is allowed to apply for a
scholarship from the Bermuda Government. As long as you have demonstrated you are . . . you can prove that
you are Bermudian and that you have attended a mini-mum of five years of schooling in Bermuda, you are el-igible to apply. And while some of them are financebased, there are some that are academic -based, and
some that are for students wi th exceptionalities. So
there are criteria there. Some are for strictly technical
educations so there are criteria there. But anybody who
applies and meets the criteria is considered and they
will be given a scholarship. Perhaps that is something that can be considered to use, to put in place, to actually record how many are from private school, how
many are from public school. But at this time because
we take everybody, we just leave it alone with that.
One question was asked, Can you give an update on the Education Authority? I can tell you that there is . . . as from the brief that was . . . now it is telling
me that I need permission to look at the document.
[Laughter]

Minister, when you are ready you have
the floor.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Okay. Apparently they have
sent me another document which I am requesting access to.
The question was about the Education Authority and the Education Authority . . . the intention is to
submit the legislation this year. It is not an overnight thing that will happen. There will be multiple phases to that.
The Education Authority Working Group is
working on getting that done. And we will keep the House and the public updated with that as soon as we
are ready to go with it. So it is not something I want to
pre-empt because there are all sorts of legal things that
are being asked and various bits and pieces around
that. So as we are able to discuss that more fully and
how it will be formed, what it will look like, cost and dif-ferent things as they are worked out we will continue to
ensure that the public is updated.
But the idea is to have the legislation drafted
and submitted in this legislative session while we . . .
and the continuing on of that. It is a massive undertaking. It is something that has never happened in Bermuda before. We are talking . . . as you would have
heard me speak to earlier this . . . in my brief, that the
Ministry of Education represents almost a quarter of the staff of the entire public service. And moving that many people from inside of the public service to an entity that
operates outside of the public service is not something
that can reasonably happen overnight. And it is not
something that we are going to have all of the answers
for right now as we move through the various stages to
actually develop that. [You] would know when we did the . . . when the One Bermuda Alliance did the Bermuda Tourism Authority and that was only maybe 40
people and it was an undertaking to actually have that
happen.


Bermuda House of Assembly Again, the cost of the Education Authority was
one question. As I said, this information we are just unable to provide that at this time. And the same [answer]
for, Can you give an estimated number of persons who
will be a part of the Authority and their pay.
There was question, Can you provide the number of teachers who have participated in Education Reform in this past year? There are 97 educators, classroom teachers, school leaders, education officers involved in school transformation and other committees
and working groups of reform. This is a demonstration of the widespread dedication to collaboratively redesign our public school system.
But I can say, and I think it can clear up one of
the . . . part of the question that was asked, the tone it
was asked was . . . these teachers are not pulled out of
the classroom and they are gone all week. They are
pulled out for specific times during the day and that is
when we talked about we are now looking at revamping
that. And so instead of being pulled out for say two
hours at the end of the day, how can we do more of that
after school hours . . . to not have the disruption? But
on occasion there are times when they are pulled out
for all -day workshops and those sorts of things, so we
are really looking at how we can move forward.
And this speaks to what we talked about in Education Reform of what we are doing. As we are doing
it in phases, we are looking to see how we can improve on what we have done before and provide better service than what we have done. And so that is where we
are looking at with that.
Have there been any contract changes for
teachers participating in Education Reform? The an-swer is no. Teachers are paid for overtime work when they work outside of school hours.
Will there be a reduction in the size and cost of
the ERU [ Education Reform Unit ]? This was not anticipated for this budget year.
Can you give a breakdown . . . you asked
about the trip that we took to Tokyo, and you asked for
a breakdown of the travel and how many people accompanied me. There was one person who accompanied me. That was the head of the ERU. The cost of the
trip was $9,585.70 which is found on the travel site for
Ministers. So that is in the public domain.
It is not listed here but you did ask, What was
the outcome of that trip and what did we actually find? We were able to visit schools. We were able to, first of
all, contribute to GELP, which is the conference we attended over there. It stands for Global E ducation [Leaders Partnership]. And these are countries from around
the world that are actually participating in education reform and the things they are doing. It is an opportunity
to actually sit and talk and share notes and compare
challenges, and different things that they are having so
we could get an opportunity to see how they are solving it.
What I do find interesting with the two that we
have gone to thus far is that there are a lot of questions being asked about some of the things we are doing.
Because they think some of the things that we are doing are quite novel and innovative. And what we are
doing and the way we are approaching it, and one of
the things that really captures everyone’s attent ion is
the fact that we are introducing an Education Authority.
And so many countries are saying, Well, how did you
even manage to get your Government to agree to this?
And so that is one of the things that we kind of get
asked questions about when we are there.
We also visited schools that have implemented
. . . some schools in Tokyo that are implementing
things like signature programmes and the like that is sort of what we are trying to do, not exactly what we are
trying to do, but sort of what we are trying to do. So we
get to see some of these things in operat ion and talk to
them about some of the challenges and things that they
are [having].
There are some institutions in the US that we
are looking at as well. They have instituted the same . . . one particular institution that we almost went to last
year probably had the signature school concept in place for about five or six years. So they have gone
through a lot of teething problems and it is easy to talk
to people who have done it versus us completely reinventing the wheel.
The singular thing that I think is most important
in what we are doing is it has to be Bermudian- based
and it has to be applicable to our country. So you can’t
just take something that someone is doing elsewhere
and just plop it down there. It has to be sensitised to
what it is in Bermuda. And that is when we talk about
inclusivity and cultural awareness as one of our workgroups to ensure that what we are doing fits into
what it is that Bermuda needs in terms of what our education system needs to elevate it self to. And so those
are some of the things that we get from there.
And I can say, to improvise on your question,
we have been approached by some Caribbean countries. They have called us and said, We would like to sit
down and talk with you. As a matter of fact, a few weeks
ago we had . . . it was the University of . . . the Ministry
of Education from Barbados contacted us. We had a very good Zoom call and they were able to ask questions about some of the things [we] are doing and how [we] are approaching it. So that is what we are looking
to do form these partnerships wi th other countries so
we can compare our notes and actually see how we are
doing, what we are doing, how they are doing things and if there is some synergy that we can get from that.
What is the estimated cost of the rescoring?
This is a question, Honourable Member Smith, you
have asked me before. I don’t quite understand that because the scoring process involves us doing everything
we did before. And there was never really a cost associated with that because it is public officers doing their
everyday job. Doing what they would normally do to
come up with this stuff, I guess, and so I am not quite
sure what you mean by the estimated associated extra
944 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly cost, because it is not something we have actually factored in.
But what I can say is that all of the schools that
we had agreed that we would do the rescoring have
been contacted. They have been asked to get in con-tact with us and we will be setting up meetings. I believe
they will start next week. Maybe some have not contacted [us]. But the idea is that each school will be able
to come and represent their school and answer questions specifically addressing the history and legacy
component with that. There has been . . . utilising the
History and Legacy Working Group, as well as some
technical staff, they have come up with what we try to
get to . . . our questions that could be asked, that could
reasonably be compared against each other.
It is really difficult when you are talking about
history and legacy because what is important to me is
not as important to you. But we have tried to come up
with some way where we can ask these questions and
get those types . . . and pull those types of answers out
of these groups that will represent these schools. And
tabulation will take place based on that and then the
rescoring will be made public. And once that rescoring
is made public, we will move forward with the continuing on with the Education Reform and that is coming up
with the phased- out plan, of when schools will phase
out, how they will phase out and different things like that.
The names of the schools to be rescored. I
stated this before. Every parish that has more than one primary school except Devonshire . . . and Devonshire
has Prospect Primary and Elliot Primary in it. And the
reason why that parish was not done is because E lliot
Primary was designated to become the Parish Primary
School, and Prospect Primary was designated to become the School for Exceptionalities. So it did not make sense going back and forth with that because both of them would still remain, eventually, wi th that.
The scoring . . . I just saw a message pop up
on my screen. What the actual . . . the only cost that the
rescoring has done, it has delayed our reform process. We have had to push things back at least another year.
And so . . . and that is where the . . . so the cost for that
is really us not being able to improve our education system for our students. That is the real cost of that. And
so the longer we maintain the system that we do have
and not transform, the longer our students do not get
the benefit of the new process.
Can we have an assessment of the Education
Reform programme? Yes, there will be an assessment of the programme.
Were the jobs advertised for the ERU reassignment? This is an interesting question because you are not the first person who has asked that question. And I
kind of wonder where that came from. This is the . . .
the Education Reform Unit is a reassignment of public
servants. There are no new people there. There are no
new people hired. And so they are reassigned to a . . .
basically it is a project management office that has been built up and then persons are reassigned. And ironically I believe the only pers on who has not been
. . . well, I want to say asked, is probably the leader. But
she was asked to say, Would you lead this up? The rest
of the persons came out . . . who are in that unit, are
persons who the Department of Education, through the
Commissioner, said, We have identified this person.
Can they come on? And in some cases we have gone
through the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth person
before we finally were able to say Yes, you can have
this person to come over there. And so it was done in
that fashion.
So it wasn’t like you picked people and said,
This person goes. This person goes. This person goes.
Except for Lisa DeSilva who is leading it up. That was
the person. We needed somebody to lead it and then
talking with her, to say, Well, who do you need on the
team? What is the skill set you need on the team? And
it was just put out there.
I know with the principals who are there, even
with that, it was something that was just put out to all
the principals, we said, We are doing this. This is the
type of skills that we need. Do you want to join? That
sort of thing. So that is how it was actually . . . that is
how those persons came about being on that team.
You asked about the consultants who are on
there. There is a consultant who deals with the data and
metrics. There is a consultant who deals with the project management of the infrastructure and there is a
person who deals with communications. And so those
were the skills sets that were not readily available within
the Department of Education. And so it was always that
we would look and see. We always recognised that there were some other things that are coming in there
that we do not normally do within the Ministry of Education that we would need to put things in place. And
that is the only reason that there are consultants, be-cause if they were already employees of the government, they would have been just asked to be reassigned.
So I think that kind of answers the role you
asked . . . What are the roles of the consultants in the
ERU? Because sometimes it gets confused with what Innovation Unit [IU] is doing there versus what these
consultants are. But they are doing their special part. Innovation Unit is our change process consultants who
are helping us to move Education Reform forward.
And one question was, Can you give a breakdown of the reduction in Professional Services? It was reduced because some of the work was carried out this
year, i.e., training. What we had invested for the previous year has been completed and so it is not bein g carried over to this year.
What deliverables were put in place for IU this
year? Yes, there are deliverables related to each of the 17 workstreams outlined in the brief. I think it is . . . without speaking too much out of school, I would say that when we first started this process it was, Help us figure
out how we move forward to where we want. This is


Bermuda House of Assembly where we want to go, how do we get from “A” to “B”?
So there was consultancy to say, Well, here are some
things you would need to put in place in order to get to
that part. Then it was the actual putting those things in
place to get to that part.
Now it is more of assistance to ensure that
there are Bermudians trained to continue this training
forward. And that is the position the Innovation Unit is
kind of in now. So, the amount of work that they were
doing, say the last year, is not as much as what they
were doing this year in terms of the leading out on the work. It is more of a support role for the Bermudians
who are now leading out on the work.
Now that we have the Education Reform Unit
virtually staffed, there are still a few spaces that still do
not have the right people we need to have in place, but
these are persons . . . they are all Bermudians leading
out in these work groups and they are the ones who are
basically leading them now with Innovation Unit providing support services to help them and ensure that they
are getting . . . they are able to move this work forward.
Will you need Innovation Unit going forward?
At this point I am not going to say yes and I am not
going to say no. And I preface that by saying, Whatever
needs to be done in order for us to improve our school system and to make sure it is more equitable for our
students, will be put in place. And I do make zero apologies for that. So if we have to bring Innovation Unit
back, we will bring them back. If we can bring them
back with a reduced work load, we will bring them back
with a reduced work load. But we will not stand and say, They will be gone by tomorrow, because we just want
to satisfy persons who want them gone tomorrow.
But what we will do is ensure that we keep the
people who need to be place in order to move Education Reform forward as well as it can. But the ultimate goal is that this work will be done by Bermudians for Bermudians in its totality at some point in the f uture.
And I can see the way the team is working now, that that goal is much closer today than it was yesterday.
Obviously.
How was consultation done with teachers and
is there continued consultation? The approach taken to
the change process is one where teachers, leaders, and community members work together to understand
the unmet needs and opportunities of the school communit ies; design and develop new practices and approaches to address these and then testing those propositions to ensure that they are able to be delivered and
achieve the changes we are working toward for student and academic well -being outcomes. Many opportun ities at the site of each school in transition and in the
communities they serve are offered through stakeholders to provide the feedback. These opportunities will
continue and are shared both by the school and using
the communication channels of the Education Reform Unit. These guys are always in schools developing
things with teachers and doing stuff with the teachers.
As I said, I will [gladly] take you inside and you can actually see this stuff. It is actually mind- blowing to see
the actual work and the amount of work they are doing,
and the amount of volunteer[ing] that some of these
teachers are doing as well.
When are the meetings held with teachers? As
stated in the brief, after school and during designated
professional learning time in schools and in the system.
Just as an aside, just to expand upon that, this year as
we have moved through Education Reform, 50 per cent
of all Professional Development is dedicated to Educa-tion Reform, in this particular year. And we look to maintain that. When we first started it was only a few
select teachers and now it is across all schools, not just
the schools going throug h transformation. Because the
idea is that once your school starts, we do not want you starting at zero. We want you to already understand
what some of these concepts are in order for us to move forward.
What has been the feedback from the two new
Parish Primary schools from teachers and parents? As we have all changed processes, as to be expected, the
feedback is mixed. I have attended PTA meetings myself and there are some that are like, Yeah. And some
are like, Go back to the old system. So we are always going to get that. But one thing that is universal is the
support for the continued improvement of the outcomes
for our students for Bermuda. And everybody actually
gets that part. We all . . . all we w ant to do is have our
students having a better outcome.
So, with both Purvis and Francis Patton, I will
not stand here and say that it has gone perfectly because it has not. But [what] I will say is that we continue
to work with the issues and work the problems and work their pain points and move forward. And a gain, I refer
back to our process of doing this in phases. So we do
not have 10 primary schools that are all having the
same issues. As we move through, we are going to improve on what we have done before. And I know this
year we have already put things in place based on the
lessons learned from how we got to where we got last
year with our buildings not being completed on time and
teachers not being in place and different things like that.
Have there been any new meetings with West
End and St. David’s Primary? Our meetings continue to
. . . meetings have been held and will continue to be
held. And you heard me talk about the rescoring process which means we . . . the team that is doing the
rescoring process will be meeting with the representatives of the schools that will be undergoing the rescoring process. I do know that there is a member or
members of West End Warriors, a part of the West End
Primary team, and with St. David’s Primary I k now they
have been quite vocal and have been sending the per-manent secretary all sorts of bits and pieces of information. So I assume when this meeting comes, the appropriate people will be there. For obvious reasons, as
the Minister I am not actually invo lved in the day -to-day
work of that because I do want the work to be done and
946 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly as transparent as possible without any inference of any
sort of bias and pushing of any way.
You asked about the attendance officers or
those not here, it just says, [27095] moved to 27090.
But I know you are talking about attendance officers because I mentioned that before. Yes, they moved. We
mentioned that last year as well that they moved.
Thankfully, in next year’s budget, if I am still here, which
I predict I will, hopefully, that will fall off because there will not be any more . . . you won’t even see it anymore
because there won’t be anything left for that.
Do attendance officers have to go out and find
students and bring them back to school? This is not the protocol. Collaborative measures are taken to address
a student’s return to school. The school counsellor, student, parent and if necessary outside agencies.
So we are getting into Head 17, Mr. Chairman,
which is the Department of Education, with some of
these questions.

Yes, thank you. Page B -137. Yes.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: And the next question I have
here is, Why do we need substitute teachers? The answer is provided in the brief on page 22.
So I will flip to page 22 of the brief and see what
they have here. And it says, Substitute teachers are essential to maintaining educational continuity at our schools. They step in when regular teachers are unavailable due to illness or leave. In the past a specialised
group of substitutes support our schools, especially during the cr itical phases of school transformation and
redesign. I do want to expand on that. One of the things
. . . and I want to expand on that as well. It is a question
that kind of t ies in to the question you had about para
as well. Throughout school it is very difficult to predict how many people are going to be out sick. It is very
difficult to predict someone is going to have something
happen in their life that prevents them from being in
school. It is very difficult. So, the number of substitutes
used per year actually just fluctuates.
And I know . . . it is something that I have challenged. And you see where I said in the brief, We have
challenged to come up with what is a better mechanism that we could possibly do so we don’t avoid these wild
swings. So that is something that I have challenged the
commissioner at the Department of Education to do,
but I have also challenged the Education Authority
Working Group. That is one of the things that we need
to really think about. How do we, you know, kind of
even that off in some way, shape or form so we kind of
have an expenditure that we can count on? Because I
have seen this as . . . we have seen us . . . I have done
a supplemental for all of a sudden, you know, substitutes go crazy. I know during COVID -19 years they
were just crazy going. But there has got to be a different
way to approach that and I am sure . . . again, it could
be just looking at how other jurisdictions actually do it
and see if we could come up with a way of kind of levelling off that. And understand that there should be
some fluctuation but I would expect, and hopefully in
the future, as we transform the system, we are not having these wild swings that we tend to see from time to
time.
What is the date of long- term absences for
teachers and is this why you need more substitute
teachers? Again, explaining, we really just don’t know
how that . . . and it says here, before I read it, that longterms can fluctuate. You just never know. Someone could fall down and hurt their leg and be back to work in a week. Another one could fall down and hurt their
leg and they are gone for six months. You just can’t
predict that.
Who puts the lesson plans in place for longterm substitutes? Long- term substitutes provide the
lesson plans and have assistance if needed from the
year-level teacher, teacher leader, or the principal.
What caused the increase for behaviour management? At the launch of Success Academy for girls we needed to hire additional staff to meet the specific
needs of female students. An additional educational
therapist was hired for female students. I do want to say
that at the primary level . . . both of the Success Academies have traditionally been all males, but they actually have females in them now.
Where is the funding for Success Academy
coming from? I think I kind of whispered to you. That is out of the alternative education. And it is weird because
I saw that in the budget line item and that is actually a
budget line item that has been put in ther e because
Success Academy had reached out at one point and said, Okay, we have everything to operate but we
would like to have funds to do things for our students.
You know, graduation ceremonies, parties, and different things. And so that is what that lit tle bit of money
was put in there for, but how it became its own line item,
I’m not really sure how that happened. The PS would
not be able to explain because that was before her
time.
Why has school psychology been reduced? At
the purchase of online software, the budget for tangible
assessments was reduced. And also one post was
transferred to 27061. I am not sure what cost centre
that was . . . behavioural management. It says somebody was transferred there and they got software in
place that actually does a lot of the manual work faster.
Are children going to one or multiple schools
for Vision? It says here that Vision students are allowed
to go to the school of their choice.
And if you allow me, Mr. Chairman, I am still
trying to get into this document that says I am denied.

Of 59, I believe you said there were in
total.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Okay.
What is the increase needed for learning support? It says, increase to fund teachers and programmes for the increase of the number of students with special needs. You would have heard me say in
my brief that we are finding more and more students
coming in to our system who have these particular
needs. You know, it is an issue that is rising. And actu-ally, [this] will feed into a question you had that I do not
think was fully captured here but I really did want to . . .
I really . . . I wrote some notes here to ensure that I answered that.
It says here, additional comments, there are 75
students (let me just make this a little bigger) at Child Development Programme that are on the wait list for
developmental assessment from a psychologist. Mr.
Chairman, 42 children of the 72 [sic] children have also
been referred for autism assessment. To give you an
idea of what it is we are actually dealing with, and if the
listening public is not fully aware, the Child Development Programme is a free service for all parents to get their children tested and looked after. I believe it goes
from zero to three, where a lot of these assessments take place. Unfortunately, it is free but we do not have 100 per cent participation in this programme.
So I urge any parent out there, or a new parent,
to consider having your child go through this and you could capture something that you never saw or you
didn’t realise was there that could also lead to better outcomes because we are capturing it earlier an d are
able to put interventions in place in order to ensure that
our students get that necessary rectifications that they
need.
Will there be a need for paraprofessionals
moving forward? Again, I think I answered that where I
said that it kind of fluctuates. It says here that we can
provide that information at a later date, but it is just one of those things. The qualification for a paraprofessional
to be in the classroom and in some cases it is . . . I
would say . . . I as at a school . . . and a personal one.
I was at a school the other day and we were speaking
and they had gotten students who had not gone
through any of the processes but they were obviously students who needed additional help. And they were
saying, Well, what do we do? The student just showed
up at the door. And they are now struggling to kind of
. . . the school is struggling to kind of make it through.
So that is an indication, you know, if we knew,
we could have had something there before this child
even made it there. But that is just the nature of the
beast that we are dealing with. And as we move forward
these are the types of things you capture to s ay, Well, how can we do . . . what processes can we put in to
actually do this differently as we move forward?
Is the Minister responsible for everyone in that
area and are there a number of students? Yes. There
are currently . . . and you asked about students . . . I
believe this is the one about autism. There are currently
42 primary, 6 middle school, and 10 preschool students
within our system. And that was [27083], if you wanted
to follow . . . yes, autism.
Business unit 27041, [School Transport] has
there been a request for the department’s transport for the Bermuda School Sports Federation [B.S.S.F.]? As
of today there have been no requests. None that I know
of. And for clarity, Bermuda School Sports Federation
is a registered charity. And so they can . . . so I am not
really sure how they operate to get the events on.
And you also asked, when schools go on assignments, is the Department of Transportation used or
do parents have to transport? It says, schools organise
their own transport to B.S.S.F. events. Parents do not
have to transport students. They are encouraged t o be
in support of their PTA participating in B.S.S.F. events. And that is an interesting question, but when we did talk
about Education Reform and we talked about the
movement to Parish Primary Schools one of the entities
talked about that was transportat ion . . . and the need
for Bermuda to develop a sort of intraschool bus system. Whether it is minibus, whether we have our own
minibuses that go back and forth. So that is something
that when you look about the future of education in Bermuda, you recognise that thi s is something that actually
does need to be in place.
As I mentioned in the brief, Dame Marjorie
Bean [Hope Academy] has three buses. One was donated and the department issued another one. I know
while I have been Minister, I made the suggestion that
we use those to transport our autism students around.
Because once they go to Dame they kind of . . . they
are there for the day. So that does happen as well. So those buses and those bus drivers are used to transport
students at our various schools to programmes like
WindReach and such. So we do kind of get that done.
But in terms of schools getting to the B.S.S.F. events, schools do tend to organise through various means,
parents pitch in, and they kind of do have minibuses and stuff. They do get them there.
Was gardening, Maker Spaces, et cetera, included in the budget and other operations . . . Parish
Primary Schools? The short answer to that is yes. Those things are factored in. If I remember signing off
on something, it was some gardening crew that was
signed off to do projects at Francis Patton and Purvis.
And I do know [with] Maker Spaces you would have
heard in the brief by Junior Minister Swan where he
talked about [how] we are partnering with [the Ministry
of] Culture to create Maker Spaces within schools as
well. And so that is on the way.
Schools. What is the difference between primary schools and special schools, salary versus other?
948 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly I don’t remember hearing that one but I can tell you
there is no difference. They are all under the . . . they
are all . . . all of our employees are paid under the collective bargaining agreement. So whatever category
they fall in, that is what they would be paid.
You are looking puzzled. I’m just reading what
is here.
[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: It says, What is the difference between primary schools and special schools?
And then it has salaries versus other.

[Inaudible interjections]
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Okay.

Minister, you have the floor.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Okay. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,
Mr. Chairman. I’m sorry, MP Smith.
We would obviously have to get that information. It is not something they [would] readily have here.
Heron Bay and Clearwater. What is the cost for
and where are the teachers? That is an interesting question. Because it is a question I have been asking
since the beginning of September as well. There was a
more substantive answer here so I guess when it disappeared and it came back . . . but I remember reading
the substantive answer because it was something I
have been asking for.
One of the questions I wanted to know was why
is it still appearing as a line item and the schools have now been closed over a year. The issue is that the
teachers, while they are in different locations, the Government process is these mythica l PID numbers, that
everybody talks about, have to be moved from one department to another department. And these numbers
have not been moved yet. So while these teachers are in a different location, teaching, their numbers are still
registered against those particular schools. And so that
is why it is still there. And we are still trying to figure out,
you know . . . So what I have asked for what we are
looking for and we can possibly provide them, hopefully, is that we have said, Well, forget about the PIDs,
where are the teachers? Just let us know where they
are. So we are hoping to get that report at some point.
Because I didn’t realise they were waiting for the PIDs to move, because that’s . . . I am like, What happened?
We have been asking for this for months, for t hat part.
Are there any teachers holding acting positions? Do they get extra pay? Will they move to full time under Education Reform? To use the term that a former
Minister used to use, It is like a Hollywood movie
around here. Everybody is an actor. Right? That is what
it feels like when you are walking through the Depart-ment of Education sometimes. There is a concentrated
effort to clear up all these acting positions because the
issue that we have with acting positions . . . the way
government works, if someone is acting . . . so for example. If a principal is going to act somewhere else,
they still occupy that principal role. So you cannot appoint a principal there. So you have to put in an acting
principal there. And until this person is either resigned
from being a principal or assigned to that role, this person remains acting.
And so it is like that within government. Whenever someone moves to somewhere else, they act up
and someone comes, and in some cases, they just stay
in this position for a ridiculous number of years and it
really should not happen.
And so I do know that the Permanent Secretary
is really looking into that and looking to slowly clean up all of these acting positions that are all over the place
within Education. But anyone in an acting role gets paid
what that position pays. However, the issue we have
when it comes to other parts like the pension and different things like that, they are still pensionable in the
role that they hold, not the role that they are acting in.
And so that is when multiple years become an issue.
This is why it has been looked at and there is
rife through the Department of Education and it needs
to be cleaned up. And it is actually being very ardently
addressed at the moment to get those sorted out. Be-cause it just should not, some of these positions should
not have gone on for the number of years they have in
this way.
What is the percentage of performance appraisals discontinued and where can I find the infor-mation? Performance appraisals take place annually
for the Department of Education and school staff. This
information is held at the Department of Education.
What is the outcome of psycho- educational assessments and what needs to be done to get to 10 per
cent? I guess we are waiting for that answer.
Why wasn’t health and safety 100 per cent?
Due to ageing facilities, there is constant health and safety issues to address. That is one of the issues with


Bermuda House of Assembly our buildings. Our youngest primary school building is
50 years old, or something. And some of these things
are just built with things they should not have been built
with. And there is constant . . . and one of the great
fears is the summer works, when you are having to go
in and do summer work on a building and you think you
are just painting a wall, you take down something and
all of a sudden, oh, there is whole issue here. And some
of those times . . . and that sometimes causes delays
in school openings and different things. And it is really getting to the point where you know, we do just need to come in and do some radical things to our buildings.
Why are health inspections conducted once a
year? Health and safety inspections are conducted throughout the school year, not just once a year.
How many preschoolers make up the 10 per
cent falling below target? Twenty out of the 266 pre-schoolers make up the 10 per cent falling below target.
The 10 per cent receive specialised teaching and made
progress throughout the school year.
What needs to be done to get the percentage
of quality classroom lessons higher? Professional development, speaking to rigour and relevance inquiry
approach to teaching and learning and ESA.
Explain why middle school percentages are
forecasted to be lower. It could be driven by the specific
cohort of data as student profiles look differently each
year.
How to increase achievement of IGCSE in middle school? We increase achievement by . . . and I can
speak to this personally as a parent with a child who just finished middle school. It says here, we increased
achievement in IGCSEs by identifying first the students
most proficient to do IGCSEs with teachers competent to deliver effectively, then we prepare those students. I
think your question was, we had one line that talked about math achievement and English achievement and you had another line that said there is a high percentage of passage. IGCSEs in middle school are effectively doing these exams two years before they are supposed to ready to do it. So only students who are at that
level are given the opportunity to do the extra work, because it is extra work.
As I said, I can speak to it as a parent of a student who did two IGCSEs and passed at the middle school level. [There] is regular work and then they do
additional work just to get them prepared for that. So it
is not something that every student can handle. And it
is typically with students who can handle it are the ones
who do it and then it normally leads to the high percent-age of passes. Kind of like our private schools.
How are we reaching 90 per cent in City &
Guilds in reading? But there is an assessment of . . . it
says 6 per cent but I think it is a 60 per cent of math
and English when we are getting . . . It says here we
will have to come back with a response to that. And I can actually see somebody still typing the [answer]
there. Percentage of schools achieving their school
improvement plan objective for reading. It was 50 per
cent. It has now been discontinued. When can we ex-pect the next assessment? Again, that is some information . . . because when . . . I looked in the [Budget]
Book because you said it has been discontinued for two
years. And just [to] say we don’t have that information
readily on hand. But we will try and obtain that at a later
date.
Is student gaining college acceptance percentage acceptable compared to other public education systems? We do not have an analysis or comparison to
other jurisdictions. The percentage is acceptable given
the criteria to be admitted to college meets the ent ry
standard requirement. As I said, I talked about it earlier, my first [answer] was the high school diploma that is
issued gives you the opportunity to attend. Of course there are extra classes depending on, you know, you
might be trying to . . . an ivy l eague school, you need a
little extra, AP courses and different things like that. But
it is capable of getting you into a university. And I was
thinking, well, maybe some people just don’t apply. You
know, that could be one of things that goes there.
But it is something to monitor and I am hoping
that the Education Reform Unit is listening because that
is one of those things I would like to see them actually
look at and see what is going on there. Because when
we go to the graduation ceremonies, there is always
this . . . everybody is going off to school. So I am not
. . . so I get you when you are saying there is 60 per
cent. When I go to Berkeley graduation and CedarBridge graduation, it surely isn’t 60 per cent who are
saying they have been accepted into university or accepted into Bermuda College and different things. It is actually, typically, I would say maybe around 15 per
cent, at most 20 per cent who say they are going directly into the job field. So that did . . . when you pointed
it out, it actually stands out for me as well. So, I do thank
you for that.
What percentage of students take AP exams?
About 1 [per cent] to 3 per cent of senior students do
AP exams. I would posit that that is an actual low num-ber and it is probably something that does need to be
looked at as well.

One to three. Thank you.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: —of our students do AP exams. And actually, that gets me down to the last ques-tion. But they have given me more information about
your last question about the diploma. And it says, it is
an accumulative GPA of 2.0 over four years. In addition, students must meet 24 credits —remember I did
950 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly say credits, but I did not say which ones —consisting of
language arts, math, sciences. IGCSEs are required in
those three subjects. Language arts, math and science,
and then social science and electives and community
service hours are part of their criteri a as well to get your
Bermuda school diploma.
I think I answered all the questions. Actually,
there is not one there . . . I had here that the Shadow
Minister asked about the need to close schools. I think
when you talked about it, you were asking about what
is the cost savings of closing schools and such. And this is something I really want the listening public, and
all of us, to understand.
What we have recognised is that our school
system is inequitable in the way we distribute our resources. And if you have a school . . . as you saw, as
we talked about, there are more students who need
specialised services. There are more students who are
coming in with issues that need those resources there.
And if you have got a school that has four students in
P5 and another school that has four students in P5, you
can combine those, have one teacher, and then you
have freed up a resource that is greatly needed. But at
the bare minimum we have to have a teacher in both of
these classes. And when you have a teacher in both of those classes, it may be at the sacrifice of having a resource that one student in one of those classes really
needs some little extr a help. And so this is when we
look at it.
So it is not necessarily a cut across the board
in terms of the cost of operating the school system. It is an exercise of looking at how we can more effectively
use the resources and the funding that we do have to
ensure that our students get the necessary services
that they need. As you have heard me read in the brief,
we are seeing more and more incidences of autism, of behavioural issues, and different things like that. And like I said, if you have got two or three . . . in some
cases you have three scho ols, you know. In some areas we have three schools . . . in one parish we have
schools where the total number between all of the schools is less than the number in one school somewhere else. And so we have to really look at that and
see how we [can] be more equitable in the way that we distribute our resources.
The other part about that is the way education
has been funded goes, this is how many students I have, this is how many classes I have, this is how many
teachers I have. It does not take into account the demographic that is actually coming to that school. And
what the resources that that demographic needs are in
addition to just having a teacher in the classroom. And
so we have never looked at it from that perspective and
that is part of the revamping of education.
How do we look at it? How do we look at a better funding model that ensures our students get what it is that they get so they can be the best that they can
be? Because at the end of the day Bermuda graduates
too few citizens (and that is between public and private schools) for us to leave anybody behind. We actually
do need to put things in place to ensure everybody at
least gets the opportunity to excel to the point that they
will be a productive citizen in our country.
And so with that, Mr. Chairman, . . . and I do
apologise for looking at the Shadow Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
First of all , I would like to thank the Minister for
the fulsome answers that he has provided so far. His
last set of answers were touching on a question that I believe has not been answered. And that was because
of . . . you know, we have the overall cost for each
school, if we could get the breakdown of the class
sizes, everything that the Minister just said alluded to,
you know, there are three schools in one particular parish, this is how many students total. It would be really
good if we were able to know the actual numbers so
when we are comparing to the overall cost of the
school, we are looking at those correct numbers.
There was another question that I asked which
was specific to class sizes of P7s for the two Parish
Primary Schools, September and then present. Is there
any difference at all? I want to know whether it has
grown, whether people have moved out, because as
we are going through this transition obviously some of
those things will happen as parents are making decisions based on the changes that are happening. So if
the Minister could follow -up on those two questions,
that would be helpful.
Thank you.

Thank you.
Honourable Minister, you have the floor.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you.
I will switch to this other document I have which
may be more fulsome. I may have missed that one
where you are talking about . . . as you saw, for some
reason the document . . . Oh, I think I found it here.
What is the number of students in P7 who
started in Francis Patton and Purvis? And indicate if
there are any changes to those numbers. That is the


Bermuda House of Assembly question. Okay, year 7, Parish Primary School enrolment.
Francis Patton started with 15 students in September 2023 and the enrolment continues at 15. Purvis
Primary started at September 2023 with 24 students and currently has 11 students. That means a difference
of 13 students with one student pending transfer at the
end of the 2023/24 school year.
I do want to qualify that. I know Purvis Primary
has had more issues than Francis Patton with some of
the construction work that is going on up there. And that has led to a challenge in the confidence of some of
those students. But I do believe the last report we had,
the bulk of those students . . . one of them went to private and the rest of them went to Sandys Secondary Middle School because they were P7, so they are going
to middle school.
And so things have been put in place . . . there
has been a lot of work that happened at Purvis to . . .
there are things that happened at the beginning of the
year that were not ideal. And I don’t . . . and some of it
has to do with personnel matters. And I do not want to
go into personnel matters because they are private.
(But we have a private conversation about that . [They]
have really not led to good outcomes .) But we have resolved those and I think they are in a good wicket now.
And one of the things that surprised me was we
had, you know, they did some professional development up there and I saw some videos from some of the
teachers who were saying, you know, This is great!
This is great! Which really caught me off guard because the one time I went up there the teachers were like,
Argh! But then . . . that gives me confidence that they
are doing some of the things to right that ship. And we
definitely are looking to have that building up there finished for September of this year. And they will have . . .
they will probably be one of the more well -resourced
primary schools once those buildings are completed,
moving into the next year.
The other question you had, which is an interesting one, and I do actually see here because I see I
wrote it down because I did not see it in here. And that
is the cost per school. This is an interesting question for
public school because I tend to ask . . . and I am not
being facetious when people ask me that. And they say,
Well, you guys pay $20,000 per student. And I say,
Well, what type of student? Because in the public
school, you know, are you talking about a student who is on the autism spectrum [where] we [have] got a reduced student per teacher ratio, where they put all these different things in place.
Are you talking about a student who has a
physical disability and we now got to modify the school just so the student can get around? Are we talking
about a student who is hard of hearing? Are we talking
about a student who is vision impaired? Are we talki ng
about a student who has behavioural challenges and
now we have a psychologist, behavioural therapist and
different things that are now assigned to that particular person? Or are you talking about a student who has
both parents at home, comes to school, does their
work, goes home? You know, because it . . . it is very
difficult for me to justify saying, Okay, it is $10,000 per student. When I know that in one class one student may
have a total bigger cost than another student in that
class. But I get what you are saying.
And the department . . . it came to my attention
last year that the department does produce a report on
the number of students in both public and private
schools, the number of teachers in public and private schools, the number of spouses of Bermudians, th e
number of . . . So, they have this report that they produce on a yearly basis. And I did promise, once I found out, that this report would be made public. Because the
public needs to know this. And it is something that I still
intend to do.
My promise to the Commissioner is that I would
want this report published by January of this year. Because it comes out at the end of . . . they have a day
that they call, like the recording day. I think it is like Oc-tober 31. And whoever is in the school on October 31,
that is the date that they use. But it did come and it had
some errors. We sent it back to say, Can you fix this?
And I know that the revised one has come but then we were into budget stuff and we didn’t really do anything
with it. But it is something that I do want to put out to
the public. At the minimum, publish on the website. And so people will be able to go there and see what the
number of students was four or five years before to
what we have now. How many students in what primary
scho ol and different things like that.
I will also refer MP Smith to a Ministerial Statement I did in here probably around October, when I talked about an update on Education Reform. And I explicitly talked about the number of students in every primary school currently, because it was at that t ime already (October 31). So that is why I think it was October. And I published that. And it was . . . I will say it was
an eye- opener for people to say, Whoa! But this is how
many students we have. But we do have the numbers
for middle school. We do have the numbers for senior
school. We do have the numbers for special schools. And I am making the commitment now live and direct
that we will publish that report and that report will be in the public domain.

Thank you, Minister.
We have been hearing responses from the
Minister for Education, Diallo Rabain.
Is there any other Member who wishes to
speak in the debate?
There being none . . . Okay. Minister. You have
the floor. And that will conclude the debate. And if you would like to move your heads.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Again, thank you, Members for your questions.
It is always a pleasure to talk about education. It is
952 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly always a pleasure to get the facts out into the public
domain. And once again, I will let anyone know we will
not shy away from answering any questions, even the
hard ones that point to things that we need to do better.
And so with that, Mr. Chairman, I move that
Heads 16, 17, 18 and 41 be approved as —do I say as
printed? Or as corrected?

It has been moved that Heads 16, 17,
18 and 41 be approved as both printed and subsequently corrected.
Is there any objection?
There being no objection; it is approved.

[Motion carried: Ministry of Education, Heads 16, 17, 18
and 41 were approved as corrected and will stand as
part of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for
fiscal year 202 4/25.]

And further . . . No. We are not rising
and reporting progress, are we? We are moving on to the next debate.
And the next debate is a three- hour debate.
Both for the benefit of the Members and members of the listening public, the second and final debate for to-day is the debate on the non- ministries. Which if you
are following along in your Budget Book are Heads 1,
2, 5, 56, 63, 85, 92, 98 and 101.
And just to make that a little bit more sensible,
rather than a bunch of numbers, those non- Ministry departments in the Budget Book that I just read out are in fact the Governor and Staff; Legislature; Office of the Auditor General; Human Rights Commission; Parliamentary Registrar; Ombudsman’s Office; Internal Audit; Information Commissioner’s Office; and last but not
least, Privacy Commissioner’s Office Head 101.
So all of those heads are now for debate in a
three- hour debate commencing at 5:09 and concluding
at 8:09. I am now looking to see who on the Government’s side will be leading this debate. I believe it is the
Minister Vance Campbell. Is that right, Minister Campbell? This is yours?

Hon. Vance Campbell: Most of it.

Thank you. You have the floor.

Hon. Vance Campbell: And so, Mr. Chairman, I move
the following heads: Head 1, Governor and Staff; Head
2, Legislature; Head 5, Office of the Auditor General;
Head 56, Human Rights Commission; Head 63, Parliamentary Registrar; Head 85, Ombudsman’s Office;
Head 92, Internal Au dit; Head 98, Information Commissioner’s Office; and Head 101, Privacy Commissioner’s Office be now taken under consideration.

Thank you, Honourable Minister.
It has been moved that the various heads just
set out by the Honourable Minister be taken under con-sideration.
Is there any objection?
There is no objection.
Minister, you have the floor. Please move the
heads when you are ready . . . sorry, please speak to
the heads when you are ready.

Hon. Vance Campbell: So, as I stated, Mr. Chairman,
Minister Tinee Furbert will lead off with Head 56, Human Rights Commission.

Thank you, Minister.
We now are to hear from Minister Tinee Furbert
on Head 56, Human Rights Commission.
Thank you. Minister, you have the floor.

NON -MINISTRY HEADS

HEAD 56 —HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


Bermuda House of Assembly I am pleased to present the 2024/25 Budget
Brief for Head 56 on behalf of the Human Rights Commission, a non- ministry office, found on pages B -17, B -
18 and B -19 of the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, the Commission is Bermuda’s
National Human Rights Institution and the statutory
body charged with the promotion and protection of human rights in Bermuda. The Human Rights Act 1981
was enacted by the Bermuda Legislature in December
1981, and shortly thereafter in early 1982 the Commission was established to administer the Act.
Mr. Chairman, the Human Rights Commission
is comprised of seven public officers together with five
to twelve independently appointed Human Rights Commissioners. The head of the public authority is the executive officer who serves as accounting officer for the
Commission and is responsible for maintaining a sound system of internal controls that safeguard the public
funds and assets.
The Commission is administratively accountable to the Minister with responsibility for Human Rights,
the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors,
in accordance with section 13(5) of the Act, the Commission receives a budget allocation from the Legislature.
Mr. Chairman, in 2022 the Selection and Appointment Committee who is established by section 13A of the Act appointed a panel of 13 members to the Human Rights Tribunal. This followed amendments to
the Act in 2021, which marked an important step in ensuring that Bermuda has an independent Human
Rights Tribunal that can efficiently and expertly adjudicate human rights cases. The establishment of the independent tribunal served in strengthening an im-portant pillar in Bermuda’s human rights framework.
The amendment created a clear separation between the role and the function of the Commission and the tribunal, as the panel members are independently appointed by the Selection and Appointment Committee
and are not members of the Commission.
Mr. Chairman, the Commission’s vision is a
Bermuda that honours human rights for all. Its mission
is found on page B -17. As it relates to the provision of
services to the public, the Commission’s objectives are
• to inquire into and investigate human rights related complaints of discrimination and harassment;
• to resolve human rights complaints through
mediation;
• to facilitate effective administrative support for
human rights tribunals;
• to educate the community on the principles of
human rights, inclusion and equality;
• to work with stakeholders to promote the pro-tections afforded under the Human Rights Act
of 1981 and to uphold the principles of human
rights for all;
• to inform the government of human rights matters inclusive of those that require the development of policies designed to
strengthen protections;
• to influence and support the development of Bermuda’s human rights laws and policies;
• to maintain a team of highly competent professionals to manage the daily operations of the
Commission; and
• to act independently in accordance with the
Commission’s statutory duties and to continue
to strengthen the Commission’s ability to func-tion with the requisite independence of a national human rights institution.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to now draw your
attention to page B -17 of the Estimates Book —

Yes, page B -17.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
—where you will note that the Commission’s
original budget for financial year 2023/24 was
$1,347,000. The budget for the upcoming financial year
2024/25 is $1,380,000, which represents a 2 per cent
increase of $33,000.
Mr. Chairman, the Human Rights Commission
is comprised of three business units: business unit 66020, Office of the Commission; business unit 66030,
Appointment Committee; business unit 66040, Tribunals. I will speak to the allocated expenditures for each.
Business unit 66020, Office of the Commission. The Office of the Commission provides
• strategic operational management of the Com-mission;
• complaint management and dispute resolution
services;
• coordination of education and outreach initiatives to the community on principles of human
rights; and the
• provision of policy recommendations to the government on local and international human
rights matters.
The budget allocation for the financial year
2024/25 for business unit 66020 is $1,296,000, an increase of $138,000. The increase will be addressed
further in the subjective analysis.
Business unit 66030, Appointment Committee,
the budget allocation for financial year 2024/25 for busi-ness unit 66030 is $24,000. The increase of $23,000 reflects the cost associated with the statutory requirement of the Selection and Appointment Committee to
make appointments every two to three years in accordance with section 13B of the Human Rights [Amend-ment] Act 2021 with the last appointments occurring in
2022.
Business unit 66040, Tribunals. The budget allocation for financial year 2024/25 for business unit
66040 is $60,000. The projected expenditures within
this business unit relates to the statutory functions of
the Tribunal who is responsible for adjudicating human
954 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly rights complaints referred to the tribunal. This budget
allocation represents a decrease of $128,000.

Subjective Analysis

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the subjective
analysis for Head 56 can be found on page B -18. Salaries, the full -time employee headcount for the Office
of the Commission is eight. And the budget allocation for Salaries for the financial year 2023/24 was
$711,000. The budg et for the financial year 2024/25 is
$846,000, an increase of $135,000, or 19 per cent to
align three job descriptions: the executive officer; the
manager, finance and administration (formerly an administrative officer); and the project officer with functions preformed within the organisation to be reflective
of the roles and responsibilities of the institution.

Professional Services
Hon. Tinee Furbert: The 2024/25 budget accounts for
$293,000, a decrease of $153,000, or 34 per cent. This
is mainly attributable to the completion of a one- off web
development project in the prior year, and reorganisa-tion enabling phasing out previously outsourced roles and responsibilities.
Within this allocation $123,000 represents
costs for the Communications’ consultant and a vendor for the development of policies and procedures to progress the implementation of the Commission’s 2023 –
2025 Strategic Plan. In accordance with sections 14F,
14J and 15(1), $17,723 is allocated to the Commission’s Voluntary Mediation Programme. Also, in ac-cordance with section 18( 1A), funding of $47,250 is allocated to the court costs in relation to litigation where
legal counsel is conflicted. The Commission intends to intervene in a tribunal manner or due to capacity chal-lenges.
Within this budget, $54,000 is allocated for the
remuneration of Tribunal panel members to perform
their statutory adjudication functions; $10,000 for the
remuneration of the Selection Appointment Committee;
and $14,800 for contracted services to provide administrative support to the Selection and Appointment Committee and Human Rights Tribunal.
The 2024/25 budget accounts include $18,900
for a new initiative for Annual Managed IT Services, IT and Telephone Services.
Other expenses within the Professional Services include costs associated with the Disability and Inclusion Speaker to promote and increase awareness
and inclusion, the duty to accommodate and increase
the understanding of duty -bearers and rights -holders, a
temporary office manager and legal intern.
Rentals. The budget allocation for rentals has
increased by $13,000 primarily as a result of an increase in rent. In comparison to the 2023/24 rent allocation of $116,000, the 2024/25 budget of $129,000 accounts for an 11 per cent increase in rental costs, the
first increase within eight years.
Repair and Maintenance. The budget allocation for Repair and Maintenance has increased by
$16,000 to $48,000. This reflects an annual cleaning service as the office (post COVID -19) has increased
hosting in -person meetings, such as educational sessions, lunch and learns, mediation sessions and tribu-nals.
Mr. Chairman, the remaining line items are at
minimum changes. Employee numbers, page B -18. Mr.
Chairman, you will note that there are eight full -time
equivalent positions for the Human Rights Commission
for fiscal year 2024[/25]. This is one more than 2023/24
as explained previously for line item 1, in the subjective
analysis.

Performance Measures
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the department’s
performance measures can be found on page B -19 of
the Estimates Book.
Mr. Chairman, the Human Rights Commission
has a statutory duty to try and resolve complaints that
arise out of allegations of discrimination or harassment.
As well, the Commission provides education and guidance on the protections afforded under the Human Rights Act 1981.
Mr. Chairman, the complaints management
and dispute resolution processes involve several stages which I will briefly outline below.
Ahead of sharing the key statistics for the 2023
calendar year, the executive officer performs a screen-ing function of all complaints filed with the Commission
and has statutory powers to investigate complaints, collect evidence and refer meritorious compl aints to the
Human Rights Tribunal. Throughout the complaint -handling process efforts are made to facilitate the resolution of the complaints.
During the 2023 calendar year, there were 150
intakes received by the Office of Human Rights Commission which represented a 28 per cent increase from
previous years which saw 108 intakes; 74 per cent of
the intakes received were resolved within the calendar
year with 26 per cent of intakes remaining ongoing.
Mr. Chairman, the Commission provides a robust triage and referral process to assist the public in
finding a resolution to their query or complaint in the
event their matter does not appear to fall under the ju-risdiction of the Human Rights Act of 1981. During the
period various intakes, once screened, were referred to
the Labour Relations Office. Additional referral agencies included the unions, the Department of Health, the
Ombudsman of Bermuda, the Bermuda Health Council,
the Bermuda Police Service, Age Concern, advocacy
groups and non- profit organisations such as the
Women’s Resource Centre and CURB in referrals for
independent legal advice.


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, when a matter is referred for investigation, in the first instance parties are offered the
opportunity to engage in the Commission’s Voluntary Mediation Programme. Where parties agree to partici-pate, efforts are aimed at assisting the parties to mutu-ally resolve their complaints by bringing parties to a
complaint together with an independent mediator who
assists them to achieve a resolution.
In 2023, parties of 10 matters participated in
mediation, three matters were resolved through media-tion, two matters did not result in a resolution, there are currently five matters still actively engaged in the mediation process. Based on a review of matters currently
before the Commission, it is anticipated that approxi-mately 11 matters will be engaged within the mediation services provided by the Commission during the finan-cial year of 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, following an investigation where
a complaint appears to have merit, and it appears un-likely that the parties can resolve the complaint, the ex-ecutive officer shall refer the complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal for adjudication in accordance with sec-tion 18(1) of the Act. After hearing a complaint, the Tribunal shall determine whether the Act has been contravened and may order any party to do any act or thing that constitutes full compliance with the Act and may order any party to rectify any injury caused to the com-plainant in the form of financial restitution. Any order made by the Tribunal under section 20 of the Act shall
be made an order of the Supreme Court and is enforceable in the same manner as an order of that court.
Mr. Chairman, there are seven cases before
the Tribunal for adjudication and, based on historic trends, this number is expected to rise approximately [to] 12 before the end of the financial year of 2023/24.
If these historic trends continue throughout the financial
year of 2024/25, a further five cases will be before the Tribunal bringing this number to as high as 17 cases through the financial year.
Mr. Chairman, throughout the financial year the
Commission’s commitment to creating awareness of the Human Rights Commission and educating Ber-muda’s residents about their human rights, has driven their strategic communications and educational initia-tives. Their comprehensive plan featuring focus
groups, stakeholder engagement, lunch and learns,
media interviews and an impactful awareness video,
justify the Commission’s budget allocation for commu-nications and public awareness.
Participation in a range of panel discussions,
presentations and engagements reflect the Commis-sion’s education mandate in support of rights awareness as exemplified by the Commission’s Human
Rights Day activities including a 90- minute in- person
education session and panel discussions. Their commitment to collaboration and inspiring individuals to make a difference underscore the significance of their communication efforts. Mr. Chairman, the communications strategy
deployed throughout the fiscal year appears to have re-sulted in an increase of understanding amongst the public of their human rights. The Commission, its func-tions and their role in Bermuda as they have indicated,
a 28 per cent increase in reporting on human rights
contraventions which is demonstratable of the public’s
growing knowledge of the rights available to them. Where these matters appear to be meritorious, they will be referred onward to the Human Rights Tr ibunal unless resolved sooner through the mechanisms such as the Commission’s Voluntary Mediation Programme.
Mr. Chairman, on 21 March 2024, the Human
Rights Commission will host a Human Rights Confer-ence. This event will define human rights and pave the way for meaningful discussions on inclusion and ac-cess and the role each one of us has in ensuring human rights are fully embraced. For more information, I invite
Members of this Honourable House to visit the Com-mission’s website humanrights.bm
.
Mr. Chairman, looking ahead to the next financial year, the Commission aims to intensify its impact to ensure transparency and accountability. The Commission’s strategic plan will be publicised with a particular
focus on disability awareness and inclusion. The Commission’s overarching goal is to maintain a consistent drum beat of human rights education, reinforcing dedi-cation to promoting awareness and understanding in Bermuda.
The Commission will remain focused on the
implementation of the organisation’s strategic plan which incorporates a communication plan aimed at in-creasing engagement with various stakeholders throughout the community to empower the public in un-derstanding their rights and responsibilities, to increase
the public’s knowledge of their human rights, the human rights framework in Bermuda, and the full scope of services provided.
The Commission’s plans include doubling the
number of hosted lunch and learns, introducing a podcast, and conducting quarterly media interviews.
Strengthening their social media presence will be a pri-ority by fostering increased online engagement. The advancement of policy recommendations remains at the forefront of the Commission’s focus to fully modern-ise and align the organisation with the requirements of
the National Human Rights Institution [NHRI] and ensuring that adequate resources and support remain
available for the Human Rights Tribunal to fulfil their statutory mandate to adjudicate complaints.
Mr. Chairman, the work of the Commission is
necessarily dynamic and it is committed to ensuring
that the processes, procedures and governing legislation remain relevant and responsive to meet the needs of our society. As the Island’s National Human Rights Institution, the Commission remains at the forefront of efforts to uphold the protections and aspirational spirit of the Human Rights Act 1981.
956 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, in closing, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Human Rights Commission for its
dedication to the advancement of human rights in Bermuda and for stewarding the Commission’s statutory
mandate with integrity and excellence.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my presentation
on the financial year 2024/25 budgetary allocation for
Head 56, the Human Rights Commission.

Thank you, Minister.
That was Minister Furbert addressing us on
Head 56, Human Rights Commission.
We are now going to hear from the Honourable
Premier, on Heads 1, 2 and 5. Namely, Governor [and
Staff]; Legislature; Office of the Auditor General.
Premier, you have the floor.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman.
Just to repeat, I will be doing Heads 1, 2 and 5
at this time before I hand over to the Minister of the Cabinet Office who will be doing the rest of the particular non- Ministry briefs.

HEAD 1 —GOVERNOR AND STAFF
Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Chairman, I would now like to
present the brief for the Governor and Staff, Head 1,
found on pages B -7 through B -9 of the Estimates of
Revenue and Expenditure.
The mission of the Governor and Staff, which
is on page B -7, is To enable the Governor in exercise
of his or her functions set out in the Constitution and to work in harmony with the community for a stable, pros-perous and well -governed Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, the Governor and Commander
in-Chief of Bermuda is appointed by His Majesty the
King by commission under his sign manual and signet
and shall hold office during His Majesty’s pleasure. This
office is in accordance with the Bermuda Constitution
Order 1968. The special responsibilities of the Governor include: external affairs, defence including the
armed forces, internal security and the police.
Part of the objectives of the Governor and Staff
include maintaining law and order, maintaining stable governance and providing the protection of the independence of the judiciary and the offices appointed by
the Governor at his or her discretion, impartiality of the
public service and integrity in the administration of justice.
Mr. Chairman, the department consists of a total of 13 full -time staff who assist the Governor in discharging responsibilities for the well -being of Bermuda.
This includes three staff, shown on page B -8 of the
Budget Book as allocated to the Deputy Governor’s of-fice. During the 2023/24 financial year, ceremonial functions and representational activities were limited
due to developments at Government House. However,
on 2 June 2023, Her Excellency the Governor hosted a Garden Party at Government House in celebration of
His Majesty’s birthday. A first in over 70 years. Unfortunately, King’s Birthday Parade was cancelled due to
adverse weather conditions. Her Excellency the Governor participated in the annual Peppercorn Ceremony held on 26 April 2023, read the T hrone Speech from
the Government on the 3 November 2023, and laid a
wreath in the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the
Cenotaph in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on 11 November 2023.
Mr. Chairman, I now turn my attention to subjective analysis of current account estimates of Government House for the 2024/25 financial year.
Mr. Chairman, the total budget allocation for
the Department of Governor and Staff in respect of fiscal year 2024/25, as shown on page B -7 of the Budget
Book, is $1,410,941 which represents an increase of
$49,000, or 4 per cent over the allocated budget fo r
2023/24.

Governor’s House—Cost Centre 11000
Hon. E. David Burt: The proposed budget for the Governor’s Office section of the Department of Governor and Staff for 2024/25 is $1,113,560, an increase of
$45,927, or 4 per cent when compared to the budget
allocation of $1,067,638 for fiscal year 2023/24.

I am grateful for that clarification.
Please continue. You have the floor.

Hon. E. David Burt: No problem. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, this increase is due to an increase in wages to cover the cost of living increases,
an increase in rental, mobile equipment funding at the
temporary residence, an increase in electricity charges
and an increase in uniforms budget for the next Governor.
The Governor’s office experienced an increase
in operational expenses for 2023/24 to meet temporary accommodations costs and increase in wages.

Deputy Governor’s Office— Cost Centre 11010

Hon. E. David Burt: The proposed budget for the Deputy Governor’s Office for financial year 2024/25 is
$294,000, [sic] an increase of $3,000, or 1 per cent
when compared to the budget allocation of $294,000 for financial year 2023/24. Just to be clear, this year it is $297,000 and last year was $294,000.
The Deputy Governor’s Office includes the
Deputy Governor and two other staff to perform the functions of the Deputy Governor as stipulated in the
Constitution.
There are no other operational expenses associated with this cost centre. And the budget allocation
for this office remains similar to the last financial year.
We just had a $3,000 difference.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to turn Honourable
Members’ attention to page B -8, of the subjective analysis of current account estimates. And I will go over the
specified major changes.
Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry increased by
$13,000. The projected increase of $13,000 or
1,300 per cent, compared to the financial year 2023/24
in uniforms is to meet the cost of the ceremonial uniform for the new incoming Governor.
Rentals. This projected increase of $3,000, or
23 per cent for the financial year in line item 8 on page
B-8, is in anticipation of the King’s Birthday Garden
Party in June of 2024, and an increase in the associated rental fees necessary at the temporary l ocation for
the Governor. The allocation within this budget line for
ceremonial land now to be used for two additional ceremonial parades this financial year. And that will be for
a departure parade for the existing Governor or the current Governor, and an arrival parade for the new Governor. The projected increase of $10,000, or 12 per
cent for financial year 2023/24 is due to an increase of electrical charges within Government House and at the
temporary residence.
Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that Government House was initially constructed in 1892. It seems
in my history there were some wars in that day. I think that is the Spirits Act [1890], as well, maybe original
Revenue Act [1898], yes. And [Government Hous e]
has deteriorating infrastructure which will require substantial capital investment to provide a safe working environment for staff and a safe residence for the Governor and Government of Bermuda staff who now reside in a temporary location.
Moving on to Capital Expenditure which is related to that commentary, Mr. Chairman.

Capital Expenditure
Hon. E. David Burt: The Capital Expenditure for Government House is listed on page C -4 of the Budget
Book. And the allocation for the fiscal period 2024/25 is $2,684,000. These funds have been allocated to begin
funding the large scale major capital project at Government House. This significant increase in capital funding
will allow for the replacement of the existing roof,
changing out of various windows and remediate various water ingress into the house. The one thing I just
need to say, Mr. Chairman, is that I know there is a lot
of commentary around the Governor’s house, whether
the work was done this year, last year or next year, the
Governor would still have had to move out of the house
given the scale of the changes that needed to happen.

Output Measures

Hon. E. David Burt: Mr. Chairman, the output
measures for Government House are listed on page B -
9 of the Budget Book. And if there are any questions that the Honourable Members of the Opposition may
have, I will be happy to answer those.
In closing, I would like to thank the staff of Government House for their tireless and dedicated service.
Their support allows the Governor to fulfil her role in
providing a stable, prosperous and well Government of
Bermuda.
This concludes my presentation on Head 1.

Thank you, the Honourable Member,
Scott Pearman.
For further consideration of the Estimates of
Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The
958 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Premier is on Head 1, Governor and Staff and the
Premier was taking his notes from page B -9.
I recognise the Honourable Premier. You have
the floor.

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman. I must say that you look rather resplendent in your
purple today.

Yes, Mr. Premier. Head 2.

HEAD 2 —THE LEGISLATURE
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I am proud to present the
Budget for Head 2, the Office of the Legislature, as
found on pages B -10 through B -13 of the Book of Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25.
The Legislature is of course critical to Government in presenting and achieving its legislative agenda and policy objectives while also providing the forum for
parliamentary oversight of the conduct and effective-ness of Government programmes and the manage-ment and accounting of the people’s purse and Government spending. Part and parcel of this work is the
appropriation of funding to the Government through the
annual Budget Debates and approval of the Estimates
of Revenue and Expenditure by Members of the Legislature.
The Legislature’s mission statement as found
in the Budget Book is To facilitate parliamentary oversight and administrative support for a parliament that is
responsive to the people of Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, the total expenditure, as shown
on page B -10 is estimated at $5,441,000, an increase
of $67,000 over the approved 2023/24 budget. As seen
on page B -11 there are seven full -time equivalents in
business unit [12000]; 47 Members of the Legislature
in business unit 12010, Ministers and Members; and
one full -time equivalent in business unit 12015, Opposition Leader’s office.
Business unit 12002, Youth Parliament provides for funding for the activities of Bermuda’s Youth
Parliament and some compensation for the Youth Parliament Coordinator and Youth Advisory who over-see Youth Parliament activities and debates.
Through business unit 12000, Administration,
the Parliamentary staff led by the Clerk to the Legislature provide a reliable and impartial administrative and support services for both Houses of the Legislature, the
Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate,
and the parliamentary committees . This includes
providing quality service on proper parliamentary pro-cedures and practice to an accord with Standing Orders of each House. A dministrative and clerical support
services, research and IT services, l egal advice where
needed and other professional support services in en-suring that the House, the Senate and their parliamentary committees have adequate funding and resources
to support their operations and fulfil their responsibilities.
As of February 2024, the House of Assembly
remains composed of eight women (22 per cent) and
28 men (78 per cent). The Senate is composed of
seven female Senators (64 per cent), and four male
Senators (36 per cent).

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. E. David Burt: The Senate is seven female Senators and four male Senators. Yes, you will note that
the supermajority of Progressive Labour Party Senators happen to be female.

[Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. E. David Burt: We will move on to parliamentary
staff, Mr. Chairman, as there is a little bit of interpolation, and revisionists matters from—

Carry on, please.

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Current parliamentary staff is as follows:
• Acting Clerk to the Legislature , Mr. Clark W.
Somner, serves as Head of Department and
Clerk to the House of Assembly. He is the Ac-counting Officer of the department and over-sees the parliamentary staff and operations of
the department, the House, the Senate and the
parliamentary commit tees, including the management of all aspects of the legislative process and procedural advice and guidance to
the Presiding Officer and Members .
• Assistant Clerk, who is also the Designate
Deputy Clerk, Mrs. Kara A. Beale, assists the
Acting Clerk and serves as Clerk to the Senate
and several parliamentary committees. Assists the Clerk in the management of the department


Bermuda House of Assembly operations and all aspects of the legislative
process including procedural advice and guidance to the Speaker and President of the Senate, Committee Chairs and Members.
• Parliamentary Information Officer, Mr. Derek P.
Lamb, who is responsible for all aspects of
Hansard production and editing, including digital recording and House and Senate proceedings, manages and populates and updates the Parliament website, SharePoint, and social
media pages; actively coordinates provision of
various IT services for the Office, for Members of the House and Senate committees including extensive liaison with service providers, IDT
and the House and Grounds Committee; online
streaming of pr oceedings, and information research services for clerks and Members.
• Sergeant -at-Arms, Mr. Arnold Allen, is responsible for active liaison with the House and
Grounds Committee, the Speaker and Clerks
in coordinating maintenance matters at Veritas
Place and at Sessions House and Grounds,
active liaison with the Speaker and c lerks on
security and safety arrangements at Veritas
and Sessions House in coordination with Bermuda Police Service and service providers,
and aide to the Speaker and performs ceremonial duties in House proceedings and events such as the convening of the Legislature.
• Administrative Officer, Mrs. Nadine Place,
manages office operations including administrative and logistical support services for the
Clerk and presiding officers, the procurement
of office supplies, equipment furnishings,
cleaning and other office services, as well as
food and catering for members of the staff, responsible for the purchasing and payment of billings and maintaining financial accounting
records per Financial Instructions. [She] is responsible for all aspects of salaries and administrations f or staff and Members of the Legislature and for administering the personal data
and information records of all Members of staff.
• Administrative Assistant to the Clerk, Ms. Andrina T. Smith, provides administrative and
secretarial support service to the Office of the
Legislature, the Clerk and Deputy Clerk, as
well as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the
House, assists the Clerk in the preparation and
distribution of House Order papers and
Minutes, official correspondence and communications, and assists with the annotation of House and Senate proceedings, and performs
other duties as may be assigned to the Clerk.
• And finally, the Aide to the Opposition Leader,
Mrs. Judy Benevides, provides administrative
and secretarial support to the Opposition Leader, including administration of the office
operations. Capital Expenditure

Hon. E. David Burt: You will note on page C -4 of the
Estimates Book some $250,000 has been allotted in fiscal [year] 2024/25 for capital development pro-gramme 75230, Parliament Building Refurbishment. It
is anticipated that the Supreme Court will be able to vacate Sessions H ouse finally in 2024/25. As you will
note, as we covered in the budget for the Minister of Public Works, the extensive amount of funds that have
been allocated in this record capital account estimate to ensure that Dame Lois Browne- Evans Building can
accommodate all Supreme Court matters, therefore allowing the Supreme Court to vacate Sessions House
and allowing us to begin in earnest with the full renovation of the matters related to Sessions House.

Exactly.
[Laughter and inaudible interjection]

Hon. E. David Burt: Not this year. They are going to
move so we will begin the work next year.
Clearly, $250,000 cannot do the work that is
necessary. But Mr. Chairman, after which time sub-stantial capital works on the second phase of the extensive internal renovations of the building may begin.
I know that all members and staff are anxious to see this work progress forward.

Mm-hmm.

Hon. E. David Burt: The Parliament building refurbishment project, including the maintenance and repair fa-cilities of the Sessions House and its precincts fall under the remit of the Parliamentary House and Grounds
Committee, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, the Honourable Der rick V. Burgess, JP MP, honorary cousin to
all.

Current Expenditure

Hon. E. David Burt: I will now turn my attention to the
specific current account Estimate of Revenue and Expenditure in the four cost centres of the Legislature.

Go ahead, Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman.
The total allocation for the Legislature for fiscal
year 2024/25 is shown on page B -10 of the Estimates
Book is $5,441,000 which represents an increase of
960 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly $67,000, or just over 1 per cent when compared to fiscal year 2023/24.

Administration— Cost Centre 12000

Hon. E. David Burt: The objectives for the Legislature’s Administration cost centre 12000, for fiscal year
are clearly stated in the Budget Book, so I do not necessarily have to repeat those matters because they are
read the same every year.
But of course it is to provide the support (which
I mentioned) which were outlined by all of the various
members of the Legislature. But one important note is
that another matter that they must also do in addition to
supporting all of us here in the Legisl ature in the exercise of our duty, they also have responsibility to im-prove public understanding of the importance and lead-ing role of the Legislature and the governance of Bermuda in informing and educating public servants and
public officers about the le gislative process and their
role within it.
Administration cost centre 12000, found on
page B -10, has a budget of $1,296,000 which represents an increase of $18,000, compared to the previous budget year. This budget covers administrative sal-aries, office supplies, data lines for Members’ tablets,
software maintenance for both Internet and Hansard
systems, along with overseas Hansard transcribers.
Additionally, the provision of funding is allocated for the Speaker of the House and Members of
Parliament for legal services.

Youth Parliament —Cost Centre 12002

Hon. E. David Burt: The total budget is $6,000 which
remains the same. This funding covers office supplies and administrative expenses relating to the Youth Par-liament and stipends for the Youth Parliament Coordinator and Youth Advisors conducting Youth Parliament
meetings, debates and other activities.

Ministers and Members —Cost Centre 12010
Hon. E. David Burt: As we all know, the responsibility
of the Legislature is to enact laws, fund Government
spending and initiatives, and to hold the Government to
account through its parliamentary oversight function.
Legislature should be fairly remunerated for carrying
out their legislative and constitutional duties. The total
[budget] for cost centre 12010 found on page B -10, is
$4,007,000.
I would like to note at this point in time, of
course, Mr. Chairman, as according to the Ministers
and Members of the Legislature (Salaries and Pensions) Act, as amended, I have with the advice of the
Opposition Leader, the Speaker of the House, and also the President of the Senate convened the Parliamentary Salaries Review Commission which is supposed to
meet every two years, which has not met since the pandemic, to go ahead and to consider these matters
and to report as the law requires them to report every
two years, so we are certainly past due for a report on
there, and any report of which they have will come to
the Legislature for debate regarding salaries. I would of course note that there has not been any pay change for
Members of the Legislature since 2008, 15 years.

So noted and minuted, Premier.
[Laughter]

Hon. E. David Burt: But that is just a fact. So that committee is meeting and I know that there are people listening and they will say, Ooh! But it is the law that they
are required to meet every two years. That is not David
Burt, that is the law, so we are trying to make sure that
we at least hold it according to the law. It is very difficult
to follow all the various laws sometimes. It requi res a
significant amount of work as we are trying to do our
things, but we want to make sure that at least that process is completed as per the law.

Thank you, Premier.

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you.

Opposition Leader’s Office —Cost Centre 12015

Hon. E. David Burt: We know that the role of the Opposition Leader’s Office is important and non- partisan
administrative aid is required and needed to oversee it operations. (I’m not sure how non- partisan, but we will
continue.)
Currently there is one part -time administrative
assistant working in the Opposition Leader’s Office un-der the supervision of the Opposition Leader. The funding of this cost centre totals $132,000. The Opposition
Leader’s grant for fiscal year is $86,000, w hich is found
on page C -17 which represents an increase of $11,000,
or 15 per cent, when compared to fiscal year 2023/24.
That is a lot higher than other departments, Craig, what is going on over there?
The increase in grant funding is provided to
cover increased office rental and operation costs. The additional funding of $46,000 covers the salary of the
administrative assistant.

Subjective Analysis
Hon. E. David Burt: Subjective analysis is found on
page B -11. The most important matter is that salaries
increased by $71,000 and the increase in $71,000 is to
adjust increase in salaries from some adjustment in


Bermuda House of Assembly funding for parliamentary staff which is based on the
recent review of the . . . the . . . no. Oh, Christ.
[Inaudible interjections and laughter ]
Hon. E. David Burt: I went to church yesterday. I am
going to get myself in trouble.
The recently concluded union negotiations and
all of the salary uplifts that accord to members of the staff.

Right.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you.
Yes, staff salaries funding based on the latest
CPA/BPSU [Bermuda Public Services Union] salaries and the approved regrading of two senior posts within the Legislature.

Communications
Hon. E. David Burt: Communications estimate for
2024/25 is $94,000, a decrease of $8,000 compared to
2023/24 estimate. This funding covers cost for telecom,
cell phones for the presiding officers, and data lines for members’ and staff tablets.

Professional Services

Hon. E. David Burt: The estimate is $398,000, an increase [sic] of $18,000. This funding covers various
professional services for the Legislature including the
digital recording, online streaming, radio broadcast and Hansard production for the proceedings of the House, local consultancy services, overseas services incl uding
the transcription of digital recordings for the Hansard, legal services provided for the office, the presiding of-ficers of parliamentary committees and funding for the establishment of an oversight committee. A decrease of $18,000.
Mr. Chairman, Members may recall that the
Government indicated in the 2023 Throne Speech that a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee would be es-tablished to examine matters surrounding the Septem-ber 2023 cyberattack on Government systems. The Legislature Office anticipates using some of its professional services funding to provide secretarial/clerical support services for the work and operations of that Joint Select Committee following its establishment by this Honourable House.

Repair and Maintenance
Hon. E. David Burt: The estimate for 2024/25 is
$123,000 versus $127,000 in the last fiscal year. This funding covers software maintenance of some $91,000, cleaning services, photocopier maintenance contracts, pest control and maintenance of security apparatus and equipment. Grants and Contributions

Hon. E. David Burt: The Grants and Contributions for
the Legislature Office can be found on page C -17 of the
Estimates Book. The estimate is $171,000 which is an increase of $26,000 over the 2023/24 funding. Members will note that $85,000 has been allocated for the
annual gr ant to the Bermuda branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association [CPA] increase of $15,000 over the 2023/24 grant. The increase is in-tended to cover annual membership fees in both the CPA and the Caribbean Regional CPA for the Ber muda
branch as well as the anticipated increase in personal attendance and participation in overseas CPA confer-ences and seminars by members and staff.
The annual grant of $86,000 has been allocated for the Opposition Leader’s Office, an increase of over $11,000. As I mentioned before and indicated, this
grant is to cover higher office rental and operation
costs. It is important to note that costs do incr ease
every year. I know you all like to attack other increases, but this is just the fact.

[Inaudible interjections]

Carry on, Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Performance Measures
Hon. E. David Burt: The work and activities of the parliamentary staff and Members of the Legislature, the House of Assembly, the Senate and the Parliamentary Committees, and our Youth Parliament, as well as statistics on the number of Bills and other legislation
passed by the Legislature, reports and papers tabled, the number of visitors to the Parliament website and Facebook and Instagram page, and the number of per-sons who access the streaming of our House and Senate proceedings can be found on pages B -12 and B -13.
The Legislature continues to receive positive
feedback concerning the Parliament website and the
Hansard. As you are aware, Mr. Chairman, Members use the Hansard as a research tool to gather infor-mation for debates. Streaming of our parliamentary debates is also useful and can be accessed on the
parliament.bm w ebsite.
Moving to performance measures and focusing
on professional development opportunities and certification in parliamentary practice and procedures are en-couraged for both Members and parliamentary staff.
This past fiscal year, our clerks actively participated in
selected training programmes, and online meetings and discussions of the UKOTP CPA [UK-led UK Overseas Territories Project ] Clerk Leadership Group. I had
to look that up last night to understand what UKOTP is. But it is under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office —

962 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: It is.

Hon. E. David Burt: —for development of Overseas
Territories’ Parliaments.

Mm-hmm.

Hon. E. David Burt: The former Clerk to the Legislature, the Acting Clerk and the Assistant Clerk also con-ducted a DEOD [Department of Employee and Organizational Development] training course in April 2023 on “Understanding Standing Orders” and “The Legislative
Process” for senior Government directors and heads of
departments.
Honourable Members Ms. Lovitta Foggo, Ms.
Susan E. Jackson, Senator Arianna Hodgson and the
Designate Deputy Clerk Ms. Kara Beale formed the Bermuda delegation participating in the annual 45
th
CPA Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Regional Conference held in the Turks and Caicos Islands in July
2023. The theme of the Conference was “Building a resilient region in the face of global challenges.”
Honourable Member Ms. Susan Jackson represented Bermuda at the CPA Regional Caribbean
Public Accounts Committees and Trade Scrutiny Work-shop hosted by the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago
last month; and Senator Leslie Robinson is set to represent Bermuda at the 2024 Westminster Seminar in
the United Kingdom next week.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, I must take this opportunity to recognise the hard work, dedication and professionalism of the Legislature staff, which is a very
small contingent, especially when compared with other
smaller parliaments in the Caribbean region and inter-nationally. The Presiding Officers and Members of the
Legislature are obliged to commend the staff for their
commitment and service in helping us to meet our responsibilities in performing our legislative and oversight duties to the best of our abil ities throughout a very busy
parliamentary calendar. And at this time, of course, before I close, I would like to extend thanks on behalf of
all Honourable Members to the hard- working staff of
the Legislature.

Carry on, Premier.
We are still in the Committee of Supply. Go
right ahead, Premier.
Just to remind Members that we are in the
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the fiscal
year 2024/25. The Premier has completed Heads 1 and
2, and he is now going on to Head 5 . Premier you have the floor.

HEAD 5 —OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL

Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
I will now move on to Head 5 , which is the Office of the Auditor General. Mr. Chairman, the Office of the Auditor General follows the standard budget process as is the case with all ministries and departments
[and] uses the ZBB approach. Once the budget office numbers are determined internally and inputted into
ZBB, the office seeks formal approval of their budget
from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the O ffice of the A uditor General. This committee is appointed
for the duration of the life of parli ament under [Standing
Order] 34(4) of the House of Assembly , according to
section 45 of the Bermuda Constitution Order. This
committee has responsibility for ensuring the office’s tools and funding to carry out its responsibilities and to
ensure that the independence of the office is not com-promised.
A detailed budget su bmission is presented to
the committee each year by the Auditor General at a formal meeting set aside for this purpose wherein the
Auditor General highlights the performance of the office
for the current year and justifies the office funding re-quirements f or the upcoming year. This meeting was
held on December 7, 2023. Once the committee is in
agreement with the budget request, a formal submission is sent to the Minister of Finance by the Committee
Chair noting the bipartisan support of the committee.
The Ministry of Finance will then officially acknowledge and indicate whether it approves the budget requests
supported by the committee.

Mandate and Mission
Hon. E. David Burt: The mandate and mission of the
Office of the Auditor General is under the Bermuda
Constitution and the Audit Act 1990. [They] provide the
legislative mandate for the Office of the Auditor General, and the primary responsibility is to assist the
House of the Assembly in carrying out its oversight responsibilities relating to government spending and accountability for the use of public money.
The mission of the Auditor General, which is
derived from its legislative mandate, is To add credibility to the Government’s financial reporting and to promote improvement in the financial administration of all government ministries, departments, and all other entities for which the Government is accountable to Parliament.

Expenditure Overview

Hon. E. David Burt: Moving on to expenditure overview, the committee reviewed the proposed office budget of $4,447,296 in the December 2023 meeting.


Bermuda House of Assembly The total current expenditure that was approved by the
Ministry of Finance for Head 5 is now estimated to be
$4,197,759, which represents a decrease of $16,000,
or 0.4 per cent from the prior year’s approved expenditure.
Now what I do want to say is that of course as
stated the committee sends a letter to the Ministry of
Finance. The Ministry of Finance reviews. We go
through various figures and respond back to the Auditor
General. I will state, Mr. Chairman, that the Mini stry of
Finance under my hand as Minister of Finance did send
the official note to the Chair of the Committee [on the
Office of the A uditor General] regarding the budget
change between what was requested and what was ac-tually provided.
And the basis for this . . . and I can just be completely transparent . When I was going through all of the
estimates , we typically , as all other government departments , did get an uplift for the salaries that were based
upon the recent C ollective Bargaining Association.
However, upon further review, we also went and looked to the experience and spending experience for various
departments in 2022/ 23. As can be seen in the Budget
Book, there was a significant underspend from the Office of the Auditor General in the 2022/ 23 fiscal year
and upon the matrix that we use for other departments
that had underspent their allocation 2022/ 23. So, there
was originally supposed to be an uplift, but upon the
review of looking at those various items and the need
to find more money for capital to assign various monies, et cetera, that funding was reduced to this level.
Now, it was not reduced to the same level that
other departments in government were reduced based upon spending because we are cognisant of the role that the Auditor General has to play. But I just wanted
to explain the reason for that increase. But the le tter
was sent to the Auditor, and it was copied to the C hair
of the C ommittee [on the office of the Auditor General] .
I am happy to share that letter with Honourable Mem-bers of the Opposition in case they wish to see it, but
the Chair may have shared that letter already. I do not
know.

Right. That is fine. Thank you, Premier.

Hon. E. David Burt: So, [I am] just stating that there
has been a movement of funds amongst the various
operating line items as follows.
Subjective analysis , $3,326,000, an increase
of $110,000. On Salaries, this increase over the prior year just relates the increase in salaries for 2 8 full -time
equivalents. The office did not fill all posts for fiscal year
2023 /24, but all posts are expected to be filled in the
entire 2024/ 25 [fiscal year] . Seventy per cent of the Office of the Auditor [General] petitioners are contract
workers on work permits of three years.
An ongoing challenge for the office and also
the Office of the Accountant General has been the ability to attract a full complement of qualified professional audit staff. This problem has been exacerbated due to
a short age of professional accountants and an extremely competitive local market. And just like whether it is with the Accountant General or whether it is with
other departments, persons will come and then will get
job offers from the private sector , which are far outside
of the standard government pay scales for auditors and
accountants. And this is why the aforementioned review is taking place to make sure that we can remain
competitive to actually retain the necessary qualified
staff to carry out these particular functions. So, it does
not just affect the Government, but it also does affect
some of the non- ministry departments that are engaged in these particular activ ities.

That issue remains a challenge, Premier.

Hon. E. David Burt: A significant challenge. The market for professional accountants is quite competitive,
and office salary ranges are comparable with similar
positions in g overnment but remain uncompetitive with
salaries in the private sector.
The office strives to provide a supportive and
collaborative workplace for our students to thrive and grow. Now the office employs three Bermudian students pursuing professional and academic designations.

Professional Services

Hon. E. David Burt: Professional Services is budgeted
at $330,000, a decrease of $177,000 from last year, or
35 per cent. This is the next most significant expense
for the office and includes services for contracted audits and expert advice as needed. This represents a
decrease in funding for services provided from professional accounting firms as the office expects to bring
some audits back in the H ouse. We also expect to continue to use contracted firms to aid the department in
meeting their legislative commitments , to aid the department in their peak work closure in the summer
months , and for unexpected separations that may happen in the office.

Repairs and Maintenance

Hon. E. David Burt: Repairs and Maintenance is at
$129,000, an increase of $46,000 from last year. This
primarily relates to the additional cost for cloud storage
and software maintenance agreements —cloud storage
for caseware to upgrade the working paper software to
the cloud in order to modernise operations and overcome Legacy software challenges. From a risk perspective, the office will reduce the amount of inherent risk from potential system failures.

Travel

964 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. E. David Burt: Travel is $14,000, which is an increase of $3,000 from the prior year. Staff auditors pursuing their professional designations may travel to attend training and development courses in pursuit of
their professional designations as face- to-face training
is resuming. Additionally, the Auditor General and team
members may attend training for the long- term sustainability of the office, and this is critical to keeping abreast
of emerging auditing trends and participation in the
round- table dis cussion to support and influence matters impacting our jurisdiction from the development of
auditing methodology, practices, and professional development with standard setters such as the P ublic
Sector Accounting B oard known as PSAB.
The office also takes an active role in the Canadian Council of Legislative Auditors and the Caribbean Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions , and
the Auditor General is a member of the Caribbean Organisation of Supreme Audit Institution’s Executive
Committee.

Revenue

Hon. E. David Burt: The Revenue estimates for the
Office of the Auditor General are $581,000, a decrease
of $247,000 from last year, or 30 per cent, which represents audit fees charged to certain auditees such as government -controlled organisations and public funds.
It is anticipated that the revenue collected from these
14 entities for both current year accounts and accounts
in arears . . .

Employee Numbers
Hon. E. David Burt: Employee Numbers estimates are
28 full -time posts. Of the 28 full -time employees, Bermudians fill 10 posts. Out of the 10 Bermudian staff, three are students, four [are] professionals, and three
[are] support staff. The balance, as stated, are contracted workers.

Capital Expenditure
Hon. E. David Burt: Moving on the Capital Expenditure. The Office of the Auditor General has a capital
budget of $24,500 for laptops and desktops that have
surpassed their lifespan and are no longer running efficiently.
As a note, Mr. Chairman, this amount is approximately $6,000 less than originally requested and as provided from the Auditor General , as I am reading
from the brief . This means that not all laptops and desktops earmarked for replacement due to age or produc-tivity loss will be replaced this fiscal year. In the short
term, the office will make adjustments internally to reduce risk associated with performance or productivity
decline due to inefficient machines.
At this point in time, Mr. Chairman, I will just
state from the record, as Minister of Finance, if the Chair of the [C ommittee of the] Auditor General and the
Auditor General do come and say they need this, I will certainly see if I can find the $6,000 because we are
putting a significant investment into IT infrastructure in
government noting that it is necessary now , and I would
hate for the Auditor General to be shorted from not
making that similar investment. So, noting this , which
did come in the brief, I am happy to make sure that we
can find the funds so they can switch out all their computers as it is important to make sure we get that work
done.

Output Measures
Hon. E. David Burt: Moving on to O utput Measures, to
continue to support the House of Assembly to hold the Government to account and to improve the public ser-vice, the office intends to do so by fulfilling the constitutional mandate by completing the following audits: 54
financial statement audit s, 8 financial statement reviews, 2 nonfinancial audits, and release annual reports as per the legislation. The above measures will
be hampered ( as always stated by the Auditor General )
from accounts that are not presented to the office in a timely manner, but we will certainly speak to that . I think
we spoke to that before , that there are challenges .
Also, just as the Auditor General is short , the
Accountant General’s Office is similarly short due to the
uncompetitive salary nature for these particular offices
and the fact that these persons do go to the private sector as salary is more competitive there. We discussed
that when we were in Commi ttee of Supply dealing with
the Ministry of Finance , and the ongoing review , will
help to assist that. So, it is a challenge with that be-cause it just comes from the fact that there is a lack of
available staff th at will work for the Government or the
Auditor General at the rates that are currently being
paid.

Current Year Achievements

Hon. E. David Burt: Moving on to c urrent year
achievements, the office expects to complete approximately 48 financial statement audits and reviews as of
March 31, 2024. Financial statements , or asset auditor
examinations, of an auditee’s financial statements , in
these examinations the auditor expresses an opinion
on whether the financial statements prevent information on the auditee’s operation and whether [their]
financial position is presented fairly and complies with
auditing standards generally accepted in Bermuda or
Canada.
Every year the Office of the Auditor General
audits the financial statements of the accounts of the Senate, the House of Assembly, all government departments including the Public Service Commission, and all
courts of Bermuda per the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968 and the Audit Act 199 0.


Bermuda House of Assembly In addition to the completion of financial statement audits and reviews, the office also releases public
interests reports, attended virtual training with the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, the Caribbean
Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions [CAR OSAI],
and the United Kingdom’s National Audit Office. They
also carried out training on public sector accounting
and auditing standards to ensure that all staff were kept
abreast of the new and evolving standards and meet
continuing professional dev elopment requirements.
During the year, the office rolled out a new risk
assessment and system of quality management , which
required them to revisit their supporting forms, check-lists, communications, letters, and evaluation forms.
The result was newer ways of working that will
strengthen the quality of the Auditor General’s work.
The quality of the office field work and opinion appended to the accounts audited remain the office’s priority. Hence, the office continues the use of targeted
training, coaching, and mentoring to build and
strengthen the capacity of staff. The office also provided a minimum of 20 hours of continuing professional
development to team members on auditing and accounting pronouncements to assure adherence to accounting and assurance standards and methodology for financial and nonfinancial audits.

Plans for t he Upcoming Year

Hon. E. David Burt: Moving on to plans for the upcoming year, the Government’s risk landscape continues to
change . And the office is building an agility to respond
to the emergent risk. Presently, the office continues to
work with various stakeholders across Government and the industry partners that I mentioned before, CPA,
CAR OSAI, and CCOLA. That would be the Caribbean
and the Canadian.
The following do continue to have an impact on
the office’s audit assessment and strategies :
• environmental hazards from coastal erosion
and hurricane frequency;
• malicious attacks from cyberattacks to infrastructure;
• errors of significant judgment, such as impairment and obsolescence of tangible capital assets and other assets in addition to disclosure
requirements; and
• the increased number of fraud risk factors in
terms of pressure and opportunities due to
changing landscape and conditions.
The office will build on the work that they have
done so far to provide the Public Accounts Committee ,
and the House of Assembly and the Parliamentary
Standing Committee the same high- quality financial
and nonfinancial audits to support accountability.
Mr. Chairman, it is important to note the staff of
the Auditor General are independent of the Govern-ment. This independence enables the office to conduct its auditing and reporting responsibilities fairly and objectively. As the C onsolidated Fund is one of the priority audits with annual November deadlines, they will continue to work with the Account General’s department to ensure that the deadline may be met, the death
covenant requirements complied with, and penalties avoided.
In closing, the Auditor General would like to
acknowledge her exemplary staff for their hard work, dedication and continued commitment to the office
mandates. The office will continue to support the House
of Assembly and the Public Accounts Committee in holding the Government to account and to help improve
Government’s financial reporting and public services
through their high- quality audits for the benefit of Bermuda’s citizens.
With that, Mr. Chairman, that concludes my
particular contribution. And I know that the Minister of
the Cabinet Office will continue on the other heads for
the non- ministry departments.

That is fine. Go right ahead, Minister.

HEAD 63 —PARLIAMENTRY REGISTRAR

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the mandate of
the Parliamentary Registrar is To independently manage elections and promote voter awareness in Bermuda to facilitate free and fair elections.
Mr. Chairman, the Parliamentary Registrar is
appointed by the Governor under the provisions of the
Parliamentary Election Act 1978 and as such is re-quired to discharge the duties conferred or imposed under the Act. The Parliamentary Registrar is subject to
the general direction of the Governor and in the exercise of her statutory duties is assisted by such mem-ber[s] of public officers as may from time to time be authorised to be employed.
The Parliamentary Election Act 1978 as
amended, the Municipalities (Election) Order 2011 , and
the Bermuda Constitution Order 1978 are the instruments by which the activi ties of the Parliamentary Registrar are governed.
Mr. Chairman, the staff at the Parliamentary
Regist rar consist of five full -time positions under the
966 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly direction of the Parliamentary Registrar , Ms. Tenia
Woolridge.
Mr. Chairman, the Parliamentary Registrar remains dedicated to enhancing our procedures for voter
registration and overall upkeep of the Parliamentary Registr y. They persistently evaluate the quality of our
service and empower their staff through ongoing training to uphold excellence in service delivery. In recent
years, the Parliamentary Registrar’s office has introduced various initiatives aimed at bolstering departmental efficiency aligned with the Government’s vision for a progressive administration. T hese efforts encompass the implementation of electronic records management systems to transition towards a paperless environment. Additionally, the adoption of cash- receiving
systems ensures meticulous and precise recording of revenue collection.
Amendments to the Parliamentary Election Act
1978 have been enacted to facilitate accessible and impartial voting for all stakeholders involved in the election process. Furthermore, internal software utilised for the maintenance of the Parliamentary Regis try has undergone updates to enhance functionality and effectiveness.
Mr. Chairman, the Parliamentary Registrar’s
office has officially entered election preparation mode,
diligently undertaking tasks essential for the smooth
operation of the next general election which is constitu-tionally due on or before February 5, 2026. Concurrently, the C onstituency Boundaries Commission appointed by Her Excellency the Governor in September 2023 persists in its efforts contributing to the ongoing
evaluation of the constituency boundaries of Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, I now turn my attention to the
specific estimates of expenditure and revenue in the
five cost centres of the Parliamentary Registrar’s office.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Estimates of E xpenditure and R evenue
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the total budget
allocation for the Parliamentary Registrar’s office in re-spect of fiscal year 2024 /25 as shown on page B -20 of
the Budget Book is $1,279,000, an increase of $24,000
from the original budget for 2023 /24.
Mr. Chairman, proposed budget for the Administration of the Parliamentary Registry, which is cost centre 73000, for 2024/ 25 is $823,000, an increase of
$52,000, or 7 per cent over the original budget for
2023 /24. The rise in expenditures is evident in the Salaries section attributed to accommodating an extra
election support officer essential for aiding in election
preparation and execution. This cost centre encompasses various expenses related to the department’s
daily operations such as administrative of fice supplies,
registration forms, and the maintenance of departmental equipment. Given the department’s responsibility for issuing apostille certificates, funds within this cost centre are allocated towards the upkeep of the cash -
receiving system as well as covering additional expenses arising from credit card fees. These resources
ensure efficient management of the apostille certificate
issuance process.
Mr. Chairman, the proposed budget for the
Constituency Boundaries Commission cost centre
73005 for 2024/ 25 is $173,000, a decrease of $59,000 ,
or 25 per cent over the original budget in 2023/ 24. Her
Excellency the Governor officially appointed the Constituency Boundaries Commission on September 12,
2023 . Despite encountering a setback due to an unfortunate cyberattack, the C ommission intends to resume
its activities later this month. Funds allocated to this cost centre will be utilised for administering the Commission including provisions for travel and accommo-dation expenses for overseas members involved in the Commission’s work.

General and Bye Elections

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, [regarding]
General and Bye Elections, cost centre 73010, the proposed budget for this area for 2024/ 25 is $251,000 ,
which represents an increase of $91,000 , or 57 per
cent from the original budget in 2023 /24. The rise in this
cost centre is directly linked to the anticipation of the
next general election. According to legal mandates, the
next election must be held no later than February 5,
2026.

Municipalities Elections

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, Municipalities
Elections, cost centre 73015, the proposed budget allocation for this section is $32,000 and has been allocated for municipality elections. This is a decrease of
$49,000, or 60 per cent from the original budget in
2023 /24. This budget encompasses provisions to support two extraordinary municipal elections should the
need arise during the next fiscal period. Additionally,
the Registrar is mindful of the imminent court proceedings regarding changes to the Muni cipalities Act 1923.
Mr. Chairman, if I now move on to Election Reform Research, this is cost centre 73017.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Election Reform Research

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Election Reform cost centre has not been allocated funds for the
fiscal period 2024/ 25. This decision is attributable to the
prioritisation of resources towards the ongoing work of
the Constituencies Boundary Commission and preparations for the next general election. Consequently,
funds for this cost centre will be deferred for the current
year and re- evaluated during the next budget cycle.


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, I would like to turn your attention
to page B -21 the Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates.

Yes?

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates
Hon. Vance Campbell: Professional Services is decreased by $11,000. Over the next fiscal period, it is anticipated that the majority of funds allocated for this object code will be directed towards financing the operations of the Constituency Boundaries Commission.
This encompasses covering sitting fees for C ommission members along with expenses incurred for con-sultants engaged to facilitate the C ommission’s work.
Advertising and Promotion increased by
$2,000. In the 2024/ 25 fiscal year, the Advertising and
Promotion budget is set at $121,000 reflecting a $2,000 increase compared to the previous year. This budget is
chiefly divided between the Constituency Boundaries Commission and the General Elections cost centres. Its
primary purpose is to disseminate information to voters
regarding any alterations to constituency boundaries
and pertinent election- related updates. The Parliamentary Registrar intends to utilise di verse channels to
reach voters effectively throughout the preparation and execution phases of the upcoming general election.
Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for Materials and Suppli es stands at $66,000 for the fiscal year
2024 /25, a decrease of $9,000. This allocation encompasses printing expenses and additional supplies required for daily operations as well as resources necessary to support election preparation and conduct in-cluding those utilised by the Constituency Boundaries
Commission.
Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for the Repair and Maintenance object code is $61,000. This is
decreased by $22,000. These funds primarily cover the
weekly cleaning of the office and the cleaning of premises utilised during the election period particul arly for
halls rented where additional cleaning costs are incurred. Additionally, a portion of these funds will be allocated toward software maintenance for our internal registration application as well as covering expenses
related to software subscriptions.
Mr. Chairman, the budget for Other Expenses
decreased by $2,000 and is $46,000 for the fiscal year 2024 /25. Within this allocation, provisions are made for
bank charges and credit/debit card commissions associated with the new cash- receiving system. Additionally, funds are earmarked for occasional courier services, replenis hment of uniforms for election workers,
and procurement of food and water supplies.
Mr. Chairman, if I can now move on to revenue.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Revenue Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, Revenue is
generated from the issuing of apostilles. Total revenue for the 2024/ 25 fiscal year is estimated at $250,000,
which is unchanged from the approved budget for 2023 /24. The Parliamentary Registrar’s office remains
committed to delivering prompt and timely issuance of
apostilles certificates to our international and private
sector clients. In line with this commitment, we have
enhanced our processes and procedures to f acilitate
more accurate financial reporting of revenue collected
by the department. These improvements ensure greater efficiency and transparency in the service provided.
Mr. Chairman, in conclusion I extend my sincere gratitude to all the staff of the Parliamentary Registrar under the leadership of Ms. Ten ia Woolridge for
their unwavering commitment and dedication to their
duties throughout the past fiscal year. Your hard work
and dedication are truly appreciated, and I look forward
to our continued success in the future.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, Minister.
Members, just as a reminder, we are in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of R evenue and Expenditure for the year
2024 /25. The Minister is on his h eads.
Go right ahead, Minister.

HEAD 85 —OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

Hon. Vance Campbell : Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to
present the budget for Head 85, the Office of the Ombudsman for Bermuda—

Go right ahead, Minister.

Hon. Vance Campbell: —found on pages B -23
through B-26 and C -9 of the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, the Ombudsman is an independent, non- governmental official who investigates
complaints from the public about the administrative actions of public authorities. The role of the Ombudsman
is to strengthen governance through the promotion of
fairness, accountability, and transparency.
Mr. Chairman, the office works for the good of
the public and those who work for the public. The office
provides an impartial form of alternate dispute resolution which is flexible, accessible, and less costly than adjudication through the courts. Anyone w ho feels they
have been unjustly treated by an administrative action by a public authority may bring their complaint to the
Ombudsman. A family member or other suitable person
may make the complaint if a person is unable to do so
on their own behalf.
Services are free, confidential, and available to
everyone. Even if a complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction, the office can assist by providing information or by making a referral to another body that
968 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly can investigate the issue raised. The Ombudsman
aims to put things right if they have gone wrong.
Mr. Chairman, the Ombudsman’s mission is To
protect the interests of the public by providing independent resources and interventions for individuals
with complaints about public services while influencing
improvement in standards of those services to ensure
people are treated fairly.
To achieve its mission, the aims of the Ombudsman’s Office are :
• to deliver an efficient, accessible, and responsive service that effectively resolves complaints;
• inform the public service of developments,
principles, and practices of good administration;
• facilitate improvement of public authorities’
complaint -handling processes;
• improve stakeholder satisfaction with the quality and impact of its service; and
• remain aware of administrative best practices,
emerging trends and issues both locally and
through its international networks; and
• strengthen best practices and internal processes for enhanced team performance and
development.
The core values of the Office of the Ombudsman are fairness, impartiality, confidentiality, and independence.
Mr. Chairman, the mandate of the Office of the
Ombudsman is to receive complaints and investigate
any administrative action of an authority for the purpose
of deciding whether there is evidence of maladministration on the part of the authority. Wherein an investigation is conducted, the Ombudsman makes recommendations to the authority concerning any administrative
actions that formed the subject of the investigation and more generally about ways of improving its administrative practices and procedures.
Mr. Chairman, the Ombudsman advocates alternative dispute resolution and is addressing more complaints with informal resolution wherever it is suitable to do so. The office encourages the preservation of relationships between government authorities and persons with complaints. In addition, as an office of last
resort, the Ombudsman also assists complainants by directing them for assistance to a more appropriate authority. The office always aims to assist whenever possible those who do not know where else t o go for help.
Mr. Chairman, the Ombudsman’s Office was
established in Bermuda by the Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 2001, and it is governed by the
Ombudsman Act 2004. The office opened on 1 August
2005. Section 93B( 2) of the C onstitution protects the
fundamental characteristic of an Ombudsman’s office,
which is its independence , by stipulating that in the exercise of his functions and jurisdiction, the Ombudsman
shall not be subject to the direction or control of any
other person or authority. The Ombudsman submits an annual report of
his operations to the Speaker of the House with copies to the Governor and the President of the Senate. The
accounts of the Ombudsman’s Office are audited annually and reported on by the Auditor General.
Mr. Chairman, the Office of the Ombudsman
for Bermuda continues to be highly regarded by regional and international ombudsman institutions and
colleagues . Its memberships include the ombudsman
associations of the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, the
United States, and Canada, as well as the African Ombudsman Research Centre, and the International Ombudsman Institute. Such relationships provide the Bermuda office with valuable assistance and access to the
best available information on current practices and pr ocedures.
Mr. Chairman, I will now move into the expenditure overview.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Expenditure Overview

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I now turn my
attention to page B -24.
The estimated budget for 2024/ 25 is
$1,050,000, an overall net increase of $33,000 when
compared to the revised budget for 2023 /24. Variances
between 2023/ 24 original estimates and 2024/ 25 estimates for amounts with a net change of $10,000 and over are as follows : Estimate for Salaries increased by
$33,000 as a result of salary increases for all staff members by 2.25 per cent on April 1, 2022 and
2.25 per cent April 1, 2023.
Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget for six full -
time employees, all of whom are Bermudians, shown
on page B -24 is $742,000. These positions are Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman, two investigation offic-ers, a manager of finance and administration, and an
executive administrative assistant. The Ombudsman
also engages service providers and technical and pro-fessional advisors as required.

Capital Expenditures

Hon. Vance Campbell: Moving on to capital expenditures, Mr. Chairman, for 2024/25 fiscal year, there have
been no approvals for capital purchases.
And Mr. Chairman, this brings me to the end of
the Office of the Ombudsman’s budget information. Mr.
Chairman, in closing, I would like to thank the Ombudsman and staff for their commitment and dedication to
their duties on behalf of the people of Bermuda.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

That is fine. Go right ahead, Minister.

HEAD 92 —DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AUDIT



Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to
present the budget for Head 92, the Department of Internal Audit found on pages B -27 through B -29 of the
Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Department
on Internal Audit is To provide independent, objective
assurance and advisory services to improve operations
and internal control systems.
Mr. Chairman, the total current expenditure is
estimated to be $1,055,000 for 2024/25 and represents
a decrease of $115,000, or 10 per cent less than the
estimate for 2023/24. This decrease is due primarily to
the reduction in salaries as one senior auditor position
is unfunded and can be found in line item 1, Salaries,
in $95,000 and corresponding decreases in related per-sonnel costs and training line item 2, Other Personnel
Costs, of $5,000 and line item 3. Training. of $2,000.
As the department requires less mobile phone
services, office supplies including copier paper, and fil-ing systems due to greater use of electronic forms, the
2024/25 estimates for Communication and Materials and Supplies have decreased. Line 4, Communications, $5,000 and line item 10, Materials and Supplies
$7,000. There is no capital expenditure, Mr. Chairman.

Manpower

Hon. Vance Campbell: If I now move to manpower
found on page B -28, the total estimated full -time equivalents and funded positions for 2024/25 for the depart-ment is nine, representing eight professional staff, and one administration officer. The department’s funded
posts are c omprised of one director, one administrative
officer, one internal audit manager, one IT audit manager, one senior auditor, one IT audit senior, and three
internal audit officers who are working towards obtain-ing a professional internal auditor qualification.
The internal audit officer positions are Bermudian-only training positions to encourage and train Bermudians in the internal auditing profession. The administrative officer, IT audit manager, and one internal audit officer vacant posts are currently being recruited for
and are expected to be filled early in fiscal year
2024/25.

Performance Measures

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, if I move to Performance Measures, the department’s Performance Measures are on page B -29 of the Budget Book and
the results are as follows. The department achieved all
of its engagement and activity reporting staff utilisation
and continuing professional development outcomes
during the year. The number of recommendations issued from audit projects totalling 32 related to remediating identified weaknesses in internal control systems, governance, and/or risk management acti vities. As a
result of follow -up procedures performed, the department recorded 25 management actions, which were implemented by the agreed- upon date. The department
issued four audit reports covering operations, financial, and IT systems, and two surprise compliance audit reports for a total of six audit reports issued during the
year 2022/23. It is anticipated that the department will
issue three audit project reports and three compliance
reports by the end of fiscal 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, there were no major policy
changes during the year. I will now move into plans for
the upcoming year.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Plans for the Upcoming Year

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, plans for the upcoming year [are] to execute the department’s 2024/25
approved audit plan to conduct six audit projects and
five compliance reviews [and] to continue to train and
develop staff especially the three Bermudian internal
audit officers as they work towards obtaining their
CISA, which stands for Certified Information Systems Auditor and/or CIA, Certified Internal Auditor, professional qualifications whilst gaining work experience in
the internal audit field.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, I would like to thank
the Department of Internal Audit staff for their commit-ment and dedication to their duties over the past fiscal
year.

Thank you very much, Minister.
Just a reminder that we are in the Committee
[of Supply] for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25, and
the Minister has just completed his brief on Heads 63
and [85]. Those are Heads 63, 85, and 92.
Minister, go right ahead.

HEAD 98 —INFORMATION COMMISSIONER’S
OFFICE

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, it gives me
great pleasure to present the budget for Head 98, the Information Commissioner’s Office found on pages B -
30 through B -35 of the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, the Information Commissioner
is an independent public office established in 2015 and mandated to promote public access to information and
oversee compliance with the Public Access to Infor-mation Act 2010, or PATI Act. For clarity, the Information Commissioner is a separate office from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner which was established in 2020 and has remit for oversight of the Personal Information Protection Act 2016.
The PATI Act, Mr. Chairman, affords Bermudians and residents the right to make PATI requests for
records held by the Government and other public authorities. It also requires the Government and public authorities to make certain information available without
970 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly the need to make a PATI request. The purposes of the
PATI Act enshrined in section 2 includes to increase
transparency and eliminate unnecessary secrecy to the
greatest extent possible within the provisions of the Act,
increase the accountability of public authorities, and inform the public about the activities and decision- making
process of public authorities.
According to the most recent annual national
public awareness survey conducted by the Information
Commissioner ’s office in February 2024, Mr. Chairman,
77 per cent of the respondents believed that creating
and enforcing the PATI Act represents an important
public investment, and 86 per cent believe that the right
of access to public records is important to them.
The institution of the Information Commission
is an essential part of the PATI Act’s framework that
safeguards the public’s PATI rights. The Information Commissioner ’s mandate is set forth in Part 6 and
Part 7 of the PATI Act. The Information Commissioner
promotes public access to information by engaging in public awareness and outreach activities concerning the rights afforded to Bermudians and residents by the
PATI Act. The Information Commissioner also provides
guidance for and oversight and enforcement of public
authorities’ compliance with their obligation under the
PATI Act. Finally, the Information Commissioner conducts reviews of decisions taken by public authorities under this Act in response to PATI requests, and she issues legally binding decisions when necessary. The
mandate of the Information Commission is singularly
focused on the compliance of public authorities with the
requirements of the PATI Act.
To safeguard the institution’s necessary independence, the Information Commissioner is not subject
to the direction or control of any other person or authority by virtue of section 50(4) of the PATI Act. The Infor-mation Commissioner is, however, subject to accountability through similarly independent institutions.
Namely, the accounts of the Office of the Information
Commissioner are subject to annual audits by the Auditor General, and the decisions by the Information
Commissioner are subject to judicial review by the Supreme Court. The Information Commissioner ’s 2020/21
audited financial statement was tabled in both Houses
of the Legislature in July 2023. The audit of the Information Commissioner ’s 2021/22 accounts is in progress, and the office is currently preparing the file for the 2022/23 accounts.
Mr. Chairman, the Information Commissioner
also remains accountable to both Houses of the Legis-lature through the filing of her annual report. The Information Commissioner ’s annual report highlights the
work of the Information Commissioner ’s Office, or ICO,
during the budget year as well as provides figures from the calendar year for the PATI requests received by
public authorities and the disposition of those requests. The Information Commissioner ’s 2023 Annual Report
was tabled in the House of Assembly this morning, 8
March 2024. I will now move into the expenditure overview,

It does.

Hon. Vance Campbell: It represents an increase of
$39,168 from the 2023/24 original budget of $1,077,734.

Salaries and Wages

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the amounts for
Salaries and Wages for 2024/25 increased by a total of $105,000 when compared to the 2023/24 original budgeted amount of $860,000. As seen on page B -32, there
has been an increase of one additional full -time equivalent in the employee numbers in 2024/25. The Information Commissioner ’s Office currently has eight employees consisting of the Information Commissioner ,
Acting Deputy Information Commissioner , Senior Investigation Officer, Manager of Finance and A dministration, Investigation Officer, two temporary additional
Investigation Officers, and a Project Officer. The increase in 2024/25 represents the hiring of an adminis-trative assistant to support the work of the ICO. That is
the bulk of that increase.
Mr. Chairman, returning to a comparison of the
2023/24 original budget to the [2024/]25 budget, and we are talking the overall budget. There is a total increase of $39,000. This reflects an increase of
$105,000 for Salary and Wages, $5,000 for Travel,
$1,000 for Communications, $2,000 for Professional
Services, and $5,000 for Other Expenses.
In order to maintain current staffing levels, variation between the 2023/24 original budget to the
2024/25 estimate also includes decreases of $5,000 for Training, $1,000 for Advertising and Promotions,
$63,000 for Rentals, $2,000 for Materials and Supplies,
and $8,000 for Minor Capital Equipment.
If I could move to current year achievements
and plans for the upcoming year, Mr. Chairman ?

You may, Minister. Go right ahead.

Current Year Achievements and Plans for the
Upcoming Year

Hon. Vance Campbell: Okay. The performance
measures developed for the Office of the Information
Commissioner are found on pages B -33 through B -35.


Bermuda House of Assembly As noted, the Information Commissioner ’s 2023 Annual
Report was tabled this morning in the House of Assembly. The Information Commissioner ’s 2023 Annual Report highlights the performance and achievements of the Office of the Information Commissioner and represents a summary of plans for the 2024/25 upcoming
year.
As required by section 58( [2])(e) of the PATI
Act, the Information Commissioner ’s review figures are
reported in her 2023 annual report for the calendar year
1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023. For purposes of
the budget debate, however, figures are provided for
the 2023/24 budget year to date, 1 April 2023 to 31
March 2024. To date, the Information Commissioner
has received 64 new applications for an independent review, which is an increase of 83 per cent over the 34
new applications received for this per iod in 2022/23.
The Information Commissioner also anticipates the issuance of approximately 66 formal deci-sions during the current budget year, which is an increase of 128 per cent over the 29 formal decisions by
the Information Commissioner between 1 April 2022
and 31 March 2023. With appropriate staffing levels
and adequate resources, the Information Commissioner has reduced the number of backlogged reviews
that arose both from external and internal challenges.
Mr. Chairman, the Information Commissioner
has also completed the 2023 ICO annual return process consisting of an annual review of nearly 200 public
authorities’ compliance with or requirements of the
PATI Act. The Information Commissioner ’s 2023 Annual Report provides both Houses of the Legislature
with information on the number of PATI requests reported by public authorities as well as the disposition of these PATI requests. In the 2023 calendar year, 26
public authorities reported receiv ing approximatel y 189
new PATI requests from Bermudians and residents, an increase of 20 per cent over the 158 PATI requests received in the prior calendar year.
In June 2023, the Bermuda ICO was also reelected to the nine- member executive committee of the
International Conference of Information Commissioners for a second term until 2026. The International Conference of Information Commissioner s is the only permanent international network of I nformation Commissioner s. Its mission is T o share knowledge and best
practices, to build capacity , to help identify what is
needed for global progress, and to act as a collective
voice in international fora with a view to improving people’s rights to public information and their ability to hold
to account bodies that provide public functions. I congratulate the Information Commissioner and her team
for this achievement.
Mr. Chairman, the Honourable Members are
invited to read the Information Commissioner ’s 2023
Annual Report to learn more about the highlights and impact of the Information Commissioner ’s decision notices in 2023. For the upcoming 2024/25 budget year, the Information Commissioner has prioritised closing the remaining backlog reviews and continuing to improve the
ICO review process. The Information Commissioner
will also focus on upcoming briefings and programmes
for public authorities and the public on building technical capacity to support the efficient administration of
the PATI Act. The ICO will continue to promote awareness of the rights under the PATI Act particularly for individuals who may be less familiar wit h their rights
through its events, publications, and outreach.
Finally, the past and future accomplishments of
the ICO are only achieved through the efforts and ded-ication of the accomplished public officers within the office. In 2024/25, the Information Commissioner will
continue to focus on the retention, training, and profes-sional growth of its highly skilled and dedicated public officers.
With that, I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

That is fine. Go ahead, Minister.

HEAD 101 —PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to
present the budget for Head 101, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda found on pages B -36
through B -40 of the Budget Book.

Mission and Mandate

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the mission of
the Privacy Commission is To protect the rights of individuals in relation to their personal information.
Mr. Chairman, the mandate of the Privacy
Commissioner is To take responsibility for monitoring
how the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 is administered to ensure its purposes are achieved. The
Commissioner is empowered to regulate the use of personal information by organisations so that such use is
in a manner that recognises both the need to protect
the rights of individuals in relation to their personal in-formation and the need for organisations to use personal information for legitimate purposes.
Mr. Chairman, the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (the Act) was assented on 27 July
2016. Sections relating to the appointment of the Privacy Commissioner were enacted on 2 December
2016, including the creation of the office as well as
those duties and powers relevant to its operation in the
period leading up the implementation of the whole Act.
It is now being announced that the Act will come into
972 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly full effect on 1 January 2025. And I want to repeat that
for the public.

Go right ahead, Minister.
Hon. Vance Campbell: The date for the Act coming
into full effect is 1 January 2025.
And as I have stated before, we cannot wait
(like some of us do at Christmas or on a birthday) run-ning into the store at the last minute to buy a package that will help us with being compliant the next day. So, reach out to the Privacy Commissioner and his office,
and let’s get ready starting now.

In a timely manner.
Hon. Vance Campbell: In a timely manner.
The Act will apply to every organisation that
uses personal information in Bermuda where that per-sonal information is used wholly or partly to form a part of a structural filing system whether that system is au-tomated or manual.
The Office of the Privacy Commission began
active set -up on 20 January 2020 with the hiring of Bermuda’s first Privacy Commissioner , Mr. Alexander
White. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is an
independent non- Ministry office, and the Act requires
that in the exercise of his functions, the Commissioner shall not be subject to the direction or control of any
other person or authority. We have heard that a lot, and
that is the common theme in the heads that we have been reading on and bringing to light this afternoon.
The Act will require the Commissioner to submit an annual report of operations to each House of the Legislature. The accounts of the Commissioner’s Office
shall be audited annually independently of the Consolidated Fund and reported on by the Auditor Gener al of
Bermuda. These are some of the reports which hold the Privacy Commissioner accountable without another
person or authority exercising influence on the office’s
operation.
Mr. Chairman, the Act empowers individuals to
control what is done with their personal information and
to protect themselves and their families from cyber risks and harms. The Act and the work of the Privacy Com-missioner will bolster Bermuda’s international reputation as a trusted regulatory environment consistent with international standards and encourage businesses to place faith in Bermuda as a safe harbour for modern digital commerce. The legal and regulatory framewor k
of the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 is es-sential to enable innovation to thrive in Bermuda.
Throughout the past year, the commissioner
has held workshops or events to educate the public and business community on the rights and responsibilities of the Act both virtually and in person. A focused data privacy week in January spotlighted the upcoming "Road to PIPA.” The Commissioner has actively released guidance for organisations to better understand the obligations that the Act imposes as well as awareness publications for individuals to better understand their rights under the Act. More details including the guide to PIPA, releases, announcements, and reports may be found at the Commissioner’s website,
www.privacy.bm .
The Privacy Commissioner has engaged with
international counterparts to enhance Bermuda’s standing on the international stage as a regulatory leader. In addition to successfully attaining accredita-tion for Bermuda as a full member of the Global Privacy Asse mbly of data privacy regulators, Commissioner
White has, since January 2022, served on the body’s seven- member executive committee to guide the strategic direction of privacy regulators around the world and support enforcement cooperation across borders. The Privacy Commissioner’s work will ensure that his office’s guidance and actions are consistent with international standards and best practices and will increase
Bermuda’s voice in setting those global standards.
In October 2023, the Privacy Commissioner
hosted the 2023 Global Privacy Assembly summit of data privacy regulators. This event drew hundreds of
regulatory leaders and technology executives from
over 130 countries.
Mr. Chairman, I will now move into the Expenditure Overview.

Go ahead, Minister.

Expenditure Overview
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, as shown on page B -36 of the Budget Book, the office has been allocated a budget for 2024/25 of $2,130,000, an overall
net increase of $269,000 when compared to the original budget for 2023/24.
Rentals for 2024/25 of $113,000, which is
shown as line item 8 on page B -37, is $5,000 more than
the 2023/24 original budget of $108,000.
The office will use $25,000 for its information
communications technology infrastructure, line item 5—an overall net increase of $8,000 compared to the original budget for 2023/24. This increase in funding re-flects additional information communications technol-ogy support for human resources and technical security
and functionality.
The office will use $100,000 (that’s line item 6
for Advertising and Promotion) associated with the
Road to PIPA campaign. This funding reflects the need to hold events, develop digital and real -world advertising campaigns and engage technical experts in order
to raise awareness in the community and prepare organisations , small and large, for the requirements of
the Act.
Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget for full- time
staff shown on page B- 37 of the Budget Book is for 14
full-time equivalent positions. This number remains unchanged from 2023/24. The total salary allocated to


Bermuda House of Assembly these positions is $1,577,000. And that is, Mr. Chairman, a decrease of $20,000 over the original estimate
for 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, the senior positions established
for 2024/25 in the office are the commissioner, the dep-uty commissioner, assistant commissioner for operations, assistant commissioner for policy and communication , assistant commissioner for investigations and
assistant commissioner for innovations.
The Commissioner will continue to evaluate
the most efficient use of full -time employees to fully
meet the office’s statutory mandate and to serve the people of Bermuda. It is expected that the office will
need legal advice as the Act comes into force.
Mr. Chairman, the analysis of current account
estimate is found in the Budget Book on page B -37.
The allocated budget estimate for the Privacy Commissioner to complete his mandate, as previously stated,
is $2,130,000 for the fiscal year 2024/25. After the expenses for rent, communications and staffing (as described previously) there remains a budget allocation of $415,000 for operations to accomplish the following
purposes:
1. Support for the community as a whole, including compliance support for businesses and government al organisations, particularly to
support small and medium -sized enterprises.
The Commissioner will continue to develop
policy guidance, codes of practice, templates
and other materials and will host educational
forums and undertake other expenses as deemed necessary.
2. Provid e additional support for individual Bermudians who wish to economically empower themselves through skills training to become a
privacy officer. The Commissioner will work
with schools and community groups to provide guidance to job seekers, boosting their employment prospects and providing the business
community with a talented Bermudian workforce to meet their privacy goals.
3. Further help individuals to understand their privacy rights under the Act. The Commissioner
will educate individuals on privacy as a human right and investigate complaints those individuals may have about how organisations use
their data.
Mr. Chairman, these operational expenses outside of those mentioned include:
• $23,000 for staff professional fees. And this is
training and associated travel, as well. And
these can be found on line items 2, 3 and 4;
• $100,000 for advertising and promotion, which
is shown on line 6;
• $214,000 for security professional services,
and that is line item 7;
• $38,000 for repairs and maintenance, line item
9; • $12,000 for energy needs, line item 10; and fi-nally
• $28,000 for materials and supplies, equipment and other expenses, line items 11 and 12.
Mr. Chairman, the Privacy Commissioner is
committed to responsible use of public funds. Throughout the fiscal year 2024/25, the Commissioner will assess the needs of the office and make any additional
funds requested to the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the mandate of the office will be met.

Capital Expenditure

Hon. Vance Campbell: If we look at capital expenditure, Mr. Chairman, the capital expenditure allocation
for the office is found on page C -9 of the Budget Book
and is $18,000 for the fiscal year period 2024/25. These funds have been allocated to purchase office and technologic al equipment for staff.
I will turn now to [performance] measures, Mr.
Chairman.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Performance Measures

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Performance Measures for the Office of the Privacy Commis-sioner are found in the Budget Book on pages B -38
through B -40. In 2024/25, the Privacy Commissioner
will engage in new initiatives related to implementing
the Act, enabling human r ights and supporting innovation and safe technological practices in the business community.
The office’s operations business unit will engage in initiatives to develop the operational maturity of
the office, enhancing compliance functions and processes regarding various statutory requirements relating to finances, annual reports, access to information, and other business operations. This unit will implement
a mediation and an alternative dispute resolution process for resolving, both formally and informally, issues
related to complaints and potential violations of the Act.
Mr Chairman, the Office’s Policy & Communications Unit will undertake initiatives related to community awareness and education and to creating guidance
on compliance with the Act. Additionally, the Commissioner’s Office will publish guidance publications and
conduct workshops or events to educate the public on
the Act. The public will be given specific guidance on
how to implement various sections of the Act.
The Office’s [ Innovation ] Unit will engage in initiatives related to constructive, proactive regulation.
With the anticipated implementation of the Act, this unit
will respond to individual complaints, generate own- initiative actions, draft compliance orders, and undertake
sectoral and/or industry surveys. The Office’s Innovation Unit will continue the work of the Privacy Innovation and Knowledge sharing (or Pink) Sandbox to support
974 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly businesses engaged in innovative uses of data and
personal information.
Mr. Chairman, in October 2023, Bermuda welcomed the technology world to our country as digital
leaders attended the Global Privacy Assembly summit of data privacy regulators. We showed the world the
beauty and suitability of Bermuda as a jurisdiction for
technological and business success while protecting
human rights. The office engaged in various tasks to prepare for and support this event. Since funding for
this event was not an item in the financial year 2023/24 budget, the office engaged sponsors from the local and
international community. The Commissioner will continue to advise Government on the Act and provide recommendations as to how its provisions will become operational on January 1, 2025.
Mr. Chairman, bringing the Personal Information Protection Act into operation is of vital importance to protect Bermuda and her people from a variety of online, financial, or even physical harms. We,
as a community, must each ask hard questions, such as w hether the use or misuse of personal information
could lead to
• stalking, harassment, or physical assault;
• identity theft or financial hardship;
• discrimination or disadvantage or loss of opportunity, liberty, or other social detriment.
In the meantime, Mr. Chairman, the Privacy
Commissioner would like to encourage all companies
and other organisations that use personal information
to join them on the Road to PIPA.
Each week for most of 2024, the Commissioner’s Office will provide templates and bite- size instructions to the community to help organisations to
prepare for January 1, 2025. They should not wait but
should start their preparations now. As part of their
preparations, organisations should ask simple ques-tions to map out their use of information systems such
as:
• What data are we storing?
• For what purpose is the data being used?
• Do we even need the information we hold to
accomplish our business purposes?
By cataloguing their data assets and eliminating unnecessary data, organisations will reduce the risk
of harm to individuals and make their compliance with
the Act even easier.
Mr. Chairman, the Privacy Commissioner is inspired to bring the Act into full bloom for Bermuda and her people to ensure that personal information is appropriately protected and used legitimately. We call on
the community to join on the Road to PIPA.
Mr. Chairman, this brings me to the end of my
brief on the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s budget. I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman. It also brings to a close the briefs for the non- ministries. So,
thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, Honourable
Minister.
Members, we continue in Committee of Supply
for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue
and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The Ministers have just completed their overview of Heads 1, 2, 5, 56,
63, 85, 92, 98 and 101.
Are there any other Members who wish to
speak to any of these heads?
I recognise the Honourable Member, Mr. Craig
Cannonier.

Everyone is looking out.
What I would like to first start out by saying
amongst the non- ministry departments is thank you to
all of the staff, just as the Premier had stood up to thank
the staff. I mean, these are pretty much independent
ministries that seek out really to be the foundation of
much of what we do here in Bermuda and as legisla-tors. So, it is not always a pretty job for them, but I believe they have been doing a successful job thus far and, quite frankly, for many of them, under financial restraints. So we are getting a good bang for our buck out
of these ministries. So I just want to thank the staff for
that.
Just as a housekeeping measure—

And they can get those questions back to us. So thank you very much.
What I will do is start off with Head 1, under
Governor and Staff. I was just curious as the Premier had gone through and he mentioned some changes
coming up considering the Governor potentially leaving. But he did say on the side that he did not know
when that would be. I know she has extended her time, but he was not quite sure exactly of that time.
If I go over to . . . let me just look at my question
here. On page [ C-26], we see that rent is $312,000.
What I was curious of is if the Governor is doing busi-ness out of the new location or is that kind of just the
residence and then business is being done in the original Governor’s house? Or is business being done at the
new location? Additionally, understanding that where
the Deputy Governor lives is slightly different, I was curious as to whether or not the Deputy Governor also
was operating out of th e Governor’s new residence.
There was some talk before . . . and the reason
I am asking that question is I know there was talk before about the statement being said that for security reasons we were not releasing the address of the residence. But
if they are doing business out of there then it is pretty much public knowledge. And has there been a recon-sideration as to letting people know where the Governor’s new residence is so that the public has the oppor-tunity to go there and conduct business? So I would like to know that.
On page C -4, the capital development was
about $2.6 million. The Premier did answer the question—that it was roof and water issues —but also mentioned the Governor would have had to leave residence
to get this work done anyhow. So my question is: With
the $2.6 million, are we anticipating getting that work done within the fiscal year knowing that we are talking
about a roof that has to be replaced? It was a building
that was built back in 1892, so it would fall under the
strict guidance of, you know, having to replace it back
as it was, and sometimes trying to do that is not always an easy task. So, just curious as to whether or not that
would take much of the year to get work done up there.
I will go over to the performance measures on
page B -9. On the performance measures on page B -9,
under business unit 11000, seven items down, it says ,
Number of weekly conferences with senior staff of the
Bermuda Police Service. And this was a new initiative put in last year, I believe, or the year before last. What
I see here is, if we look at the original forecast, it was
40, but then the revised amount is 24 and of course the target outcome again is back to 40. If we could find out
what difficulty the G overnor was having potentially of
not being able to meet the original forecast of 40. What were the challenges there? It might have been the
building. I do not know. But if we could find out from the Governor exactly what was going on. That is pretty
much half of what was intended to happen. Why were
they not able to have the senior staff meetings with Police Service?
Also, the next item down, Number of quarterly
meetings with the Auditor General, again the original forecast is four . And if the revised amount is correct —
just two —why was that . . . understanding the Auditor
General’s position and the job that they do being im-portant, why is that half the amount?
Also, if you continue five items down below the
one I just mentioned, N umber of periodic scheduled
parish visits. And I was curious about these parish visits. The original forecast is nine. You can see the revised amount is only two. And this Book probably would
have been printed about a month ago, so it is pretty low
there. Why was that not accomplished as would have
been preferred? And exactly what are these parish visits? What are they like? Exactly what is the Governor
doing with these parish visits? A nd with whom is the
Governor actually meeting?
I will say that under this head and the further
heads that I will be going through, as I mentioned, I do
not have a whole lot of questions other than . . . I know
that the Ministers are not able to answer too many
questions. But these numbers are pretty static. As you saw the substantive Ministers going through, they are
pretty static. They are pretty much the same year after
year after year. And one of the general things I did see
was that some of them are doing more advertising than
others —quite frankly, quite more than others. And I
would have thought that for some of these heads, they
would have spent more time getting to the public and
letting the public know exactly what it is that they are
doing.
I am going to move over to Head 2, Legislature.
And again, I want to thank the staff and the team members who come into this House and the Senate that
comes on a regular basis —fantastic job to the point that
even you keep us well -fed and the like in these sometimes long sessions. But again, I believe that the team
is doing a fantastic job. Under the mission statement,
To facilitate parliamentary oversight and administrative
support for a parliament that is responsive to the people of Bermuda. It appears th at we are still having challenges with streaming sometimes, and I do not know if there is a fix to that or not. At one time it is consistent
then another time it drops out, with the radio as well.
And I was just curious, is that something on our side?
Or is it on the radio station’s side? We could probably
become a bit more consistent with that. Just curious if that can be done.
I did ask the question, when will it be likely . . .
the general statement of the Premier on page B -10.
976 8 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly When are we likely to move back up the hill? I thought
it was this upcoming year. But it does not . . . It does
not look like it is going to be this upcoming year. So I am anticipating probably sometime in 2026, we will be
getting back up on the hill so that we can enjoy the amenities that are there as opposed to here.
The other question was for this h ead. Just curious about the cyberattack and whether or not the House of Assembly is back up and fully functioning. It
would be nice to know whether or not they are still hav-ing some challenges. It appears as if we are back up and running. But are we still having some challenges
since the cyberattack? And are we fully restored?

The Auditor General. The last
question that I just asked, a similar question there as to the Auditor General: Were they actually affected by the
cyberattack and are they at full capacity at this time?
I want to move over to page B -15 under revenue. And it was not really clear as to the explanation
here under revenue source. We can see 2023/24 at
$828,000 and these are audit fees. The revised amount is $447,000. But if you look at the estimate, it is
$581,000. There certainly is a fall back there. If we
could get clarification on exactly . . . that is a big loss in
revenue quite frankly. And if we could get a little more
information concerning the challenges behind that.
The Premier did explain about the employees
and the full -time equivalents, so we got the answer to
that.

I am going to move to page
B-16 and under business unit 15000, Audit, the second
item there, N umber of financial statement reviews completed. If you look at the original amount, and the target outcome, it is drastically . . . it is quite different. Now,
the revised amount is at 16 and so I am not sure exactly what was going on there as to the uptic k of 2023/24 or
whether that 16 still needs to be revised. But the target
outcome is half of that. So I would be curious as to what
exactl y happened there. I will move over to Head 56, under Human
Rights Commission, on page B -17 under the department objectives , To inquire into and investigate H uman
Rights related complaints of discrimination and harassment. I am just curious as we looked at harassment legislation here in the House. Are there any consistencies
that we are seeing or trends that we are seeing in these
particular human rights that the Human Rights Commission is experiencing more prevalent than others? If
they could give us an idea of what is happening with
the types of complaints that they are receiving. And does there seem to be a trend so we can address that?
Under salaries, it says that the increase in jobs
was $135,000. We did get an answer for that. But under professional services . . . I actually missed part of the
answer to that, and I believe the Premier . . . No. Who
said this one? The Human Rights Comm ission . . . it
was that web development had occurred as a new opportunity, so they were able to draw back on the professional services. I think that is what the Minister was
saying, yes? Okay. Got it. Got it. Got it. I guess the
question there as far as t he professional service was
concerned is: Was it one contractor or two contractors
[for] $150,000— that is a good savings there. So it is
nice to see that we are using innovation to actually help in that area.
I will move on to . . . hang on a second . . . I will
move on to Head 63, the Parliamentary Registrar. If we go to page B -20 there, under business unit 73010, General and Bye Elections, we can see a relatively healthy
$91,000 increase there. And the Minister was talking
about election preparation and the like. I was just curi-ous as to . . . the last time we saw a jump like this here
was in the 2020 budget. We had an election in 2020.

So this is not the first time . . .
I am not suggesting that this one . . . but there is a suggestion here that we are going back to this $251,000,
which is what we saw back in 2020. It may be an indication that we might be heading toward something, not
necessarily in 2025/26 but maybe in 2024/25.
I was also curious because we seem to be having some challenges at times with the Parliamentary Registrar getting things updated especially when we
bring in the death certificates and the like. It still seems
to be a long time before this registrar is updated. So I
do not know if there is a way to streamline this process, but it would be nice to find out from how we could get
this done a lot quicker, especially when elections are
being called. And I see the increase there. I want to
make sure that we get these numbers [for] these folks
right.
The Parliamentary Registrar , as well. I would
like to know whether or not they are fully operational
since the cyberattack and if they are having any challenges. Certainly, with an election potentially coming up


Bermuda House of Assembly and our preparation for it, it would be nice to know
whether or not they are working at full capacity.
I must say it was pleasant to see under Advertising and Promotion on page B -21, under Subjective
Analysis of Current Account Estimates , that advertising
is one of the areas of these non- ministries that have a
healthy amount of $121,000 for the estimate for 2024/25. But in relation to business unit 73010, General/Bye Elections, I would have thought that when the
Minister said that the incr eased amount for general
elections has gone up because of a potential election
that the advertising and promotion would have gone up
as well, getting people prepared and getting people
ready. So maybe the Minister can ask if they are seeking to increase that. Or do they believe that is enough
for an election for this upcoming budget year?
I have already spoken about employee numbers, so I am fine there.
Under Performance Measures on page B -22,
business unit 73000, Administration, Voter registrations
updated per total population. We are up to 50 per cent
here for our target outcome, but if you look at the original amounts, it was at 25 per cent. Maybe that is due to
the upcoming election. I don’t know. It is 50 per cent. It
is double the amount. Why is it double the amount? Because to me, that particular one would certainly suggest an election coming up.

[Laughter]