March 6, 2024

For the listening audience again, it is the
resumption of the annual Budget Debate. This morning,
today , we have two m inistries that will be debated. They
will be the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, which is this morning for four hours. And after that, the Cabinet Office for the remaining four hours, for
a total of eight hours as are set aside daily for the annual Budget Debate each day.
Again, for the listening audience, once we resume into Committee, the Speaker will be out of the
House during that process. And the proceedings of the
House will be in the hands of the Panel of Chairs led by
the Deputy Speaker. And I believe this morning the fir st
Chairman will be MP Scott Simmons. So once the
Premier leads us into Committee, MP Simmons will
take the Chair and the House will be in his hands for
the start of the session.
Premier.
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now resume in Committee of Supply to consider the Estimates
of Revenue and Expenditure for fiscal year 2024/25.

Honourable Members, we are now in
Committee of Supply for the further consideration of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25. Today we will be looking at Heads 86, 23 and
55 under the Ministry of Youth, Social Development
and Senior s.
I am going to recognise the Honourable Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, the Honourable Minister Tinee Furbert, JP, MP.
Minister, you have the floor.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Good morning, Mr. Chairman.

It has been moved that Heads [86,] 23
and 55 be approved.
Is there any objection to the motion?
There is none, g o ahead, Minister.

MINISTRY OF YOUTH, SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT AND SENIORS

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased to present the 2024/25 budget estimates for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors which comprises the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors Headquarters, inclusive
of Ageing and Disability Services, the K. Margaret
Carter Centre, the Office of Youth Affairs , the Department of Child and Family Services and the Department
of Financial Assistance.
Mr. Chairman, four hours has been allocated
for this Ministry , and I will do my best to give time for
the Opposition to ask questions or seek clarification on
the fiscal year 2024/25 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Ministry.
Mr. Chairman, the 2024/25 budget allocations
for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors will demonstrate that there is a continued commitment with funding to support Bermuda’s population dur-ing their lifespan, which includes our most vulnera ble
and cherished population groups —that is, our children
(including youth), persons with disabilities and our sen-iors. To this end, Mr. Chairman, we have ensured that the services and programmes offered by the Ministry
will directly impact and improve the ir overall well -being
and quality of life.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry focused on numerous national priorities during the last budget year which
are ongoing and will continue in the upcoming 2024/25 budget year. I will briefly highlight these as follows:
Mr. Chairman, ensuring the best interests, protection and safeguarding of our children is critical. As
such, the National Child Safeguarding Committee,
which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, finalised its Nati onal
Child Safeguarding Policy entitled “Working Together
to Safeguard Children.” Children’s needs should be at the heart of a safeguarding system; therefore, a childcentred and coordinated approach to safeguarding children was adopted. This approach, which is reflected in
the policy, encourages the collaboration of multiple
agencies through the sharing of information and the un-dertaking of robust risk assessments.
Mr. Chairman, the main objectives of the National Child Safeguarding Policy are to strengthen
• the legislative framework;


Bermuda House of Assembly
• the collaboration framework; and
• the community protection framework.
The policy provides a guide for the National
Child Safeguarding Committee, stakeholders and the
community to further enhance child safeguarding measures in Bermuda, which places the country in a
better position to report on compliance with the UN
Conventio n on the Rights of the Child. The Ministry of
Youth, Social Development and Seniors remains
steadfast in providing our children with the protections
that are necessary to safeguard them so they feel safe and can flourish to become productive members of our
community.
Mr. Chairman, during fiscal year 2023/24, the
Ministry also released a five- year National Plan for
Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families
[National ID Plan] . To facilitate and underscore meaningful inclusion for persons with disabilities an accessible easy -to-read version and an audio recording of this
version of the national plan are available in the public
domain. This national plan aims to examine our services and support for adults with intellectual disabilities to ensure that they are at the standard or moving toward key standards identified in the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabili ties.
Mr. Chairman, this approach allows for gaps
within the community impacting the lives of persons
with intellectual disabilities and their families to be addressed and ultimately enhance existing areas of ser-vices and support. These improvements will ensure
that the human rights of adults with disabilities are respected and promoted so that this vulnerable sector within our community is empowered.
Mr. Chairman, the National ID Plan identifies
five priority areas of action:
1. Quality Support and Services.
2. Training and Education for Support Workers.
3. Policy, Regulation and Accountability.
4. Financing .
5. Advocacy and Communication.
These priority areas are guided by the principles of rights, independence, choice and inclusion.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry established the National Intellectual Disabilities Plan Steering Committee so that a coordinated approach is undertaken when working through the action tasks. This cross -ministry
steering committee includes 13 members inclusive of
the chair, who represents various sectors in the community —that is, government ministries, departments,
organisations, non- profits and persons with disabilities.
Mr. Chairman, the Steering Committee will focus on working through the priority areas or obj ectives while
seeking to educate the public and to improve the quality
of services and supports to guarantee a more inclusive
community so that adults with intellectual disabilities can have happy, healthy and meaningful lives.
Mr. Chairman, last year you may recall that I
established Bermuda’s first -ever Gender Affairs Council comprising 10 members who collectively bring
a depth of knowledge, skills and experience relevant to
gender issues in Bermuda, and who represent non-profit civil society organisations and entrepreneurs. Mr.
Chairman, the Council has completed its T erms of Reference that sets out the purpose, role, expectation and
duties of the Council to further the advancement of gender affairs in Bermuda. The Council has also submitted
recommendations to the Ministry on what could assist the advancement of gender affairs in Bermuda and a
work plan that will guide the Council in achieving their
intended deliverables during the upcoming fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, to raise further awareness in our
community and educate the public about gender -based
violence, in November 2023 the Ministry participated in the observance of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and organised its second awareness campaign for gender -
based violence with information tables set up at Washington Mall in Hamilton. The United Nations theme was
UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.
Mr. Chairman, this collaborative partnership
between the Government and key agencies represent-ing women advocates such as the Centre Against
Abuse, One Love Foundation and the Women’s Re-source Centre is to address and prevent violence against women and gir ls. At the campaign, the Ministry
distributed safe sound personal alarms used as a form
of protection if someone should feel threatened or in
danger. The Ministry endeavours to continue to edu-cate the public about matters concerning gender affairs
to empow er our women, girls, men and boys to eliminate gender -based violence within our community,
which many times gets overlooked.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry continues to be involved in the United Nations Joint Sustainable Development Goals [SDG] Fund Programme entitled Building Back Equal through Innovative Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. The joint
programme ai ms to diversify Bermuda’s economy by
supporting the growth of new opportunities for small
businesses. This approach aims to empower women,
youth and persons with disabilities to engage in key economic industry sectors.
Mr. Chairman, this fiscal year 2023/24, a delegation from the UNDP Multi -Country Office in Jamaica
and UN Women Caribbean made two mission trips to
Bermuda. The first visit in October 2023 involved the
following:
• The re-engagement of project partners and
stakeholders to progress continued buy -in and
successful implementation of the programme.
• Validation of the draft curriculum and implementation plan for the Gender Equitable Fi-nance and Accelerator Programme.
• Meetings with ministers for cross -ministry initiatives .
810 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Training for public sector officers and financial
institutions .
• Meetings with the Ministry to explore other programming opportunities in Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, the second mission trip in February 2024 was highly targeted in that three consultants
as hired by UN Women engaged in several meetings in
their efforts to conduct assessments of Bermuda, focusing on businesses owned by women, youth and persons with disabilities. The data collected will feed into
the work of the joint programme. These assessments
included the following:
1. a feasibility assessment on financing mechanisms for gender equality;
2. a needs assessment of financing tools and instruments; and
3. a training needs assessment on climate- and
shock -resilient needs of businesses.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry continues to partner
with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation
[BEDC] which is the government’s expert agency in the areas of micro, small and medium- sized enterprises
(MSMEs) as we work with our UN Women and UNDP partner s to undertake these assessments and progress
this joint programme project, which is a momentous opportunity for Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, during fiscal year 2023/24 the
Ministry engaged the community through various platforms —that is, YouTube, Instagram, CITV, radio, education sessions, live- stream panel discussions and expos—to ensure members of the public were aware of
Minist ry initiatives, services and programmes that are
beneficial to them. Some of these included Nurturing
our Nation: Parenting Expo, Let’s Get Social and The
Golden Hour.
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to share some of
the core initiatives the Ministry has been working
through in collaboration with other entities for the social
betterment of the community.

Go ahead, Minister.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The Ministry collaborated with the charitable
organisation HOME and the Homelessness Advisory
Panel to review a work plan to end homelessness in Bermuda. On World Homelessness Day, 10 October
2023, a community survey was launched to gather data
on the publ ic’s views about homelessness in Bermuda,
which would feed into strengthening the homelessness work plan that had been developed. Subsequently, the
Homelessness Advisory Panel undertook a thorough review of the draft Plan to End Homelessness in Bermuda. [T he draft plan] was later made public from December 2023 to February 2024 for the general public to
review and give their views on the recommended action items for ending homelessness. This work will continue
into the 2024/25 fiscal year. The Ministry also collaborated with the Bermuda Health Council to develop a National Seniors
Strategy for Bermuda. The National Seniors Strategy
team have been working [assiduously] since last year
August consulting with key stakeholder groups. Con-sultatio ns were held from October 2023 to February
2024 with public sector ministries and departments, non-profit agencies, seniors clubs, private sector entities and our seniors themselves.
The strategy maps out nine pillars or goals to
coordinate comprehensive strategic actions across the government, the third sector and the community to
meet the needs of Bermuda’s ageing population. These
engagements provided an opportunity to have mean-ingful conversations about the challenges seniors face,
how these challenges can be addressed and opportu-nities facing Bermuda’s ageing population. The feed-back provided and the data gathered will help to lay a
solid foundation on which the National Seniors St rategy
will be developed. This work will also continue into the
upcoming fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry is committed to putting in place solutions to bridge the gaps in services for
our seniors. While the National Seniors Strategy is still
being developed, in October 2023 the Ministry launched a six -month Dementia Care Services Pil ot
Programme to ensure persons living with dementia who are uninsured or under -insured have access to the
core dementia care community support services. In
monitoring the dementia care services provided to
date, the pilot programme is meeting a definite ne ed as
the number of clients has steadily increased. There-fore, funding has been secured in the upcoming fiscal
year to continue the pilot programme which will be ulti-mately sustained as the National Seniors Strategy is
implemented.
Mr. Chairman, as per the Children Act 1998,
litigation guardians are appointed by courts to be the
voice of the child. In essence, litigation guardians serve
in a statutory role of safeguarding the interest of children. As of December 2023, there were 29 active litigation guardian cases. Of this total, 27 were new cases for 2023 and 20 cases were closed by the end of the
year. The closure of cases within 12 months is evidence of the strengthening of the Ministry’s Framework for Litigation Guardians. For thi s upcoming fiscal year
2024/25, the Ministry has set aside $150,000 to support the framework, which will cover the cost of litigation guardian services and the appointment of legal counsel
by the courts for children.
Mr. Chairman, during the past budget year, the
Ministry was directly associated with social protection
efforts through proclamations, Ministerial Statements,
guest speaking events and press releases. Some of these include the following:
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2023;
• World Homelessness Day;


Bermuda House of Assembly
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women;
• Human Rights Day 2023; and
• International Women’s Day 2023.
Mr. Chairman, the monies budgeted for this
Ministry for the past fiscal year have been invested in
steering programmes and initiatives that have and will
directly impact for the better our vulnerable populations across their lifespan.
Mr. Chairman, I will now move on to the summary of the fiscal year 2024/25 current account budget
estimate for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development
and Seniors, which is found on page B -287 of the Approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The Ministry’s total budget estimate for
the fiscal year 2024/25 is $85,295,000. Mr. Chairman, this represents an increase of $4,735,000, or 6 per
cent, compared to the original estimate of $80,560,000 for fiscal year 2023/24. Mr. Chairman, t he breakdown
of the Ministry’s current account budget estimate for
2024/25 by head as shown on page B -287 is as follows:
• Head 86, Ministry Headquarters, $11.494 million, 51 per cent increase;
• Head 23, Child and Family Services, $19.680 million, 5 per cent increase;
• Head 55, Financial Assistance, $54.121 million, no increase; and
• Ministry total, $85.295 [million], increase of
6 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, this summary shows that the
2024/25 current expenditure allocations for both Head 86 and Head 23 have increased, while remaining the
same for Head 55. I will explain the details of these
changes further in this budget presentation.

HEAD 86 —MINISTRY HEADQUARTERS

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the current account expenditure for Head 86, Ministry Headquarters,
will now be presented and can be found on pages B -
287 to B -292 of the Estimates Book. The Ministry Headquarters is responsible for the budget of nine business
units, as follo ws:
• 96000, Administration;
• 96040, Ageing and Disability Services;
• 96050, K. Margaret Carter Centre;
• 96060, Policy Development;
• 96070, Grants to the Third Sector;
• 96080, Youth Development Administration;
• 96090, Youth Grants and Investments;
• 96100, Youth Community Centres; and
• 96110, Before, After and Out of School Pro-grammes.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Ministry of
Youth, Social Development and Seniors Headquarters
found on page B -288 is The protection of all individuals during their lifetime and facilitation of well -being. The
objectives of the Ministry Headquarters are to
• collaborate with Ministry departments in order
to ensure overall policy objectives are met;
• create partnerships that will allow for better coordinated services that are more synergistic
with Government’s social initiatives;
• help facilitate or improve social supports for
Bermuda’s at -risk populations;
• ensure all stakeholders have safeguarding and
child protection policy statements; and
• advance Government’s social policy initiatives
with an emphasis on social cohesion.
Mr. Chairman, page B -289 shows that the total
budget allocation for the Ministry Headquarters for fiscal year 2024/25 is $11,494,000, distributed amongst
the following business units:
• 96000, Administration, $1,352,000;
• 96040, Ageing and Disability Services,
$1,332,000;
• 96050, K. Margaret Carter Centre,
$1,890,000;
• 96060, Policy Development, $155,000;
• 96070, Grants to the Third Sector,
$3,105,000;
• 96080, Youth Development Administration,
$516,000;
• 96090, Youth Grants and Investments,
$100,000;
• 96100, Youth Community Centres,
$1,578,000; and
• 96110, Before, After and Out of School Pro-grammes, $1,466,000.
Mr. Chairman, the total budget allocation represents a net increase of $3,869,000.

Administration Budget

Hon. Tinee Furbert: I will now share details of each of
these business units commencing with business unit
96000, Administration, page B -289.
Mr. Chairman, the 2024/25 budget for the Administration business unit 96000 of $1,352,000 com-pares to the $1,815,000 originally budgeted in fiscal
year 2023/24. This reflects a decrease of $463,000, or
a decrease of 26 per cent, as shown on page B -289.
The decrease in budgeted funds reflects the following:
• the shift of $70,000 to grants and contributions
for the charitable organisation HOME which is
now budgeted for correctly under the third sector;
• less monies budgeted for the National Seniors
Strategy of $125,000 which is being undertaken locally instead of hiring overseas consultants; and
• less monies budgeted for the overseas treatment of vulnerable youths of $286,000, [sic] as
812 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly one youth is no longer under the care of the
Director of Child and Family Services.

Ageing and Disability Services
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now present
the budget for business unit 96040, Ageing and Disa-bility Services (or ADS) which can be found on page B -
289. Mr. Chairman, the mission of Ageing Disability
Services is To support and protect seniors and persons
with disabilities who are at risk of abuse, neglect or self -
neglect through providing compliance, programme delivery, education and stakeholder collaboration .
ADS has a budget allocation of $1,332,000 for
fiscal year 2024/25. This allocation is 36 per cent, or
$352,000 more than the budget allocation in fiscal year
2023/24, reflecting the budgeting for three new posts —
two social workers and a policy analyst —who were approved during the year as a result of a Management
Consulting Services organisational review.
Mr. Chairman, the primary focus of the Office
of Ageing and Disability Services is on adult protection through their case management programme; however,
ADS also develops and implements public education
and awareness initiatives to enhance the community’s
understanding of its services, actions and issues pertaining to seniors and persons with disabilities.
The United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities is recognised worldwide each
year on December 3; however, the day was acknowledged in Bermuda on December 4, 2023, inclusive of a
proclamation. The day aims to promote the rights and
well-being of persons with disabilities in all realms of
society and helps to increase awareness of the challenges they face. The 2023 theme for the International
Day was United in action to rescue and achieve the
SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities . SDGs
[sustainable development goals] are a set of 17 inter-connected goals established in 2012 by the United Na-tions and adopted by world leaders in 2015. They are
designed to address global challenges and promote
sustainable development. The benefits of these goals
are multifaceted and impact various aspects of society, the economy and the environment.
As an ex officio member of the Disability Advisory Council [DAC], ADS remains committed to supporting disability initiatives. As such, representatives
from DAC continue to support community organisations
by advocating for the advancement of works to help i mprove the lives of persons with disabilities.
Mr Chairman, another key collaborative area
for ADS is the support of clients with complex support
needs due to intellectual disabilities, their diminished
capacity resulting in their inability to consent, safety
risks due to their behaviours and minimal t o no family
support. For the past three years, ADS in conjunction
with Mid -Atlantic Wellness Institute continue to support
one client overseas due to the absence of appropriate
services on Island. In the coming weeks, the aforementioned entities, along wit h the overseas facility, will identify and develop a plan to transition the individual back to Bermuda. However, this will take time
as we need to ensure the appropriate structure, with
the required resources, is developed locally to meet their needs in al ignment with the scale of care they are
receiving overseas.
Mr. Chairman, Bermuda requires a centralised
repository for the collection of accurate and current
data regarding persons with disabilities. In this regard,
the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors is committed to developing and introducing a formal database for persons with disabilities. The data gathered
through a disability database can inform the develop-ment and implementation of inclusive policies and programmes. Government and organisations can use this
information to tailor their initiat ives to better address the
diverse needs of persons with disabilities, promoting inclusivity in areas such as education, employment,
health care, and accessibility. This provides a means of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of policies
and programmes aimed at supporting persons with disabilities.
By tracking the progress of individuals registered in the system, authorities can assess whether the implemented measures are making a positive impact,
and identify areas that may require further attention or
improvement. Further, the existence of a disabi lity register can serve as a powerful advocacy tool, as it can
help advocates and organisations working for disability
rights and inclusion to demonstrate the impact of policies and practices on individuals with disabilities. Empowering persons with disabi lities through accurate
data representation is crucial for promoting and encouraging their active participation in society.
Mr. Chairman, a previous function of ADS was
to provide guidance to community individuals and gov-ernment partners to ensure accessible building and en-vironmental design. To that end, the office conducted
accessibility assessments and consultations where th e
accessibility officer reviewed planning applications and
provided advice to developers on accessibility require-ments and best practices relevant to building code requirements in relation to the built environment. However, the former accessibility officer retired on September 30, 2023, and conducted 39 accessibility/consultation assessments before [departing]. Conversely, this service will not be lost, as the planning application re-view process transferred to the Department of Planning
on October 1, 2023, ensuring that the continuum of
amenity remains.
Additionally, under this remit ADS is also responsible for processing duty relief exemption requests
for materials to facilitate persons ageing at home. To that end, ADS received and approved two duty relief
exemptions this year compared to five in 2022/23.
Mr. Chairman, I now take this time to segue to
an important initiative that is currently underway, as the
Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors has


Bermuda House of Assembly
advanced steps to fulfil its platform promise of developing and implementing a National Seniors Strategy [NSS] for Bermuda. In September 2023 Ageing and Disability Services, in conjunction with the Bermuda
Health Council, inaugurated a plan to engage with community stakeholders to obtain feedback from seniors
and other members of the public about what should be
included in a National Seniors Strategy, as their collec-tive ideas are instrumental in shaping policies that promote positive ageing, ensure access to health care and
needed services, foster social interconnectedness and safeguard seniors’ rights.
The Ministry’s goal for the strategy is to produce a framework that guides comprehensive, coordi-nated and cost -effective actions for addressing the diverse and changing needs of our ageing population. We recognise the invaluable contributions seniors make to our community, as their wisdom, experiences
and resilience enrich our lives in countless ways.

I will allow the Minister just to pause for
just a brief second. And I will remind Members that we are in the Committee of Supply for further consideration
of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the
year 2024/25. The Minister is currently in Head 86 under the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Sen-iors. And she is on page B -289, and she was just referring to the Ageing and Disability Services.
Minister, you may go right ahead. You have the
floor.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
During January and February 2024, ADS and
the Bermuda Health Council held small group consultation meetings with various senior groups across the
Island. This was to allow seniors to communicate in
spaces where they were comfortable to share their
thoughts and views on what they believe should be included in any National Seniors Strategy, and identify
challenges and plausible solutions to aid in the development of an effective framework. On February 7, the
Ministry hosted a National Seniors Strategy Forum at
the Bermuda National Sports Centre Pavilion. The
theme for the event was Collecting Wisdom. Two sessions were held, one in the morning and one in the evening, and approximately 70 persons of varying ages
were in attendance. The purpose of the forum was to
obtain data from the public/seniors about their preferences related to housing (assisted l iving, senior communities), health care, ageing in place, transportation, age-friendly services and environments, et cetera. This
was undergirded by guiding principles, a vision, mission and helping to identify what ageing means for all.

Education and Awareness

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, education and
awareness is an important component to ADS’s mandate that has been limited in recent years due to ongoing resource challenges and COVID -19. However,
during this fiscal year ADS increased its outreach and
stands at 17 presentations to date. This includes ADS’s
first Seniors Tea. This successful event hosted nearly
100 seniors and was supported by organi sations such
as the Bermuda National Library, the Department of Archives, Age Concern, the Bermuda College Life Long
Learning Centre and the Bermuda Police Service. The programme for the Seniors Tea included presentations
on how to prevent and protect ones elf from abuse, and
information from community partners that encourage
social engagement. The feedback from participants
and partner agencies was extremely positive and resulted in invitations to seniors clubs for more presentations on abuse awareness and prevention.
Mr. Chairman, other community awareness activities included the following:
• radio interviews for abuse awareness;
• presentations to bank staff and clients;
• professional development training to KMCC [K. Margaret Carter Centre] staff; and
• disability awareness and inclusion presentations to RUBiS.
We would like to take this time to acknowledge
RUBiS, who embraced International Day for Persons with Disabilities by inviting ADS, in partnership with the
Disability Advisory Council Chair, to present to all of their staff.
Mr. Chairman, ADS continues to engage with
community partners on key issues impacting our sen-iors, such as financial exploitation, cybercrime, client
welfare and receivership.

Case Management

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, case management
continues to represent the largest staffing component
and primary programme of ADS. Case management
clients include seniors and persons over 18 years old with long- standing disabilities. General case management services include needs and service identification, system navigation and support coordination. Adult protection pertains to ADS case management clients at
risk of abuse, neglect or self -neglect, which include but
is not limited to senior abuse cases.
Over the past year, despite the complex cases
that have arisen, the case management team has done
well serving our vulnerable persons, particularly when
the individual lacks the capacity to make decisions for
themselves. During fiscal year 2022/23, ADS ope ned
287 new cases (an increase of over 10 per cent from
the previous fiscal year).

[Inaudible interjection]

Thank you very much, Minister.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
These included the following:
• 33 case management referrals for persons under 65 years of age with disabilities, with eight
of these including reports of abuse;
• 165 case management referrals for persons
over 65 years of age; and
• 89 reports of alleged senior abuse:
o 35 per cent were for financial exploitation;
o 25 per cent were for physical abuse;
o 24 per cent for psychological abuse;
o 12 per cent for neglect, and
o 5 per cent were for sexual abuse.
Mr. Chairman, it is important to note that ADS
provides these services with a very small team resulting in a worker -to-client ratio that averaged 1:52,
whereas best practice standard is 1 worker per 25 clients and should be substantially less with cases of high
complexity and risk which many ADS cases are. Furthermore, with our ageing population, this number will
continue to grow. Accordingly, a 2022 Management
Consulting Services review recommended that ADS be resourced with two additional social workers. As a result, social worker job descriptions were updated and
re-graded, and the recruitment of two new social
worker posts were completed this year.
Also, a policy analyst post was approved as a
recommendation stemming from the Management
Consultancy Services office review. Recruitment for
this post is ongoing. The sourcing of these three posts
will better align social worker to client ratios and improve the development of further policy needed for this office.

Policy and Programme Development
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, Policy and Programme Development within Ageing and Disability Ser-vices supports the planning, development and coordination of policies and programmes for seniors and persons with physical and intellectual disabilities. Further,
policy support is expected to bring targeted policy work within ADS to address key gaps and needs facing adult protection and support for vulnerable adults.
Mr. Chairman, I think it is important for us all to
understand the challenging work of adult protection. Adult protection demands the rights of the adult be held paramount while working to reduce risk and provide
support. Ageing and Disability Services is faced with
situations that include self -neglect; strained, unhealthy
and abusive family dynamics; and also limited family
resources. Therefore, to advance the protection work
undertaken by Ageing and Disability Services, the Min-istry is committed to implementing a committed and
consistent approach to ensure vulnerable adults are
protected from abuse. The Senior Abuse Register Act 2008 is currently being reviewed with the aim of amending the legislation to protect seniors from the prospect
of financial abuse . Further work is in progress to design
the required framework needed for an Office of the
Public Guardian.
I want to thank the ADS team for their efforts to
reduce risk and promote the quality of life amongst very
difficult circumstances, as well as their commitment to
supporting individual, agency and system- wide solutions.
The ADS’s Case Management programme has
made significant advances this year, many of which
highlight the strength and importance of collaborating
with community partners:
• ADS continued its National Adult Protective
Services Association [NAPSA] core competency training for social workers and supervi-sors, which were opened to our collaborative
partners including the Bermuda Police Service,
Department of Health Social Workers and
KEMH social workers. Expanding adult protec-tion knowledge and skills is essential in our
community to ensure best practice is known
and implemented across our agencies to protect persons at risk and ensure their rights are
upheld.
• ADS continues as a core member of
o MARAC [Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference], the multi -agency
team for high- risk domestic violence
cases; and
o the Transition Team, established to
help identify and plan for service
needs for persons with intellectual disabilities.
• As a result of the Ministry’s commitment to dementia support services, a dementia pilot managed by ADS was started in October 2023 that
provides assessment and case management,
including dementia navigation and support ser-vices, to persons in the community. Thi s pilot
is being provided by NorthStar Dementia who, as of the end of January, has served nearly 40
persons. This service is not only critical support
to families and individuals with dementia, but


Bermuda House of Assembly
also to the ADS case management section
whose high caseloads limit the support for cli-ents and families.
• Finally, the 2023/24 budget provided ADS with
funding for the first phase of a Structured Decision Making Framework approved by Cabinet.
A Structured Decision Making Framework (or SDM) is an evidence- based method to identify
and define populations served, service priority and response times, servicing planning and
closure. This framework will not only help staff
with consistent decision- making, but also generate the necessary data to develop ADS pro-grammes for further office development.

In addition, Mr. Chairman, ADS has led and
supported work toward systemic solutions and changes. This includes
• consultation and development of the National
Seniors Strategy in collaboration with the Bermuda Health Council;
• consultation and development of the first
phase of the Senior Abuse Register Act 2008
amendments to address in particular financial
exploitation, but also to start developing the wider legislative framework needed for adult
protection;
• advocacy and support to the development of
an Office of Public Guardian and the ratification
of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities;
• the development of a National Disability Register which commenced alpha and beta testing
phases in February of 2024 with the aim to roll
out the voluntary registration process during
the first quarter of the new fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, I want to take this time to
acknowledge the committed efforts of the ADS team.
Adult protection work is innately challenging. With an
ageing population, the workload is steadily increasing,
the complexity of the cases is rising, but despite t his the
team remains focused and supportive of their clients with the goal to reduce risk and support the rights of the
client, which they keep central.

K. Margaret Carter Centre

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the K. Margaret
Carter Centre (or KMCC) provides direct support for
persons with intellectual disabilities in the community
through day programming services and case manage-ment. For the fiscal year 2024/25, K. Margaret Carter
Centre has a budget allocation of $1,890,000, which
funds 16 staff in delivering direct client services to 44
service users, participating in six different programmes
(as shown on page B -289).

Page B -289. Yes, Minister. Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, we are now moving beyond the previous restrictions associated with COVID -19 and the impact they had on services offered
at the K. Margaret Carter Centre. As of April 1, 2023,
KMCC has been back to full capacity and able to pro-vide up to five days a week of programmes for all clients. This year has largely been spent on refurbishing
programmes to expand the opportunities for clients by
exploring other local and overseas programmes to glean better insight to missed opportunit ies for engagement. KMCC plans to continue to deliver high- quality,
person- centred programmes that allow clients to have
a better quality of life. Overall, KMCC has increased the number of clients participating in onsite programmes to
ensure more individua ls are having access to highquality programmes.
A total of 41 per cent of clients currently have
access to physical therapy, occupational therapy or
psychological therapies through continued partnership
with the Community Intellectual Disability Team [CIDT].
The partnerships with community stakeholders have grown from 12 in 2022/23 to 13 this year, 2023/24. This
increase includes re- engagement with WindReach Bermuda and Summerhaven, as well as a new partnership
with Meals on Wheels. We continue to engage with
other organisations with overlapping remits, yet these
partnerships enable us to better collaborate to create events and opportunities for our clients who would otherwise not have the opportunity. These collaborations
allow for further development of social connections and
better programming, leading to clients having a more
fulfilling quality of life.
Mr. Chairman, over the past year, KMCC provided the following services and improvements:
• Development of a multi -disciplinary meeting on
a monthly basis with the community intellectual
disabilities team in order to better determine the needs of clients and ensure they are being
met.
• Re-instatement of the transition team who
meet to identify clients who are going through
transitional periods at various stages of their
life cycle and implement supports to ensure the
move from the education system to KMCC is a smooth one.
• Continuation of a client -led hot lunch programme on a weekly basis to 50 per cent of the
clients attending the programme and ensure
they have the opportunity to receive a well -balanced meal.
• Successfully hosted the annual Valentine’s
dance, inviting community partners to attend
along with other community clients. This was a huge success.
• Expanded support to Special Olympics Bermuda. This enabled six clients to attend the
2023 World Games in Germany, as well as two
staff who attended as coaches.
816 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Increasing the community in- house work contract from seven community partners in fiscal
year 2022/23 to eight in fiscal year 2023/24,
adding on a partnership with Summerhaven.
• Expanded the client fitness initiatives over the
past year to include water aerobics, a walking
programme, access to a fitness centre, track
and field practice, chair yoga and aerobics to
ensure clients are maintaining their fitness.
• Developed a working relationship with a local
business who has supported KMCC with the
development of their very own beauty supply
programme. Clients are involved in pricing
goods, collecting consumer feedback and selling the finished products on site and to the local community.
Mr. Chairman, as clients’ needs change and
develop, KMCC has worked hard to ensure pro-grammes expand and evolve to enhance the lives of
adults living with disabilities in the community. It is anticipated that over the next year we will have to further develop and evaluate the success of KMCC programmes while potentially expanding services to include a more diverse and complex client group. To fa-cilitate the growing demand for services, the Ministry
will look to do the following:
• improve the existing facility infrastructure for
additional space to better meet the needs of
current clients as well as incoming clients; and
• remodel the existing day programme for individuals age 55 years and older to help improve
overall service delivery to clients while increasing the number of individuals who can receive day programming services.
Overall, it is anticipated that KMCC clients will
re-engage in community work programmes across local businesses and have access to meaningful employ-ment while relationships are being built with key partners.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors will continue to implement the
measures needed to improve the quality of life of the
KMCC clients, to increase their independence and en-sure clients are receiving high- quality care at all times.

Policy Development

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will move on to
business unit 96060, Policy Development, page B -289.
For fiscal year 2024/25, a total of $155,000 was allocated for policy development. This is an increase of
$1,000 represented by a $5,000 salary uplift offset by
decreased telephone, stationery and subscription expenses totalling $4,000. The Policy Development section has one full -time equivalent, as shown on page B -
290. This policy resource supports the Ministry’s policy
commitments which include Throne Speech initiatives
and the Government’s platform promises. Mr. Chairman, $3,105,000 has been allocated
for the fiscal year 2024/25 for business unit 96070, Grants to the Third Sector, as shown on page B -289.
This is an increase of $165,000, or 6 per cent, reflecting
the inclusion of a grant for the charitable organisation HOME and an increase in funding for nursing homes.

Youth Affairs

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year
2024/25 the allocation was $516,000 for business unit
96080, Youth Development Administration, and
$100,000 has been allocated for business unit 96090,
Youth Grants and Investments, as shown on page B -
289. Mr. Chairman, the re mit of the Ministry expanded
in November 2023 to include the Office of Youth Affairs whose mission is To form a unified approach to tackle issues faced by Bermuda’s young people and provide
them with the support to have positive and pro ductive
futures . Mr. Chairman, the 2024/25 objectives for the
Office of Youth Affairs are to
• provide funding/support for youth organisations and groups;
• manage and maintain Government Community
Centres;
• provide Before, After and Out of School programmes for school -age children;
• provide recreational programmes and activities
to surrounding communities;
• prepare and manage the budget to ensure in-tended deadlines are met; and
• meet and fulfil the objectives of the National
Youth Policy.
Mr. Chairman, the Office of Youth Affairs administers three programmes and four business units.

Programme 8602, Youth Development

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Business unit 96080, Administration, has a budget allocation of $516,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, page B -289. This reflects monies budgeted
for salaries, training, recreational services, supplies
and other funds to ensure efficient and effective administration. Mr. Chairman, this programme is responsible
for overseeing and executing of the National Youth Pol-icy activities. The working group for the policy just completed its first year of implementation of the eight policy
goals focusing on developing and empowering Bermuda’s youth. The working group consists of representatives from government ministries and departments, youth organisations and groups, youth activists,
youth creatives, youth entrepreneurs and youth working in corporate Ber muda, all supported by an ex officio
officer from the Office of Youth Affairs.
Mr. Chairman, the allocated budget (found on
page B -289) for business unit 96090, Youth Grants and
Investments, of $100,000 provides funding to youth
service agencies working with young people. All youth
organisations and groups will be afforded an


Bermuda House of Assembly
opportunity to participate in an introductory safeguarding workshop to be hosted in conjunction with the De-partment of Child and Family Services. This initiative aligns with Goal 1 of the National Youth Policy.
Mr. Chairman, a total of 14 grants were distributed to youth organisations and groups during fiscal
year 2023/24 who continue to invest countless hours
into the social development of our youth and are com-mitted to making positive change. These organisation s
include the following:
Albina Vision Trust. This programme aligns
with the National Youth Policy Goals 2, 3 and 5 in that
participants can achieve educational goals, be provided mentoring and support to at -risk youth and engage in sport.
Bermuda Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc. Delta NetFest Tournament. This programme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goals
5 and 6 in that it engages young girls in sport and connects them to physical and mental health professionals.
Bermuda Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc. Get Literary Book Club. The pro-gramme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goal 2 in
that it supports young people to be well prepared socially, emotional and academically for post -secondary
success.
Bermuda Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority, Inc. GEMS [Growing and Empowering
Myself Successfully] Mentoring Programme. The programme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goal 7 in
that its young people are able to provide feedback on
public po licy.
Bermuda Sloop Foundation Spirit of Bermuda
educational programmes. The programme aligns with
the National Youth Policy Goals 2, 4, 5 and 8 in that
their programmes support young people socially, emo-tionally and academically; develop skills and competencies in line with Bermuda’s needs; is a developmentally appropriate sport and recreation activity; and en-sures equal access to opportunity and resources.
Big Brothers and Big Sisters. The programme
aligns with the National Youth Policy Goal 3 by providing mentoring and support to at -risk youth.
Devonshire Colts Youth Leadership Development Programme. The programme aligns with the Na-tional Youth Policy Goal 5 as it is a developmentally appropriate sports and recreation programme.
Dibia DREAM Bermuda. The programme
aligns with the National Youth Policy Goals 2 and 5 in
that it supports young people to be well prepared for post-secondary success and provides support to a
STEAM -based programme that also has sport within its
foundation.
The Family Centre Youth Leadership Academy. The programme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goals 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 in that it provides a safe
place for young people to socialise and develop; sup-ports young people to be well prepared socially, emotionally and academically for post -secondary success; and mentors and supports at -risk youth. It also
provides a mechanism through which young people can contribute public dialogue and voice opinions on
proposed and existing Government policies; and creates a safe environment where young people are free
from discrimination, stigma and disadvantage.
North Village Community Club youth programmes. The programmes align with the National
Youth Policy Goals 5 and 6 by offering a developmentally appropriate community sports programme and
supports young people to engage in physical activity
and emphasises it s connection to and impact on mental
health.
Raleigh International Bermuda. The programme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goals 3
and 5 by providing mentoring and support to at -risk
youth to encourage them away from antisocial behav-iours and crime and providing training to impart
knowledge and skills to young people and their families.
Skills Development Programme. This programme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goals 2
and 4 in that it supports youth to be well prepared so-cially, emotionally and academically for post -secondary
success and ensures that young people have access to increased tertiary education and vocational training.
Bermuda Autism Early Intervention Centre. Tomorrow’s Voices. This programme aligns with the National Youth Policy Goals 5 and 8 by providing training
for persons to impart their knowledge to young people and create safe environments where they are free fro m
discrimination, stigma and disadvantage, ensuring equal access to opportunities/resources.
WindReach Bermuda. This programme aligns
with the National Youth Policy Goal 8 by creating a safe environment where young people are free from discrim-ination, stigma and disadvantage while ensuring equal
access to opportunities and resources.
Mr. Chairman, the Office of Youth Affairs provided one youth investment during the year to a senior
school student who was given the opportunity to participate in the UN’s Climate Change Conference on
COP28 Business and Philanthropy Forum in Dubai from Nov ember 28 through to December 12, 2023.
COP28 Business and Philanthropy is an international
forum where global heads of state, business CEOs and
philanthropists meet to discuss ways and means to progress climate action and industry transition. The senior
school student attended as a Youth Climate Ambassa-dor alongside the Bermuda delegation participating in
the YOUNGA 2023 global festival, which focused on
climate change and management. The event was
geared toward intergenerational collaboration and innovation.
Mr. Chairman, this investment award aligns
with the National Youth Policy Goal 5, Youth Sponsor-ship Programme, providing short -term sponsorship to
818 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly young people who wish to pursue their recreational
passions in areas including arts, oration, culinary arts, science, technology, engineering and math [STEM].

Programme 8603, Youth Outreach

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation of $1,587,000, [sic] found on page B -289, supports
the operational activity of three community centres. The
funding will provide clerical and office support, administrative guidance and staffing for all community centre operations, [as well as] fire safety and security improv ements. The three locations are the Eastern Zone Community Centre located in St. George’s, the Sammy Wilson Central Zone Community Centre in Hamilton and
the Western Zone Community Centre in Sandys. Mr.
Chairman, the Youth Outreach full -time equivalent
[FTE] count is 20 for fiscal year 2024/25, page B -290.
These staff facilitate a wide range of programming for
seniors, adults, youth and children while providing engagement and participation opportunities for families whilst promoting the philosophy for the section’s mission.
Mr. Chairman, the three community centres
provide safe, structured programmes with trained staff and an opportunity to build positive and long- lasting relationships. The programming provides a wide range of
recreational and social experiences year -round that reflect the needs and interests of the community. Residents and visitors in the community, both young and
old, are provided with the opportunity to work on special
projects such as cultural, recreational and educational
programmes, activities and servic es in a volunteer capacity, thus promoting civic pride and unity. The
maintenance of robust, diverse and inclusive relationships among members of the community, private businesses, public authorities and organisations/groups
fuels progressive communities.

Programme 8604, Youth Services
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, business unit
96110, previously Youth Programmes, is expanding to
meet the needs of parents and guardians. The Office of
Youth Affairs maintains its commitment to keep young
people protected from harm. This business unit aims to
provide safe spaces during out -of-school time to facilitate engagement during the school mid- term breaks, infusing developmentally appropriate recreation activities. In support of education reform, experiences have been carefully crafted to focus on areas such as career
exploration and promoting healthy social, emotional
and physical growth. This unit is slated to open its first
pilot Before- School Programme in September of 2024.
Mr. Chairman, the Before, After and Out of
School programmes increased their average number of participants from the prior year with supplementary
funding from the Department of Education to open
spots to wait -listed students. The Before, After and Out of School programmes are aligned with the public
school calendar year to support the working parent and guardian. We are pleased to be able to serve the community in this way, providing safe, fun and local recreation year long.

As the Minister continues on the Head
86 under the Ministry of Youth, Social Development
and Seniors under programme 8603, Youth Services,
business unit 96110, I just want to remind Members
that we remain in Committee, that the debate began at about 10:26 and that we have expended about an hour
of that time. I will ask the Minister to continue.
Minister, under programme 8603. You have
the floor.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the 2024/25 budget allocation
for business unit 96110 is $1,466,000, found on page B-289.

Thank you.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: This funding level provides for
staffing, communications, materials and supplies for 16 youth programmes.
Mr. Chairman, currently Youth Services supports approximately 550 preschool, primary and middle school age participants in after -school programmes,
1,650 preschool, primary and middle school participants in out -of-school programmes across 16 sites
throughout the Island. These programmes employ over 60 seasonal workers of whom just under half are local
college students, along with two full -time Programme
Senior Supervisors. There are also modifications made
available for students with exceptionalities.
Mr. Chairman, to support the growth of this programme, the Office of Youth Affairs advanced the National Youth Policy Goal 4 which is to Increase Employment and Entrepreneurship opportunities. In this regard, a Leadership in Training [LIT] programme will be
launched during the 2024 summer break. Senior school students will learn the basics of leadership through
childcare, infusing safety and executing general day
camp management. They will gain an increase in knowledge of camp activities while learning how to
work with children and rotate through different age
groups and activities where they will use their skills as a counsellor.
Mr. Chairman, the Office of Youth Affairs also
serves youth organisations and groups across the Is-land with training opportunities. To date, six organisations, namely, the Family Centre, Footy Promotions,
the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps, Phenomenal People and WindReach Bermuda
completed Safeguarding Across All Borders, which is an introductory course to assist youth organisations with drafting internal child safeguarding policies.


Bermuda House of Assembly
Mr. Chairman, on January 25 and 26 this year
the National Youth Policy Working Group hosted a
youth conference that was held at the Botanical Gar-dens for senior, middle and primary -aged students. The
National Mini Youth Conference is deemed a first, as such an event has not been held for almost three decades. Several young creatives and entrepreneurs presented at the conference in support of the National Youth Policy Goals.
Mr. Chairman, the Community Centres completed the pilot year for community enrichment pro-gramming that supports the social development of the
whole family. These programmes will continue to run in
all three community centres with seniors, adults, youth and children’s programming.
Mr. Chairman, I take this opportunity to extend
appreciation for the dedicated staff at the Office of Youth Affairs for their commitment to youth, their families and our community. The team is steadfast in their
mission to guide youth to become productive citizens
who positively contribute to the quality of life for all in
Bermuda. Lastly, it is important for me to recognise the
significant contributions made by our youth organisations and groups and the critical role they play in inspiring our youth to ach ieve their full potential.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the presentation
on the fiscal year 2024/25 budgetary allocation for
Head 86 for the Office of Youth Affairs.

Thank you, Minister. Go ahead.

Grants

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the breakdown of
the budget allocation for the Ministry grants can be
seen on page C -21 of the Estimates Book. In fiscal year
2024/25 the following charities and organisations will
receive a grant from the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors to provide our community wit h
the resources and social services needed to support
our vulnerable population groups:
• A Grant to External Bodies has been allocated
$20,000 for ad hoc requests made by social
services organisations during the year.
• Voluntary youth organisations that provide
youth services and programmes in alignment with the goals of the National Youth Policy will
receive in aggregate $100,000.
• Age Concern programmes consist of information, advice and referral services via their
call centre. Other support and services provided are financial support for groceries, prescription drugs and minor home repairs. A
grant allocation for $25,000 will be pr ovided.

[Crosstalk ]

We are in Committee, Members. We
are in Committee.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: [Continuing]
• To uphold the Ministry’s commitment to our
senior population, grants totalling $1,170,000
has been allocated to nursing homes Matilda Smith Williams and Lorraine Rest Home.
• A grant of $75,000 has been allocated to the
Women’s Resource Centre to enhance the
lives of women in Bermuda, and its vision is to
be the leading resource and voice for women in Bermuda.
• The Centre Against Abuse will be allocated a
grant of $150,000 as they continue to provide
crisis support services for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
• Care of the Blind, now known as Vision Bermuda, is the only organisation on the Island to
provide a full range of specialist services for
persons within our community with low or no
vision. They will receive a grant allocation of
$15,000.
• A grant of $50,000 has been allocated to Meals
on Wheels, which supports vulnerable persons
in our community through the lunch services of
Meals on Wheels.
• Salvation Army. The Government is committed
to our homeless population and to ensure they
have accommodations and services. A grant for $550,000 will be given to Salvation Army Shelters.
• The Summerhaven facility provides residents
of our community who have physical disabilities the opportunity to live independently and
will be given a grant of $600,000 to support
their operational costs.
• The Packwood Nursing Home has been allocated $350,000.
• The charitable organisation HOME will receive
$70,000 to continue its work with the homeless.
• Tomorrow’s Voices provides services to individuals in our community who are diagnosed
with autism or on the autism spectrum. A grant
of $30,000 has been allocated as financial sup-port.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now present
the combined subjective analysis of current account estimates for the Ministry as found on page B -289 of the
Estimates Book.

Go right ahead.

820 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget allocated for salaries is $4,209,000 [sic] for fiscal year
2024/25, an increase of $2,018,000. This salary allocation covers the Ministry’s 80 full -time equivalents (found
on page B -290). The salary increase reflects four new
posts approved for Ageing and Disability Services and
Community Centre S upervisors and Community Workers employed by the Office of Youth Affairs.
Mr. Chairman, the increase in the budget allocation for wages of $1,577,000 supports the employment of caretaker, grounds -persons, youth programme
supervisors, programme coordinators and programme
workers for the community centres which fall under the
operation of the Office of Youth Affairs.
Mr. Chairman, $13,000 has been allocated to
facilitate quarterly professional training for recreation
workers at the community centres.
Mr. Chairman, the budgeted monies for
transport increased by $3,000 to cover expenses paid
by the Office of Youth Affairs for transporting materials
and supplies to the community centres. The increase of $29,000 for travel is budgeted to cover overseas travel
for conferences and technical meetings.
Mr. Chairman, communications, inclusive of
phones, courier and postal costs, are budgeted at $121,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, which represents an
increase of $69,000. The increase reflects the addi-tional expenses for telephone rentals and cell phone for
the Office of Youth Affairs and community centre workers.
Mr. Chairman, advertising and promotion costs
increased by $4,000. This minor increase is attributable
to the Youth Development Administration section, budgeted funds for promotions related to the National
Youth Policy initiatives.
Mr. Chairman, professional services of
$1,143,000 for fiscal year 2024/25 decreased by 32 per
cent, or by $543,000. This lower level of funding reflects
the re- allocation of grant monies, decreased funding for
the National Seniors Strategy and less monies budgeted for overseas treatment of vulnerable persons.
Mr. Chairman, $234,000 was budgeted for
rentals, an increase of $131,000. This rent increase ac-counts for the rental cost of venues used by the Office
of Youth Affairs for workshop sessions, camps and
mid-term break programmes.
Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2024/25 repair and
maintenance has been allocated $168,000, or $54,000 more than the budget allocation for 2023/24. This in-crease in funding covers the cost of a variety of repair and maintenance expenses anticipated by the Off ice of
Youth Affairs including but not limited to office cleaning,
office and copier machines, grounds, equipment, air
conditioning, pest control and minor common area
maintenance. Also, additional funds have been allocated to maintain an ageing vehicle held by the K. Mar-garet Carter Centre.
Mr. Chairman, $114,000 was budgeted for insurance costs for clients at the K. Margaret Carter Centre who do not have insurance. A nominal insur-ance amount of $1,000 has been budgeted for Youth Development Administration in relation to vehicles.
Mr. Chairman, energy costs increased by
$63,000 to $154,000. This increase includes the costs of electricity, gas and diesel for the Office of Youth Affairs, as well as an increase in electricity costs for the
K. Margaret Carter Centre.
Mr Chairman, costs for clothing, uniforms and
laundry account for $11,000. The increase of $8,000 will cover the costs to replenish uniform shirts, jackets and protective wear for the caretaker, groundsman and
community programme staff.
Mr. Chairman, $257,000 has been allocated for
materials and supplies for fiscal year 2024/25. This represents an increase of $132,000 which reflects the extra costs of office supplies, cleaning supplies, food, wa-ter and recreational supplies for the Office of Youth Affairs.
Mr. Chairman, equipment expenses have an
allocation of $42,000. This is primarily supporting the
refurbishment of fire and safety equipment at the three
community centres, in addition to minor audio- visual
equipment.
Mr. Chairman, $20,000 has been allocated for
other expenses, which is an increase of $12,000. This
is due to the Office of Youth Affairs budgeting for the
provision of food and beverages for parenting events, open houses, holiday activities, as well as wor king
group meetings.
Mr. Chairman, grants and contributions were
addressed earlier in my presentation. The allocation increased by $265,000. The increased budget accounts
for grants offered by the Office of Youth Affairs, an in-crease in monies for nursing homes, and the shift in the
HOME grant which was budgeted under Administration, business unit 96000, in the prior year and is now shifted appropriately to grants.

Revenue Summary
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Page B -290, the majority of the
$634,000 in revenue earnings reflects after -school
vouchers purchased by parents and guardians to have their children participate in the after -school programmes offered by the Office of Youth Affairs.
Employee Numbers (full -time equivalents or
FTEs), page B -290. Mr. Chairman, on page B -290, you
will note that there are 80 full -time equivalent positions
for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Sen-iors Headquarters for fiscal year 2024/25. This covers
four full -time equivalents for Headquarters Administration, 11 full -time equivalents in Ageing and Disability
Services, 16 full -time equivalents employed with the
K. Margaret Carter Centre and 49 full -time equivalents
for the Office of Youth Affairs . The increase in the number of FTEs compared with fiscal year 2023/24 reflects the four new full -time equivalents in Ageing and


Bermuda House of Assembly
Disability Services and 49 FTEs from the Office of
Youth Affairs.

Performance Measures
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, performance
measures for sections in the Ministry Headquarters are outlined on pages B -291 through B -292. Mr. Chairman,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry
Headquarters team for their diligence and for remaining
commi tted to delivering the requisite services for our
community.
Mr. Chairman that concludes my budget
presentation for Head 86.

Go right ahead, Minister.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: These are found on pages B -293
through B -300, C -8, C-16 and C -21 of the Estimates
Book. Mr. Chairman, as found on page B -293, the Department of Child and Family Services [DCFS] mission is Protecting children by strengthening families . The
objectives of the Department are to
• minimise and eliminate those social, psychological or other conditions known to cause or
contribute to physical and emotional illness
and sometimes socio- economic problems;
• promote growth and directional change in people and their social situation;
• assist in facilitating or improving social sup-ports for those in our population who are at risk;
• provide treatment or curative services to address dysfunction and thereby assist people to
function better in society; and
• restore individuals to a healthy condition or
useful capacity.
The department carries out its objectives by
providing investigative services; day care services; care and protection services for children; residential
and home- based services for families; and assessment, intervention and counselling services for children, adolescents and families.
Mr. Chairman, the current account estimates
for Head 23 begin on page B -294 of the Estimates
Book. A total of $19,680,000 has been allocated for
Head 23 for fiscal year 2024/25. This represents an increase of $866,000, or 5 per cent. Mr. Chairman, the
Department of Child and Family Services continues to focus on developing an integrated service that allows
children, adolescents and families to receive services
that are appropriate and coordinated, and that meet the challenges they face. These challenges can include but
are not limited to uninvolved parenting, limited parent-ing capacity, social and life skills, housing, employment, budgeting, abuse of some substances, antisocial
behaviour, cognitive debilities, education, mental
health conditions and anger management.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services is responsible for promoting and pro-tecting the best interests and social well -being of children, adolescents and their families. The Department of Child and Family Services meets these responsibilities via the operations of five programmes:
1. Programme 2301, Services to Children and Young Persons;
2. Programme 2302, Services to Individuals and
Families;
3. Programme 2303, Residential Treatment Services;
4. Programme 2304, Administration; and
5. Programme 2305, the Mirrors Programme.
Mr. Chairman, the US Council on Accreditation
has approved the Bermuda National Standards, which
is used locally for accreditation of entities including the departments who manage children. The Bermuda Na-tional Standards Committee provides that review and
accreditation. I am happy to report that, in accordance
with the requirements from the Council on Accreditation
standards, five sections within DCFS (Intake and Inves-tigations, Assessments, Counselling and Life Skills,
Family Preservations and Foster Care) all are accredited.
Mr. Chairman, service improvements have
been achieved by the Department of Child and Family
Services implementing a strategy that begins with the enhancement of a structured decision- making tool designed specifically for Bermuda, taking into account our cultural identity and social norms. Mr. Chairman, since
the introduction of its use in 2013, the Structured Deci-sion Making Assessment tool allows staff to objectively
determine safety and risk for all children and their families who are referred to the Department of Child and Family Services.
This tool utilises a comprehensive assessment
that ensures clients receive the appropriate support and/or services from the appropriate agency. This process reduces referral duplication, closes previously
identified gaps in service delivery and increases overall efficiency and effectiveness of programmes. Utilisation
of this tool has resulted in an improved, comprehensive
service delivery system that has increased response
time to initial referrals. Also, this tool further enhances
appropriate prioritising of referrals according to risks
and ensures that the highest risks are addressed first,
resulting in better responses and positive outcomes for
clients.
822 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, as we are all well aware, the
Government experienced a cyberattack in September
2023. This attack has negatively impacted the data col-lected by the Department of Child and Family Services,
as they were unable to access their database from September 2023 until January 2024.
Mr. Chairman, I will now address each programme and business unit for the department as set out on page B -294:

Programme 2301, Services to Children and Young
Persons

The Happy Valley Child Care Centre

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Found on page B -294, Happy
Valley Child Care Centre, business unit 33010. Mr.
Chairman, the Happy Valley Child Care Centre is in
business unit 33010 and has an estimate for the fiscal
year 2024/25 of $1,094,000, an increase of $33,000, or
3 per cent. The output measures for the Happy Valley
Child Care Centre are found on page B -297 of the Estimates Book. Mr. Chairman, Happy Valley Child Care
Centre is the only government -operated child care facility on the Island, which provides high- quality child
care for a maximum of 44 children whose ages range
from three months to four years of age. Priority is given to children referred by helping agencies such as the
Department of Child and Family Services, Teen Services, the Department of Health, t he Child Development Programme and the Department of Financial Assistance. These agencies, along with families experiencing various challenges, account for 60 per cent of
the centre’s intake.
Mr. Chairman, each year there is a consistent
demand for childcare placement at the Happy Valley Child Care Centre. For the school year 2023/24, 172
applications were received for the 16 available spaces,
as follows:
• infant spaces, six;
• toddler spaces, five; and
• preschooler spaces, three.
The application process for the 2024/25 school year begins on April 1, 2024.
Mr. Chairman, Happy Valley Child Care Centre
monthly fee is now $400 for all children enrolled. How-ever, if a child is in the care of the Director of Department of Child and Family Services, they do not qualify
for the Child Day Care Allowance and as such their costs are absorbed by Department of Child and Family
Services.
Mr. Chairman, the estimated revenue for the
fiscal year 2023/24 school year, page B -295, is
$192,000. It is important to note that the actual cost per child is approximately $2,009 per month so that a subsidy is also built into the fees, which are consider ably
less than private child care services. Despite the low
cost to parents, Happy Valley Child Care Centre is a
first-class facility that is specifically designed to meet the comprehensive needs of young children. [The cen-tre] provides an extensive curric ulum of high academic
standards with trained teachers who are continuously
involved in professional growth and development. The
centre offers enrichment programmes that encourage family and community involvement and build upon child
development.
In 2023 Happy Valley received a five- star rating certificate for day care centres from the Childcare
Regulation programme star rating licensing requirements. Childcare Regulation officers score the day care establishment on items such as health, safety, supervision, developmental activities, and parent and family
engagement using a standard inspection form. Five stars equates to 90 [per cent] to 100 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, comprehensive services offered
at the Happy Valley Child Care Centre include music and movement, creative arts, literacy, writing, science,
math, technology, community service, field trips, strider
bike riding, gardening, gymnastics, tennis and swim classes, along with other curriculum activities that are
designed to assist in the overall development of the
children attending the centre. A full nutritional programme monitored and approved by the Health Department’s Public Health Nutritionist i ncludes a morning,
lunch and afternoon snack.
The centre also has, if needed, an intervention
programme that includes mandatory parenting classes, a programme for two- year-old assessments, the Health
Department for Occupational and Physical Therapy as
well as speech services.
Mr. Chairman, Happy Valley Child Care Centre
consistently utilises child assessment outcomes for
classroom planning and individual intervention activi-ties. The HighScope Curriculum and Assessment tool
reflected outstanding results that validate Happy Valley
Child Care Centre’s commitment to an inclusive learning model. The results for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers mapped steady improvement in all areas of
developmental growth with 13 of the 15 preschoolers
graduating school -ready in accordance with
HighScope’s third term assessment results.
Mr. Chairman, in July 2023, there were 15 children who graduated from the programme and were all
well prepared to attend preschool. Their accomplish-ments were celebrated with a school -leaving ceremony
at BUEI. (Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute).
Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year 2024/25 Happy
Valley Child Care Centre will continue to uphold its
commitment to partnering with community resources
including the Child Development Programme [CDP], the Department of Health, Fire and Life Safety Associates, S. C.A.R.S, SunSmart and Open Airways. Happy
Valley Child Care Centre will continue to serve as a
community service site for public and private school
students and Workforce Development Summer Placement for university students.
Mr. Chairman, during this fiscal year, Happy
Valley Child Care Centre was painted inside and out by


Bermuda House of Assembly
the Department of Works and Engineering and received a five- star licence rating status from the Health
Department’s Child Care Regulation Programme. Happy Valley Child Care Centre endeavours to maintain a first -class facility while educating children in a
safe, healthy and caring environment.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Department of Public
Lands and Buildings in the Ministry of Public Works for
maintaining the physical facility of Happy Valley Child
Care Centre throughout the year.
Mr. Chairman, Happy Valley Child Care Centre
continues to operate at best practice standards. This fiscal year Happy Valley Child Care Centre staff were nominated for the Public Service Excellence Award.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to
thank all the staff at the Happy Valley Child Care Cen-tre, the Centre’s active Parent Teacher Association
[PTA], volunteers and community partners for their continued dedication to Bermuda’s most valuable treas-ures—Our Children, Our Future.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to
programme 2302, Services to Individuals and Families,
found on page B -294.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Programme 2302
Services to Individuals and Families

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The activities covered in programme 2302 are
as follows:
• business unit 33020, Investigating and Screening (formally known as Family Services);
• business unit 33030, Foster Care;
• business unit 33200, Counselling and Life
Skills (formally known as Bermuda Youth
Counselling Services); and
• business unit 33250, Child Safeguarding.
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for these business
units for fiscal year 2024/25 is $6,235,000. This represents an increase of $176,000, or 3 per cent, compared
to the fiscal year 2023/24 budget allocation.

Investigating and Screening

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the Intake, Investigation and Assessment section of the Department of
Child and Family Services is responsible for providing
comprehensive investigations and services to children
who are referred for services. The budget estimate for
business unit 33020 for the fiscal year 2024/25 is
$2,512,000. This represents an increase of $239,000, or 11 per cent, over the 2023/24 budget.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services provides services and support for children and families referred for abuse or neglect. The
department is committed to partnering with stakeholders to promote the safety and health of families while protecting children from abuse and neglect. Mr. Chairman, when a referral is made to the Department of
Child and Family Services, a screening is conducted to
determine if it meets the threshold for abuse and/or neglect. The Structured Decision Making asses sment tool
is utilised to designate the timeframe required to initiate
contact with a child and/or their family. The performance measures for intake and assessments can be
found on page B -297 of the Estimates Book.
Mr. Chairman, the Screening, Investigations
and Assessment teams have a combined total of 13
staff. The Screening team comprises of five social work
assistants who are on duty each day to receive new referrals via email, the Kids -line or from members of th e
public or professionals who walk into the department.
The Investigations team includes five social workers
who are responsible for conducting enquires on all
cases screened in to be investigated. The Assessment team includes three social workers who conduct assessments on all children who are referred from sections within the department.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services is mandated to provide services and
operates 24 hours a day. Coverage is provided after work hours, weekends and on public holidays on a crisis basis to the police, the hospital and members of the
community. The department responded to 18 on- call or
call-out referrals in 2023. Mr. Chairman, the Investigation team received 1,006 new referrals in 2023. This is
an increase from 2022, when 984 new referrals were
reported to the Department of Child and Family Ser-vices. Mandated reporters referred 865, and 141 were
referred from other sources in the community. The department has one central screening system, which al-lows investigations to be processed and assigned in an
expedited manner. All mandated referr ers are provided
immediate feedback on whether the referral meets the
threshold for investigation, and they are given the designated response time.
Mr. Chairman, the Investigation team utilised
the structured decision- making screening assessments
to determine the required response times. A total of 222
cases were screened out, as they did not meet the
threshold for child abuse investigation or were duplicate referrals from another source; 741 were screened
in for investigation; and 43 were screened directly to
the Counselling and Life Skills section for substance education.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, if I can stop at that
moment to get my colleague to continue reading for
me?

That would be fine, Honourable Minister.
824 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Members, just so that you are aware, the Minister has applied and advised that she has another appointment and unfortunately will not be able to continue with her brief. Her brief will be handled by the Minister
with responsibility for the Cabinet Office. And he will be
the Acting Minister to take over for the Minister’s brief.
Honourable Members, you will be reminded
that we are still in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The Honourable Minister was
in Head 23, the Department of Child and Family Ser-vices.
I recognise the Honourable Minister, Vance
Campbell.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services ensured that the children and their
families were referred to other supportive services
within the community where necessary if they were
screened out for an investigation. Referrals were re-ceived f or the following types of abuse:
• Neglect, 322;
o 157 of the neglect referrals were for children exposed to family violence, 65
were for inadequate food, shelter and
hygiene, and 28 were for lack of supervision;
• Sexual abuse, 175;
o 122 sexual abuse referrals were for
child-on-child inappropriate sexual interactions or child- only matters;
• Physical abuse, 112;
• Behaviour problems, 1;
• Emotional abuse, 56;
• Service requests, 21;
• Suicidal ideations and/or attempts, 6;
• Family in need of assistance, 44; and
• Welfare check, 4.
Mr. Chairman, of the 1,006 new referrals in
2023, the total number screened- in for investigation
was 741. The total number of referrals represents 704
children and 564 families for 2023. The number of children referred to the Department of Child and Family
Services for the first time was 283. Mr. Chairman, the
referral numbers by age and sex are as follows:
• 0–4 years, 161;
• 5–9 years, 183;
• 10–14 years, 229;
• 15–18 years, 131.
A total of 351 males, 349 females and 4 gender
unknown [in utero] equals a total of 704 children.
Mr. Chairman, the department is required to respond . . . And if I can go back, the gender unknown were in utero.

Go right ahead, Minister.
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the department
is required to respond within 24 hours, five days or ten
days depending on the nature of the referral and the
designated timeframe. The department received 232
referrals that required a 24 -hour response, 462 referrals required a five -day response and 47 referrals required a ten- day response.
Mr. Chairman, social workers conduct thorough, objective investigations that include interviewing
children, their parents and other witnesses or collateral
contacts who may be relevant sources of information. Social workers must observe the child and their living
conditions and the parent –child interactions and relationships, conduct further record checks and obtain all relevant medical and assessment reports when applicable.
Mr. Chairman, the second purpose of the investigation is to conduct an assessment of the immediate service needs of the child and their family. This involves assessing the child’s safety and risk or future risk of neglect and/or abuse within the home and d etermining the family’s need for intervention, counselling and/or support services. The Department of Child and
Family Services collaborates with the Bermuda Police
Service on referrals received for physical abuse, sexual abuse, severe neglect and behaviour problems. The
MASH (Multiagency Safeguarding Hub) was established between the department and the Bermuda Po-lice Service to review all referrals received each week.
In these meetings the team determines the investigation approach that is needed for each c ase.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Child and
Family Services is also required to investigate mandated professionals such as but not limited to doctors, daycare providers, teachers, coaches, religious officials and youth leaders if an investigation identifies
them as an alleged perpetrator. A total of 23 investigations were conducted, which required the investigation social workers to conduct interviews with the children,
their parent or guardian, the mandated professional
and all relevant witnesses. These investigations may
also involve the Bermuda Police if a criminal offence may have occurred. This is a decrease from 2022 when
there were 41 investigations of professionals. After
each investigation, an outcome report is provided to the organisation or employer of the investigated professional. The outcome report includes recommendations that are a result of the investigation findings.
Mr. Chairman, during an investigation, once initial contact has been achieved, the Department of Child and Family Services is required to complete a safety assessment to determine imminent risk in all inhome abuse cases. The primary goal of the safety assessment is to ensure the child or children are safe in
a household and that the parent or guardian has agreed
to the established plan. If a safety threat has been identified, the objective of both the safety assessment and the plan is for the department and the family to work
together to reduce risk without seeking a court order.


Bermuda House of Assembly
Mr. Chairman, the investigation social workers
completed 445 safety assessments. This engagement
with parents allows the Department of Child and Family Services to ensure that the child or children are safe
while working to preserve the integrity of the fa mily.
Risk assessments are always completed after conducting a home visit and prior to a case being transferred or
closed. The team completed 480 risk assessments. In-vestigations that are referred for abuse outside of the
home do not require the Structured Decision Making
Assessment tools, as the alleged perpetrator is not living in the home and therefore the household is deemed
safe.
Mr. Chairman, the Investigation Team provided
14 Presentations on Mandatory Reporting to the Bermuda Police Service recruits and all watches, private
and public schools, Youth and Sport after -school programme, and Bermuda College students. These
presentati ons provide professionals with education on
the Children Act, their duties as mandatory reporters
and the reporting process for child abuse matters.
Mr. Chairman, the Investigation Team participates in multiagency team meetings such as the Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART), the Child Protection Team (CPT) virtually, and the MARAC team.
Mr. Chairman, the Assessment Team consists
of a Clinical Supervisor and three social workers whose
role is to be assessors. This team is responsible for conducting comprehensive assessments on children
and families who are experiencing issues inclusive of
cognitive challenges, domestic violence, substance
abuse, behavioural problems, trauma symptoms and mental health concerns. The purpose of the assessment process is to produce a comprehensive report
that provides recommendations for the referrer to use
to empower the family and enhance family functioning.
Families or individuals are provided an overview of the assessment process and are made aware
that this is voluntary unless court -ordered. Families can
decline services or withdraw from services at their discretion at any point in time during the assessment process.
Mr. Chairman, the timeframe for the completion of assessments ranges from a minimum of 45 days to a maximum of several months, depending on the time required to build rapport; the complexity of the
case; the degree and consistency of client engagement; rec eipt of the requisite information from collateral
sources; and the length of time it takes to administer, score, interpret and write the assessment report. A
feedback session is held after the assessment process with parents; the child/adolescent (as appro priate); and
if consent is given, with case management workers
from other departmental teams; as well as schools.
Mr. Chairman, the Assessment Team additionally conducts individual assessments on all new clients who are either entering foster care or residential treatment [RTS] so that baseline data can be obtained regarding the child or adolescent who has not had prior
involvement with the Department of Child and Family
Services. Assessment referrals initiated by the court social worker on behalf of the Family Court or Supreme
Court must be presented to the weekly l eadership
meetings for them to be accepted for servic es.
Mr. Chairman, the Assessment Team mainly
receives referrals internally from within the Department
of Child and Family Services and externally from the Family Court and Supreme Court. Service provision entails three main areas:
1. individual assessments (child and/or adult);
2. family assessments; and
3. consultations.
Mr. Chairman, there were 45 clients serviced
which include 14 cases carried over from 2022. In
2023, there were 31 new referrals received including 25
male clients and 20 female clients. In 2023, there were
21 clients closed. The closures included 10 males and
11 females.
Mr. Chairman, the sources of referrals to the
Assessment Team from within the Department of Child
and Family Services included the following:
• Investigations Team, 20 cases;
• Family Preservation, 7 cases;
• Foster Care, [1] case;
• RTS, 3 cases.
Mr. Chairman, the ages of the children within
the families serviced are as follows:
• zero– four years, 2;
• 5–9 years, 15;
• 10–14 years, 17; and
• 15–18 years, 11.
There were 14 assessment reports completed
for the year. Three clients declined services. Based on data collected for 2023, several trends were identified
and similar to trends reported on last year. Mr. Chairman, there is a continuing increase
1. in domestic violence, mental health concerns,
and substance abuse issues;
2. in the number of adolescent clients requiring
substance usage assessments;
3. in the number of younger clients (under 10) requiring assessment services who are being
serviced within the school setting by the Department of Child and Family Services;
4. in referrals for multiple assessments;
5. in the number of clients requiring concurrent
assessment and counselling services [CLS];
and
6. due to complex family dynamics, requiring
case consultation/collaboration with other Department of Child and Family Services teams.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Screening and Investiga-tions Team and the community stakeholders for their commitment to being the first response in promoting
the safety and health of families while protecting
826 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly children from abuse and neglect. I would also like to
thank the Assessments Team for empowering the fam-ily and enhancing family functioning through the com-prehensive assessments they completed on at -risk
children and families.

Foster Care
Hon. Vance Campbell: Now, Mr. Chairman, I would
like to move on to Foster Care, business unit 33030. They have a budget of $2,384,000.

Yes.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the foster care
section of the Department of Child and Family Services is responsible for providing alternative living arrange-ments for children under the age of 18 years old who
need out of home placement . The budget estimate for
business unit 33030 for the fiscal year 2024/25 is
$2,384,000. This represents a decline of $257,000, or 10 per cent, and reflects a decrease in foster care fees
and the non- funding of a temporary relief post.
Mr. Chairman, during the 2023 calendar year,
a total of 58 children occupied foster care beds. The
team was also responsible for case management duties for the children’s birth families and foster families. This represents a numerical decrease by five from the
prior year. As was stated last year, the team remains
concerned about the complexity of the cases, which
has magnified in terms of mental health, behavioural
issues and school difficulties.
During the last budget year, the Foster Care
Programme serviced a total of seven therapeutic foster children. The children in this category have a variety of
physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural challenges. Therapeutic Foster Parents are compensa ted
at a higher rate than traditional foster parents. They sign contracts that outline the levels of care expected based on the children’s needs. Out of those seven children, one was referred to an overseas facility for a comprehensive assessment and was r ecommended for further overseas placement.
By the end of 2023, a total of seven children
left the Foster Care Programme. Two were placed into
the full custodial care with relatives. One was deemed
to be in need of overseas inpatient care. One was
placed into a pre- adoptive placement, pending finali sed
adoption. And three were reunified with their parents.
The year 2023 was a very busy year for foster
parent recruitment. DCFS in partnership with the De-partment of Communication were able to advertise using all forms of media. Three major highlights for 2023
were the foster care recruitment advertisements plac ed
on our local buses, the informational table display at Gorham’s and the Foster Care Team information booth at Harbour Nights. The Foster Care Coordinator interviewed 13 interested persons for foster parent recruitment. Out of those, six were approved and became foster parents. Despite the constant addition to the pool
of available foster parents, the department continues to remain hard- pressed to recruit enough foster parents to
be open, available and suitable for emergencies and for hard- to-care- for children.
And as a former foster parent for 17 years, Mr.
Chairman, I would encourage people to sign up and be evaluated. It is rewarding beyond your imagination.

Yes. Yes.

Hon. Vance Campbell: In May 2023, Foster Care
Month, the Foster Care Team held its Annual Appreci-ation Tea for Bermuda’s foster parents. The keynote speaker was Ms. Sierra Reid, who spent time in foster
care as a youth and is now a Master’s Degree- level
Special Education Teacher. This event was held at the
Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club.
The Foster Care Programme ended 2023 with
Christmas gift donations for all foster children. Items were generously donated from anonymous members of
the public, the RenRe Insurance Company and the
Pembroke and Hamilton Rotary Clubs. Each child was
gifted wi th multiple items for the holiday season. The
organisation of gift donations from members of the public was fully arranged by the executive of the Foster
Parent Association, which is a registered charity. The
Angel Tree was publicised and was on display at
Rosa’s. Members from the public selected angels from
the tree which had the wish list items of foster children
on them.
Mr. Chairman, the department would like to
acknowledge the foster parents of Bermuda. These are
our unsung heroes who provide loving, stable homes to children who have experienced significant trauma as a
result of abuse and/or neglect. Every day they make a
foster child’s life better by their numerous acts of care and kindness.
Appreciation and recognition must also go out
to the Foster Parent Association registered charity.
They work in partnership with the Foster Care Team.
They provide extra support to foster children and foster families in the form of financial support for ed ucational
trips, specialised recreational programmes, laptops for senior school and tertiary education scholarships for foster youth post high school completion.
The Foster Care Team is to be commended as
well for working through some very serious, complex and challenging cases.

Counselling and Life Skills

Hon. Vance Campbell: Now, Mr. Chairman, to move
on to Counselling and Life Skills, business unit 33200.

Absolutely, Minister.

Hon. Vance Campbell: They have a budget of
$1,189,000. Mr. Chairman, the purpose of the


Bermuda House of Assembly
Counselling and Life Skills (CLS) business unit within
the Department of Child and Family Services is to ad-vance and promote the emotional well -being of youth
up to 18 years of age and their families. The budget
estimate for business unit 33200 for fiscal year 2024/25
is $1,189,000. This represents an increase of $43,000,
or 4 per cent, compared to the original budget for fiscal
year 2023/24. This is due to an increase in salaries
charged to the business unit.
Mr. Chairman, CLS offers services that are
strength- based, solution- focused and client -centred for
the purpose of strengthening the knowledge and skills
of individuals and families with the intent for them to
make healthy life choices. During the COVID -19 pandemic, it was observed that the complexity of families’
needs regarding mental health increased. Individual
and family issues include but are not limited to domes-tic violence, parent –child relationships, grief and loss,
communication, co- parenting, trau ma and adolescent
substance abuse.
Mr. Chairman, CLS provides individual, family
and group counselling. Since post COVID -19, the CLS
team has resumed back to in- person sessions and
used other modes such as Cisco Webex, Zoom,
WhatsApp, telephone and email when clients cannot
do in- person ses sions. The CLS’s counsellors through
these methods were able to complete specific assess-ments or screening tools required for the formulation of services plans.
Mr. Chairman, referrals are mainly received
from external entities such as the Department of Edu-cation, Child and Adolescents Services [CAS], and the public. These referrals are screened through the department’s Investigation/Screening Section, and decisions on appropriate interventions are determined by
the use of the SDM [shared decision- making] tool and
then assigned for services. There is a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education and
the Department of Child and Family Services that all
substance- related incidents that occur in schools are
referred to the department for either a substance as-sessment, substance education or both. Mr. Chairman, the number of referrals that were received for 2023 was
126, an increase compared to 2022. O ut of this number, 120 received services and 6 were denied. The referrals that were denied were based on clients being
involved in external services prior to the referral. There
were 68 females and 58 males.
Mr. Chairman, the ages of the children within
the families serviced are as follows:
Female clients —
• 0–4 years, 4;
• 5–9 years, 14;
• 10–14 years, 22; and
• 15–18 years, 28.
Male clients —
• 0–4 years, 4;
• 5–9 years, 14; • 10–14 years, 27; and
• 15–18 years, 13.
Over the years, the highest age group for
males and females were children/adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 years old, and 15 and 18 years
old; however, for males there was a shift. Males be-tween the ages of 5 and 9 were higher than males 15
to 18.
Mr. Chairman, the sources of referrals to the
CLS team in 2023 are as follows:
• DCFS Teams (Investigations, Foster Care,
Family Preservation, RTS and Adoptions), 96
cases;
• Court Social Worker, 2 cases;
• Schools, 22 cases; and
• Other (Police, KEMH, CAS), 7 cases.
Mr. Chairman, the CLS team noticed that in
2023 vaping is still a trend continuing amongst adoles-cents, along with CBD edibles/gummies. And this trend
has moved to younger children experimenting with vaping as well as edibles and gummies. Substances such
as marijuana and alcohol are still also prevalent among
adolescents. The data for 2023 revealed that young
people are still choosing to use substances as a coping
strategy for dealing with life stressors, trauma and grief.
The complexity of their family sys tems also showed in
2023 that co- parenting support and coping strategies
and skills for parents need to be implemented so that
children and their families can effectively deal with their
mental health issues.
Mr. Chairman, several trends were identified in
the year 2023 as follows:
1. an increase in substance referrals about vaping, marijuana and edibles;
2. grief counselling for children who lost parents;
3. parents needing co- parenting;
4. children being referred are getting younger and
their behavioural presentations are complex
and requiring a multidisciplinary team approach (locally and overseas);
5. an increase in internal referrals from other
DCFS teams through leadership meetings;
6. parents requiring therapy support for themselves;
7. parent –child relationships needing strategies
to enhance healthy communication;
8. younger children requiring therapy outside of
talk therapy —i.e., play and movement;
9. co-parenting/parenting skills services; and
10. counselling for mental health.
These trends continue to demonstrate that there is a growing need for resources for parents, children and
adolescents.

Child Safeguarding

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I would like to
move on to Child Safeguarding, business unit 33250.
828 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: Minister, I just want to remind you if
you do not mind that we are just about five minutes shy
of the lunch hour. It is 12:25. The debate did begin about 10:26, so that would complete two hours. If you
wish, we can pause now and go to lunch. Or would you
like to continue, Minister?
Hon. Vance Campbell: I am at your will.

Honourable Members, we are now in
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25. We are going through the [items] under Head 23 of the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and
Seniors, whic h are now to be debated.
I call on the Minister in charge to proceed.
Minister, you have the floor.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman Mr. Chairman, in fiscal year of 2024/25,
$150,000 will fund a new Child Safeguarding Programme. As per the Child Safeguarding Act 2019, chil-dren who are victims of sexual offences or who are convicted of sexual offences and serious personal injury
receive both physical and psychological services which
translates to costs incurred for psychosexual assess-ments and counselling services. Currently, two children
are being serviced for sexual offences.

Residential Treatment Services

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to
programme 2303, Residential Treatment Services,
found on page B -294. Mr. Chairman, the activity covered in programme 2303 is Residential Treatment Services. These services include Family Preservation,
Brangman Home, Youth Development Centre, Observatory Cottage (also referred to as Oleander Cottage), Psycho -Educational Programme and Youth Residential Treatment. For financial year 2024/25, this programme has a budget allocation of $8,770,000. This
represents an increase of $987,000, or 13 per cent,
over the financial year 2023/24 budget allocation.
Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for business unit 33060, Family Preservation, for fiscal year 2024/25 is $1,735,000. The estimate is a $227,000, or
15 per cent, increase over the original budget for fiscal
year 2023/24. This increase is related to a real ignment
of staff within the organisational structure.
Mr. Chairman, DCFS’s Family Preservation
team operates under a sound case management and
assessment model, which comprehensively assesses
family and child needs and develops service plans with the family, child and stakeholders to maximise intervention and positive outcomes for children and their families. The team is responsible for providing ongoing intervention to monitor and ensure the safety of children
at risk of abuse or neglect, assist families to improve
family functioning, increase child well -being, reduce the
need for placement in out -of-home care, and to enable
children in out -of-home care to return safely to their
families.
I draw your attention to the reference to out -ofhome care, which refers to children in Foster Care,
Residential Treatment Services and Psycho- Ed Services. Mr. Chairman, the ultimate goal is to reduce or
eliminate the circumstances in the family that have
been or are causing abuse or risk of abuse (emotional
and/or physical) to the child, and to maintain the child in the home environment.
Mr. Chairman, Family Preservation Services
are provided to clients of the Department of Child and Family Services either via consent of the parents or under the authority of a court order. If a child’s safety is
an assessed concern as per the Children Act 1998 and its revisions, Family Preservation Services will be mandated if deemed so, via the courts.


Bermuda House of Assembly
Mr. Chairman, in order to achieve its goal,
Family Preservation Services requires its social workers and social work assistants to manage cases in com-pliance with the Council on Accreditation Child and
Family Services standards, the policies and procedures
of the department and the structured decision making
(SDM) assessment system for child protective services. The social worker’s frequency of contact with a family is determined by the family’s assessed risk level.
The higher the assessed risk for future a buse or neglect, the higher the level of intervention and engagement required monthly.
Mr. Chairman, the Family Preservation Section
has now been accredited by the Bermuda National Standards Committee in accordance with the Council
on Accreditation Standards from 2018 to present. Being accredited means that the Bermuda National Standards Com mittee has determined through a rigorous assessment of evidence that the DCFS Family Preservation Service meets Council on Accreditation standards and that they follow best practice and provide quality service to the community. Mr. Chairman,
the Family Preservation Team currently consists of two
coordinators, eight social workers, eight social work assistants and one administrative assistant.
Mr. Chairman, I will now highlight the performance of the Family Preservation team and the client
outcomes for the calendar year January through De-cember 2023. Mr. Chairman, the following data provide
an overview of the statistical outputs and outcomes for
the family preservation team:
• For the calendar year January through Decem-ber 2023, the Family Preservation team has
served a combination of 136 families and 240
children. Caseload complexities and risk levels
remained high throughout 2023, thus requiring
a high number of face- to-face c ontacts, multiple court appearances, family conferences and
consultations with community and government
stakeholders.
• [The year] 2023 saw 81 new cases referred to Family Preservation. Throughout the year a total of 37 cases were closed. All closed cases
were void of child safety or child protection issues at closure. Eight cases were transferred
to out -of-home services (F oster Care and Residential Treatment Services) due to the increased safety risk in the home.
To summarise, Mr. Chairman, Family Preservation workers attended 87 court hearings over the
year. This is an increase of 20 hearings over 2022. The court appearances were for domestic violence protection orders, protection intervention or emergency protection orders, custody/access matters, supervised visitation, Juvenile Court, supervision order applications
and reviews, and care order applications, reviews and
discharges. Mr. Chairman, all families involved with Family
Preservation receive Family Strengths and Needs Assessments and are reassessed every three months. These assessments help to identify the areas of need
or development required within a family (both parents
and children), as well as strengths within the family unit
in order to reduce risks within the family unit that have
placed or have the potential to place a child at risk of
abuse or neglect.
Mr. Chairman, needs assessments completed
on parents during 2023 have identified the following as
the top four areas of need affecting our parents/caregivers . Interventions must be targeted to improve outcomes in these areas :
• coping skills, mental health, cognitive function-ing;
• parenting skills;
• household relationships/family violence; and
• resource management.
Mr. Chairman, needs assessments completed
on children during 2023 have identified the following as
the top three areas of need affecting our children; interventions must be targeted to improve outcomes in
these areas:
• Emotional/Behavioural challenges. This is defined as limited emotional adjustment. The child has occasional difficulty in dealing with situational stress, crises or problems, which impairs functioning. The child displays periodic mental health symptoms inc luding but
not limited to depression, running away, somatic com-plaints, hostile behaviour or apathy. The child has epi-sodes of extreme acting out, which may include an inability to accept limits on or consequences for behaviour, or severely limited emotion al adjustment. The
child’s ability to perform in one or more areas of functioning is severely impaired due to chronic/severe mental health symptoms such as fire- setting, suicidal behaviour or violent behaviour toward people and/or animals. Child has a patt ern of dysfunctional behaviour
that limits child or family activities.
• Educational Concerns/Needs. This is defined
as academic difficulty. The child is working below grade
level in at least one but not more than half of their aca-demic subject areas, and/or the child is struggling to
meet the goals of the existing educational plan. The existing educational plan may need modification for severe academic dif ficulty.
• Family Relationship Challenges. This is defined as strained relationships. Stress/discord within the family interferes with the child’s sense of safety and security. The family has difficulty identifying and resolving conflicts and/or obtaining support and assistance
on their own or harmful relationships. Chronic family
stress, conflict or violence severely impedes the child’s
sense of safety and security. The family is unable to
resolve stress, conflict or violence on their own and is not able or willing t o obtain outside assistance.
830 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, in 2023 the Department of Child
and Family Services hosted Visit Coaching training facilitated by the developer of the programme, Ms. Marty Beyer. An invitation was extended to the Coalition for
the Protection of Children to also attend this valuable
training. Visit coaching is an intervention method used
for court -ordered supervised visits between parents
and children. Visit coaching supports families to make
each visit fun for their children and to meet the unique
needs of each child. Visit coaching includes
• helping parents articulate their children’s
needs to be met in visits;
• preparing parents for their children’s reactions;
• helping parents plan to give their children their full attention at each visit;
• appreciating the parent’s strengths in caring, meeting each child’s needs; and
• helping parents cope with their feelings so that they can visit consistently and keep their anger
and sadness out of the visit.
Mr. Chairman, at the core of Family Preservation is the understanding that if we can improve the
functioning and circumstances of the parents/adult caregivers of the children, we can reduce the risk of
abuse and neglect of children. As such, it is vital that
we equip our staff to increase their skills in engaging
and providing intervention services to our families.
Mr. Chairman, the Family Preservation Team
continues to strive to provide effective service to children and families. Performance improvement is an ongoing endeavour, thus enhancing the opportunity for
improved client outcomes. The data gleaned from 2023
have been utilised to establish annual plan goals and
objectives for 2024, striving toward increased positive
client outcomes. The Department of Child and Family
Services commends the Family Preservation Team
and its coordinators for their commitment to fam ilies
throughout 2023.
Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to the following:
• Brangman Home, business unit 33070;
• Youth Development Centre, business unit 33080; and
• Observatory Cottage (referred as Oleander
Cottage), business unit 33090.
Mr. Chairman, the financial year budget allocation for business unit 33070, Brangman Home, is
$1,257,000. This is an increase over the 2023/24
budget allocation of $44,000, or by 4 per cent, which
mainly represents an increase in salaries due to the realignment of the department’s resources.
Mr. Chairman, business unit 33080, Youth Development Centre’s allocated budget for financial year 2024/25, is $288,000. This is an increase of $42,000, or 17 per cent, in comparison to the budget allocation
of fiscal year 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, Observatory Cottage, which
comes under business unit 33090, has an allocated
budget for 2024/25 of $1,483,000, which is an increase of $115,000, or 8 per cent, in comparison to financial
year 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, Residential Treatment Services
(RTS) provides group living intervention services to
children between the ages of 12 and 18 years. These are adolescents who are deemed to be at risk in the
community and requiring care and protection in a safe
and structured residential environment. All children placed in this service have had their situation and circumstances considered by the Family Court, where it
has been deemed appropriate for them to be placed on a care order and as such become the respons ibility of
the Director of Child and Family Services.
Mr. Chairman, the RTS programme provides
24-hour, 365- days -a-year services. The young ladies
are located at the Brangman Home while the young men receive services at Oleander Cottage. The Youth Development Centre is utilised to provide one- to-one
and speci al management of residents based on their
needs as indicated by ongoing evaluation, and if they are placed in care of the director as a result of criminal
behaviours.
Mr. Chairman, the inclusion of family is paramount to the healing process of the children receiving
our services. The involvement of family at all levels of the continuum of care is the goal. We endeavour to
strengthen relationships by responding to the fa mily
through a reintegration plan or, if necessary, using
other community -based relationships when the family
cannot respond to the child’s needs. The RTS programme allows for collaboration with the family and the
community to understand the child’s cultur al experience through a trauma lens.
Mr. Chairman, we continue to see the impact
of complex trauma on the adolescents whom we serve.
Complex trauma is caused by the children’s exposure
to multiple traumatic events. This impacts the goal of
having children transition within 12 months. As a res ult,
the services provided by RTS remain under a trauma
responsive lens. And this is translated into the intake
and assessment process, family engagement practice,
crisis intervention, and both individual and group coun-selling.
Mr. Chairman, during budget year 2023/24,
RTS provided case management and intervention for children in transition in the community, as well as those
ready for discharge. The case management was comprehensive, as it included working with both the internal and external multi -agency teams involved with the children and families to ensure a seamless trauma- responsive transition. The families involved welcomed the partnership and requested continued engagement after
the three- month after -care phase. Mr. Chairma n, the
RTS program was faced with many challenges in financial year 2023/24 in relation to services received by
children in care. Some required closer observation and
monitoring with therapeutic interventions to prevent es-calation. Moreover, some needed to be separated from
within the facility and required additional support.


Bermuda House of Assembly
Mr. Chairman, in the last fiscal year, clients’
services included crisis intervention and referrals to
both internal and external services to respond to critical incidents. Both genders demonstrated externalising
and internalising problem [behaviours] at R TS. Strong
case management of children was essential through
crisis management meetings, ongoing individual assessments and service plans. Client profiles for 2023 indicated that 100 per cent of children had come from
single parent households. Additionally , both male and
female profiles continue to reflect 100 per cent of the
children experiencing trauma that included abandonment, abuse, grief and domestic violence. Eighty per
cent had learning challenges. These data demonstrate the wide range of specialist services required for dealing effectively with children and families.
The DCFS were committed to striving for the
success of our children in the education system and responded to the learning challenges. One professional
tutor was hired, and partnerships with the educational psychologists, paraprofessionals and social worker s in
the educational system were also strengthened.
Mr. Chairman, substance use and self -injurious behaviours have been a challenge and reflect the
social acceptance of vaping and use of marijuana among adolescents. The international data state that
self-injury amongst girls has increased in the past three
years. Girls are three times more likely than boys to
present with sel f-injurious behaviours. Those who are
involved in this behaviour are at much greater risk of
suicide. Safety precautions have been put in place with
risk assessments and referrals to Child Adolescent Services [CAS] and King Edward VII Memorial Hospital
[KEMH]. The boys presented 90 per cent delinquent
behaviour and substance use.
Mr. Chairman, RTS met the performance targets with 100 per cent of residents having independent
treatment plans, 100 per cent having service plans and
100 per cent of residents having individual crisis management plans. Over 200 coordinated services were
provided with community partners, over 260 individual
counselling sessions, 277 groups were held, and [over]
152 family engagements. RTS held seven joint family
group activities to build connections while engaging in
prosocial activities.
Mr. Chairman, RTS implemented client satisfaction surveys over the past year and received 100 per
cent positive feedback responses from residents and their families about home visits. A full 80 per cent of the
residents indicated they feel emotionally safe, and 100 per cent reported feeling physically safe at the last
check -point in December 2023.
Mr. Chairman, over the past four months the
resident responses fluctuated between 80 per cent and
100 per cent regarding the statement, “I feel the staff
members care for me.” Responses fluctuated between
70 per cent and 90 per cent [to the statement], “My social worker or case manager takes the time to answer my questions and listens to me.” Young people’s over-all satisfaction was a new question asked and is moving in the right direction to 55 per cent positive responses. The voice of the child is important, and two
client rights groups were held in the latter part of the
year.
Mr. Chairman, RTS engaged in a few trainings
to support the growth and development of the team. They participated in Your Voice, Our Future: Resetting the Standard with an overseas expert in residential
treatment services [with Discovery Ranch team], Code of Conduct, Ethics, Investigation and Mandatory Reporting and a Quantum Learning Workshop to name a
few. All staff participate in Relias training weekly.
Mr. Chairman, with a primary focus on establishing trauma -responsive environments for the children in our group homes, we continue to ensure review
and amendments are made to our policies and procedures to reflect the principles of group home living. During the 2023/24 budget year, the DCFS administration
continued its partnership with the Ministry of Public
Works, specifically the Department of Public Lands and
Buildings, in enhancing RTS physical structures. These
buildings utilised by RTS have received s everal maintenance upgrades that include roof repairs, replacement
of ceiling, ceiling tiles in the bathroom, painting, replacement of security cameras, door replacements for additional security, and air conditioning issues were addressed.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff at the Residential Treatment
Services and the community stakeholders for their
commitment in providing trauma- responsive services to
the residents of group living with the aim of restor ing
hope and building resiliency in their lives.

Psycho -Educational Programme
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the Psycho- Educational [Psycho- Ed] programme was developed to
clinically address children who could not be effectively
treated in Bermuda or those who had exhausted all
available local therapeutic/treatment services. The
budget estimate for b usiness unit 33100 for the fiscal
year 2024/25 is $2,114,000. This represents an increase of $6,000 for the fiscal year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, our local psychologists, psychiatrists and educational therapists have demonstrated an improved ability to diagnose various psychological,
behavioural and educational problems. However, more Bermudian children are being identified with variou s
psychological, social/emotional and psychiatric conditions beyond the ability of our local service providers.
The Psycho- Ed programme allows the Department of
Child and Family Services to have external input con-cerning clinical therapeutic intervention a nd after -care
services.
832 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, the overseas therapeutic programmes utilised by the Psycho- Ed programme are selected based on specific areas of expertise and specialised services they are licensed to provide. After reviewing a child’s local clinical reports, the Psycho- Ed C ommittee decides on an overseas therapeutic placement
that provides the best clinical fit for the child. For several years, the department has sought additional ac-credited therapeutic programmes in the United States’
East Coast to meet our children’s needs .
Unfortunately, only a limited number of overseas therapeutic facilities have been found to meet the
clinical therapeutic needs of our Bermuda children.
Also, after arduous research, it has been identified that
providing our Bermuda children with specialised clinical
assessments and therapeutic interventions on the Island, similar to those provided in overseas therapeutic facilities, is cost prohibitive. Mr. Chairman, the PsychoEd programme provides children with protection, care
and nurturance by licensed and accredited therapeutic
overseas facilities.
The Psycho- Ed Committee comprises representatives from the following:
• the Child and Adolescent Services;
• the Ministry of Education;
• the Department of Child and Family Services;
and
• the Ministry of Health.
The Psycho- Ed Committee met virtually twice a quarter
during the three quarters of the year to review the status and make decisions on children referred for overseas placement or clinical assessment.
Mr. Chairman, in 2023, the Psycho- Ed programme had a total of 15 clients who received services
in overseas therapeutic programmes for a complexity
of issues identified across the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM- V) Criteria of Mental
Disorders. The purpose of the DSM -V is to provide
clear descriptions of diagnostic categories to enable cli-nicians to diagnose and treat various mental health dis-orders. Each child received an assessment from local
service providers that determined an individualised
treatment plan and intensive interventions as per the
diagnostic categories defined by the DSM -V.
Mr. Chairman, in the best interest of the child,
the Psycho- Ed Committee utilises an overseas service
provider that specialises primarily in providing clinical
neuropsychological assessments at Huntsman Mental
Health Institute [HMHI]. Implementing the neur opsychological assessment at HMHI assisted DCFS in ob-taining a clear and comprehensive understanding of
the specific needs of clients referred for an assessment. The majority of our Bermuda children who were
referred for a neuropsychological assessment wer e
current Psycho- Ed clients who did not have an identified diagnosis or who did not engage with our local service providers. The comprehensive neuropsychological
assessment assisted in developing the client’s individualised treatment plan that facilitated the most appropriate match of local community resources or identified an overseas therapeutic placement that matched the child’s specific needs.
Mr. Chairman, 15 children participated in the
Psycho -Ed Programme in 2023. One child received local case management and after -care planning. One
child received a substance abuse assessment from an overseas therapeutic facility and returned to the local jurisdiction for case management and after -care planning. Of the remaining 13 children in the Psycho- Ed
programme, 4 completed an overseas neuropsycho-logical assessment at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and 1 received a psycho- sexual assessment at
Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center.
Recommendations from the completed neuropsychological assessments at HMHI resulted in three
children being referred for a long- term overseas therapeutic placement. One child who completed a psychosexual referral at Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center was recommended for a long- term overseas therapeutic placement. Three children who were referred to
Psycho -Ed completed a 90- day wilderness placement
at RedCliff Ascent Wilderness Therapy Programme.
One child who was referred to Psycho- Ed was admitted
direct ly into an overseas therapeutic facility for a longterm placement of nine to eighteen months, and four
children were already currently enrolled in a long- term
overseas placement.
All Psycho -Ed clients serviced overseas received the Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF] with a scoring range of 20 to 50. A score of 50 is defined
as having serious symptoms or serious impairment in
social, occupational or school functioning, and 20 is defined as having a danger of hurting self and/or others.
Psycho -Ed clients receive intensive clinical treatment
with a longer duration of treatment options coupled with
one-to-one staff interventions, psychotropic medications, frequent team meetings, psy chiatric hospitalisations, family intervention programmes and overseas
therapeutic visits.
Mr. Chairman, due to COVID -19, in the previous years there was increased virtual contact including
clinical treatment team sessions, family sessions and
individual clinical client contact. To date, virtual contact
with clients is utilised as a primary form of communication, with each client having virtual contact with DCFS
staff weekly.
Mr. Chairman, the vetting of new facilities occurred prior to placement, and all other facilities have
been vetting during the 2023 period.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry of Education
[MOED] and the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s [BHB] Child and Adolescent Services [CAS] have limited resources and/or are not equipped to service clients who are diagnosed with conduct disorder, experiencing severe mental health challenges or those who are highrisk in the community. Consequently, several applications are made to the Psycho- Ed Committee requesting
an overseas therapeutic placement for a young person


Bermuda House of Assembly
who cannot be serviced in our local school environment
or within the current therapeutic milieu at CAS.

Honourable Members, if we could use
our dulcet undertones when having conversations, that would be most appreciated.
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, large demands
continue to be placed on the Department of Child and
Family Services due to CAS’s lack of resources and the
Education Ministry’s inability to service children with se-vere behavioural challenges and intellectual disabilities. De spite DCFS having the High -Risk Intervention
Committee (THRIC), the department lacks an adequate
response to the increased complex referrals from
MOED and CAS. Of urgency relating to our ability to
address non- acute mental health/psychia tric needs,
there remains the ongoing challenge of addressing our
children’s clinical needs for all partners involved.

Youth Residential Treatment

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, business unit
33110, Youth Residential Treatment, budget allocation
for fiscal year 2024/25 is $1,243,000. This reflects a
$97,000, or 7 per cent, decrease in funding. This decrease is a result of the realignment of staff within the Department of Family Services organisational struc-ture. Mr. Chairman, Youth Residential Treatment is the
administrative and professional services section that
provides all of the necessary accounting, management,
counselling and clinical services to all of the residential homes and programmes. It is the responsibility of this
business unit to identify all of the training needs of staff,
clinical needs of all of the children involved in the programme and management of repair services with all facilities, and report them to the Director for action. This
unit is also responsible for all performance quality im-provement and making sure all of the programmes within Residential Treatment Services meet and maintain accreditation standards.

Independent Living Programme

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, i n the 2022/23
budget, capital funding was allocated for the establishment of an Independent Living Housing regime. The Independent Living Programme [business unit 33240] is
the first of its kind in Bermuda whereby we are providing a lifeline/safety net to young adults ageing out of the
care of the Director, affording them the best opportunity for success as they transition into adulthood. The programme is housed at the Garrison View in St. George’s
and can accommodate up to 10 young people, six females and four males.
Mr. Chairman, this business unit has been allocated $650,000 for the 2024/25 budget year. This programme was implemented in March 2023, at which time its funding was embedded within the department’s
Administration, business unit 33120. This programme
now has its own business unit with increased funding for operational activity.
Mr. Chairman, the Independent Living Programme has been developed in alignment with the Accreditation Council’s Youth Independent Living Services Standards. The programme offers dormitory -style
living and development of independent life skills that include but are not limited to money management, educational goals, job sustainability and knowledge of community resources. Support services of counselling
will also be provided within the department. To participate in the programme, young persons must have been
clients of DCFS who have aged out of the care of the Director without a reunification plan and referred by one of the social workers of the department. During the last
fiscal year, there have been a total of 10 referrals, three
males and seven females. Of these referrals eight were
approved and two were declined.
Out of the eight approved, six moved into the
programme. The Independent Living Programme
housed two males and four females. Two were terminated from the programme, one due to non- compliance, and the other due to pregnancy and was referred
to the appropriate agency.
Mr. Chairman, three residents were employed
before their move- in date, but two lost their jobs during
their probationary phase. Five residents enrolled with Workforce Development. Two obtained employment
through Workforce Development. Two residents had employment through other means. At the end of 2023,
three of four residents were employed, with the fourth beginning in January 2024.
Mr. Chairman, the coordinator, support staff
and client travelled to the 35
th Annual National Independent Living Conference in August 2023 to partici-pate in workshops and network with other agencies
who are providing this support to young people. This
conference provides resources and training to professionals around a variety of evidenced- based practices
and how to promote improved outcomes for our young
adults.
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to report that the
Independent Living Programme expanded its reach and introduced the Level -Up Programme for 17- and
17-and-a-half-year-olds providing an opportunity for
this age group, as they approach 18, for exposure to the di fferent aspects and expectations of adulthood
while providing first -hand experience of what the Independent Living Programme has to offer.
Mr. Chairman, as the Independent Living Programme approaches its first anniversary of providing a
safety net to our young adults, we have much to celebrate. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
staff at the Independent Living Programme and the community stakeholders for their commitment in
providing a lifeline/safety net to young adults ageing out
834 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly of the care of the Director, with the aim of them becoming independent and self -sufficient contributing members of our society.

The Mirrors Programme

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to
programme 2305, the Mirrors Programme, found on
page B -294. Mr. Chairman, the 2023/24 budget year
has been one of embedding the Mirrors Programme within the Department of Child and Family Services as a substantive permanent programme. Mr. Chairman,
the budget allocated to the Mirrors Programme for
2024/25 is $699,000. This represents a decreased allocation of $53,000, or 7 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors continues to focus on
life coaching, social -emotional development and the elements of transformation, especially with the follow -on
impact of COVID -19. More than ever before, young
people can benefit from a deeper awareness of who they are, how to communicate authentically, how they impact the world around them and how they can contribute to elevating outcomes in this rapidly changing
environment. Mirrors continues to focus on the whole
person and cycle of impact to support youth well -being.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors has transitioned into the Depart-ment of Child and Family Services as its prevention and life coaching arm.
The programme continues to produce results
in the short, medium and long term to build a resilient community of youth with positive life outcomes in education, employment and lawfulness. The two- year post
data of the core programme remain consistent, with
93 per cent of clients served demonstrating lawfulness
(not offending or reoffending), 82 per cent of students
connected to education (graduating or currently in
school) and a slight increase in employment from
39 per cent to 42 per cent of students currently employed at the last check -point in 2023. Mirrors mid- term
outcome markers provide the necessary check -point
for measuring the success of the programme for the overall societal benefit.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors cancelled the Super -
Camp Senior Forum in October 2023 to focus on the transition process into the department. Cohort 18 completed their coaching in June 2023, and Cohort 19 is
expected to begin in October 2024. To date, Mirrors
has served 8,224 youth and trained 7,721 adults including parents, teachers and volunteers in positive youth development.
Mr. Chairman, 566 middle school students participated in the “All In! 8 Keys of Excellence” character
development programme at Sandys Secondary Middle
School, Dellwood and Whitney Institute. Thirty -one
middle school students participated in the combined prefect leadership training to support peer leadership at
their schools, and teachers delivered the All In! curriculum at least twice weekly in advisory periods. All trainings received 100 per cent positive experience in content and experience this year. Mir rors is projecting
to service all public middle school students in the
2024/25 fiscal year with a focus to increase parent engagement. The team is engaging with the schools to
explore serving the upper primary school age levels (primary 7 and 8) in school reform.
Mr. Chairman, PeerForward Bermuda travelled
overseas with a team of 15 peer leaders, four advisors, two college coaches and two support staff for the Mirrors-endorsed college and career readiness programmes at Berkeley Institute and CedarBridge Academy. Th irty peer leaders attended the fall training in student engagement to execute the PeerForward journey which moves from self -awareness and self -agency to
community service. Service is about leading their peers
to build a college- going culture in their high schools with
the ultimate goal of raising college enrolment and degree attainment.
All trainings have received 100 per cent positive experience in content and experience. A total of 91 students are expected to enrol and attend college this
year. Schools have noticed an increase in complete applications and enrolments at the Bermuda Colle ge from
Berkeley and CedarBridge students. Eighty -nine parents and students have signed up to attend the Finding Funding for College webinars. PeerForward is projecting to service Berkeley and CedarBridge in the 2024/25
school year with the PeerForward pro gramme.
Mr. Chairman, 178 students provided art submissions and 22 students entered digital pieces in the
7
th Annual Art and Digital competition themed “My
Happy Place.” Students won prizes for themselves and their schools to support the arts in school.
Mr. Chairman, Mirrors continues to find ways
to engage parents to attend training to build skills for
positive youth development. Seventy -three parents
participated in programming. The target was reduced
based on transition activities and vacant posts. Mir rors
has a secondary focus of building social -emotional development in adults serving youth. Seventy -five educators and youth workers attended the World Summit 2024 powered by Mirrors and Quantum Learning
Global with the world partners who travelled from
across the globe, the USA, Argentina, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Dominican Republic
and Taiwan. The team was thanked for bringing the Elevate and Summit workshops to our shores.
Mr. Chairman, 140 people participated in the
Mirrors Field of Learning providing 540 community service hours in the garden. Students were able to take some vegetables home, and the majority was donated
across the Island to seniors. The Mirrors Alumni and
Friends Association will continue to support Mirrors in
the upcoming year through the volunteer recognition
scheme, the annual Bermuda themed art competition,
community service project at Southlands, PeerForward and other community engagements.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the corporate Bermuda, the


Bermuda House of Assembly
Alumni Board members and the Mirrors team for their
commitment to the development of Bermuda’s youth.

Administration
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now speak to
programme 2304, Administration, found on page B -
294. Mr. Chairman, the activities covered in pro-gramme 2304, Administration, are business unit 33120,
Administration, and business unit 33130, Grant funding. The budget estimate for fiscal year 2024/25 is $2,882,000, reflecting a budgetary decrease of
$277,000, or 9 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, the Administration section of
DCFS is responsible for the general supervision of the
sections within the department and the oversight of the
Psycho -Educational Programme and the Mirrors Programme. The budget estimate for business unit 33120
for the fiscal year 2024/25 is $2,336,000. This represents a $277,000, or 11 per cent, reduction under the
budget for fiscal year 2023/24. Mr. Chairman, all staff
development and training are delivered via this section,
and as previously highlighted, traini ng in all sections of
the department has been purposefully aligned with the
overarching goal of providing a comprehensive and
seamless continuum of services that meet the complex
needs of our client population.
Mr. Chairman, to ensure that the staff at DCFS
remain skilled and current with best practice standards,
the Administration Section has continued their membership with Relias Learning Systems as the core training vehicle for staff professional development i n the
field. Relias has webinars on their platform, and they
conduct regular reviews and training updates to remain
current with new research and developments in the
field. Relias courses are endorsed by numerous professional bodies including the Council on Accreditation
(COA) and the Child Welfare League of America
(CWLA). This training solution also has customisable elements that allow for DCFS policies and procedures
as well as legislation training to be built into the system.
This allows for consistency and accessibility to necessary training for all staff.
The Solution Focused Advocacy Committee
was created by a core group of workers across sections of the department. The purpose of the Solution Focused Advocacy Committee (SFAC) is to address concerns impacting the ability of frontline workers to perform opt imally by offering solutions and enhancing
communication between upper management and front-line staff. The suggested solutions may also assist in preventing employee burn- out.
Subcommittees that were borne out of this effort include a Training Committee, Policy and Proce-dure Committee, Social Committee, Public Relations Committee and Staff Wellness Committee. The overarching goal of these committees is to systematically
review t he varying complex and demanding needs of the department and its employees, and to action any
areas that support and promote the operational practices and environment of DCFS. This is done with the support of the Senior Leadership Team.
Mr. Chairman, DCFS Administration continues
to look for opportunities of performance quality improvement. Mr. Chairman, during the last fiscal year,
staff of DCFS received training in forensic interviewing
with children with disabilities that has assisted these professionals in being more effective and therapeutic
when interviewing special needs children. The introduction of the child safeguarding legislation, an amendment to the Children Act 1998, requires that the administration section of DCFS develop a training programme that will certify counsellors to assess and provide counselling to all children accused of and victims of sexual offences.
Mr. Chairman, the Multi -Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) was established in keeping
with the 2022 Speech from the Throne to address the
myriad of issues arising from domestic abuse and fam-ily violence on the Island. In 2022 the focus was on a
systems-wide assessment of the current local landscape, to identify opportunities for improving the response, early intervention, and prevention of domestic
abuse. As stated in the 2023 Speech from the Throne, one of the most significant outcomes of the 2022 r eview
was the need to establish a Domestic Abuse Strategy
for Bermuda. This is now a priority for the MARAC team
for the 2024 reporting year.
Mr. Chairman, one of the recommendations of
the SafeLives review was the hiring of a domestic
abuse specialist. The required approvals for this position have been granted with the expectation that re-cruitment for this specialist will occur within the upcoming months. In collaboration with the Centre Against
Abuse, this individual will promote education and community awareness about domestic abuse and offer
case management, support, crisis intervention and
safety planning.
Mr. Chairman, one of the key priorities for the
MARAC is the commitment to increasing domestic
abuse awareness amongst professionals, focusing on
developing a shared understanding and language around domestic abuse and ensuring that survivors feel
believed when they seek support. Mr. Chairman, this
will be achieved through facilitating annual domestic
abuse awareness training with agencies on the Island.
In 2023 the department hosted a series of workshops
on Domestic Abuse and the impact on children co- facilitated by the Centre Against Abuse and the Bermuda
Police Service. In attendance were stakeholders from
the department, magistrates, the panel members, the
Coalition for the Protection of Children and the Bermuda Housing Corporation. With the onboarding of the
domestic abuse specialist, we will be able to increase the number of workshops for professionals and the
community through the year.
836 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, the core MARAC team consists
of representatives from the Department of Child and
Family Services; the Bermuda Police Service, Domes-tic Violence Liaison and Vulnerable Persons section;
the Centre Against Abuse, and Ageing and Disabilities
Services. The team has been meeting weekly since
April 2023 reviewing, assessing and implementing safety plans for high- risk domestic abuse and family violence cases referred to the team. Mr. Chairman, from
April 2023 to January 2024, there have been 96 families referred to MARAC for review.
Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that of the Department of Child and Family Services total number of
investigations for the year, 157 were for child exposure
to family violence/domestic abuse. This is an increase
from year -end 2022 where there were 139 inv estigations for child exposure to family violence/domestic
abuse. Mr. Chairman, as a community we must be seriously concerned about these increasing numbers. Evidence from our cases and vast international research
speak to the harmful effects of domestic abuse on the developing child.
Mr. Chairman, in primary school age children
you may see some of the same indicators that were just mentioned, but you may also see aggression and difficulty in peer relationships in school, difficulty focusing
in class, emotionally withdrawing or even presenting with aggressive behaviour in the home and school environments that parents and teachers are significantly
challenged managing. This in turn impacts the learning
of other children in the class. Mr. Chairman, in older
children and teens you may also see an increase in antisocial behaviour, aggressiveness, depression, anxi-ety, self -harming behaviour and aggression in their
peer/dating relationships. Mr. Chairman, we as a community have to always be cognisant that from birth and even in utero, children learn and are shaped by everything in their environment.
Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to thank
the Administration Section of the Department of Child
and Family Services for their leadership during [ 2023].
Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate for business unit 33130, Grant Funding, for the fiscal year
2024/25 is $546,000 which remains unchanged from
the 2023/24 budget allocation. Mr. Chairman, the grant
funding, as shown on page C -21, provides $375,000 to
Teen Services/Teen Haven, $75,000 for a cross -ministry initiative to assist families in crisis and $96,000 to support the Multi -Agency Risk Assessment Committee.

Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now discuss
the subjective analysis of current account estimates for
the Department of Child and Family Services, Salaries.
Mr. Chairman, the budget allocated for salaries is $10,245,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, an increase of
$393,000, or 4 per cent, more than the original budget
for fiscal year 2023/24. The increase in salary expenses is largely due to salary uplifts, coupled with a
net increase of one full -time equivalent.
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for wages is
$176,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, compared to just $5,000 for fiscal year 2023/24, representing an in-crease of $171,000. This is due to the reclassification
of expenses related to weekly paid employees. For fiscal ye ar 2023/24 all wage expenses were included
within the salaries budgets with the exception of business unit 33200, Counselling and Life Skills. For fiscal
year 2024/25 the wages for two BIU posts within Happy Valley Child Care Centre (totalling $112,000) and one
post within the Brangman Home ($59,000) are now
separated out from salaries and allocated to the re-spective wages budget.
The budget expenditures for line items Other
Personnel Costs, Training and Transport have re-mained unchanged from fiscal year 2023/24 to fiscal
year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, total Travel expenses have
been budgeted at $246,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, an
increase of $39,000, or 19 per cent, over fiscal year
2023/24. This increase is largely due to the new Child
Safeguarding programme of which travel expenses account for $31,000. The travel is necessary for children
to be escorted overseas for assessments. The Mirrors
and Family Preservation programmes together account
for the additional $8,000 to cover workshop and training camp facilitators.
Mr. Chairman, Communications, inclusive of
phones, courier and postal costs, are budgeted at $188,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, which represents a
$4,000, or 2 per cent, reduction of the budget allocation
for fiscal year 2023/24. This decrease is due to a t otal
reduction of funding for telephone equipment rental
costs and the cost of overseas calls of $11,000 for the
Youth Development Centre and Youth Residential
Treatment Centre. This reduction in funding was offset by a $7,000 budget allocation for telepho ne equipment
rentals and local calls for the Transitional Living Programme.
The budget estimates for line items Advertising
and Promotion remained unchanged from fiscal year
2023/24 to fiscal year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, Professional Services budgeted
at $4,104,000 for fiscal year 2024/25, which represents
an increase of $142,000. This is due to the new Child
Safeguarding programme which has been granted a to-tal of $61,000 to hire local and overseas consultants
who will provide comprehensive clinical assessments.
Also, $50,500 has been allocated to this programme to partially cover the costs of medical services such as
medications and specialist services.
Additionally, the Transitional Living Programme has been granted $26,000 to hire a service
provider as needed to cover shifts and/or to maintain
the client monitoring of a 1:1 ratio. And $6,000 has been allocated for specialist psychological services for
clients in fiscal year 2024/25.


Bermuda House of Assembly
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for Rentals for
budget year 2024/25 is $1,690,000, an increase of
$275,000, or 19 per cent, over budget year 2023/24.
This increase will cover the leasing costs of the Garrison Building in St. George’s, which houses the Transitional Living Programme.
The budget estimates for line items Repair and
Maintenance and Insurance have remained unchanged from fiscal year 2023/24 to fiscal year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year 2024/25 the Energy budget has been allocated $304,000, representing a $38,000, or 14 per cent, increase over fiscal year
2023/24. Almost 95 per cent of the increase will cover
the costs of electricity at the Transitional Living Pro-gramme, with 5 per cent being attributable to small increases to cover electricity expenses by other pro-grammes.
Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year 2024/25, a total of
$181,000 has been budgeted for Clothing, Uniforms and Laundry expenses. This is a $6,000, or 3 per cent,
increase that will cover the costs of clothing for children
within the new Child Safeguarding program me.
Mr. Chairman, the estimate for Materials and
Supplies for fiscal year 2024/25 is $376,000, represent-ing a $6,000, or 2 per cent, increase over the 2023/24
budget allocation. The $5,000 increase is due to addi-tional assessment materials that will be purchas ed by
the Counselling and Life Skills programme. The balance is attributable to very minor increases to cover the
costs of office supplies.
The budget estimates for line items Equipment
(Minor Capital) and Other Expenses have remained unchanged from fiscal year 2023/24 to fiscal year
2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, the amount allocated for Grants
and Contributions for fiscal year 2024/25 is $1,136,000,
representing a $200,000, or 15 per cent, reduction in
funding from fiscal year 2023/24. The decrease is at-tributable to less funding being allocated to f oster care
fees. Mr. Chairman, as shown on page C -21, $590,000
has been allocated to cover foster care fees. Average expenditure for foster care fees over the past five years has been roughly $518,000.
Mr. Chairman, Employee Numbers and Full -
time Equivalents. On page B -296 you will note that
there are 106 full -time equivalent positions for the Department of Child and Family Services for fiscal year
2024/25. This is an increase of one full -time equivalent
compared to fiscal year 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes our presentation
for Head 23, the Department of Child and Family Services. At this time I would like to thank all of the staff
within the Department for their dedication and commitment to the children and families of Bermuda. W hile it
may seem to be the most thankless profession, the impact each staff member has when assisting those they
come in contact with is priceless.

Thank you, Minister. Is there—

Hon. Tinee Furbert: I have more. I have one more
head.

HEAD 55 —DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, I will now present
the estimates of expenditure and revenue for Head 55,
the Department of Financial Assistance, which can be
found on pages B -301 through B -304 and C -21 of the
Budget Book. Mr. Chairman, the role of the Department
of Financial Assistance [DFA] is to ensure that individuals with insufficient financial resources have access to
services in order to gain, maintain or regain a minimum standard of living, while encouraging personal and economic independence. The services enable the individual to maintain dignity and self -worth, and encourage
the development of personal skills and resources. The
department derives its mandate from the following leg-islation: Financial Assistance Act 2001, Financial Assistance Regulations 2004, Child Day Care Allowance
Act 2008 and the Child Day Care Allowance Regulations 2008.
The mission of the Department of Financial Assistance is To assist vulnerable Bermudians to maintain a minimum standard of living during challenging
economic times , as indicated on page B -301. The department embodies this mission, and the ethos is very
clear when delivering its mandate. The Government is committed to reducing poverty and inequality in Bermuda and will strengthen the support to families in an
effort to assist them in becoming self -sustaining. Building a stronger community will result in a safer and more
confident nation.
Mr. Chairman, Financial Assistance is intended
to assist with partial or full financial awards, in accordance with legislation, for such items as
• food;
• rent;
• rest and nursing home fees;
• utilities;
• health insurance;
• disability services;
• home care;
• child day care allowance.
Approval for financial assistance is based on
proven need and a means test . This means test will assess the basic needs for a household to sustain
monthly obligations either in whole or in part. Eligible
and qualified clients in receipt of financial assistance
and child day care allowance are categorised in one of the following five main categories:
1. Pensioners;
2. Disabled;
3. Earnings -Low Employed;
4. Abled- Bodied and Unemployed; and
838 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly 5. Child Day Care Allowance.
As of January 2024, the largest category of
persons in need of financial assistance pertained to
Pensioners and represented 52 per cent of total persons in receipt of financial assistance. The next highest category was Persons with a Disability at 37 per c ent,
then Persons Employed with Insufficient Earnings at 6 per cent, followed by Able- bodied Unemployed Persons at 5 per cent. There were approximately 218 children being supported in the Child Day Care Allowance Programme during the same period.
Mr. Chairman, the monthly average number of
new applications received by the department currently
stands at 59. The vetting process for each new application is meticulous and extensive, as information is requested from third parties such as landlords, rest and
nursing homes, financial institutions and other government departments to ensure applicants are accurately
means tested. The officers of the department adhere to
a turnaround timeframe of approximately two to three
weeks from the time of receipt of each new application to completion of the vetting process. This strict
timeframe ensures that the needs of the public are prioritised and financial assistance relief is provided within
the shortest possible time. Whilst vetting new applications, the department continues to successfully service
all existing eligible financial assistance and child day care allowance clients without interruptions.
Mr. Chairman, the department objectives can
be found on page B -301. The first objective is To improve operational, financial and legal compliance functions aimed at enhancing efficiencies and detecting financial assistance fraud. It is the intent that a robust
and consistent approach to monitoring risk and enabling compliance will support a sustainable compliance
and regulatory framework. This objective is critical to
the department, given that legislation guides the core
operational and financial activities of the department.
The Department of Financial Assistance must
ensure that all actions and transactions as performed
by all officers comply with the department’s legislation
and any other legislation that impacts the nature of the
service provided. Based on the nature of the service
delivered by the department, there are no known documented typologies or red flags that the department can
refer to in identifying corrupt practices except for enhanced Know your customer (KYC). Therefore, the department’s compliance frameworks (listed next in no
specific order) are used as indicators in identifying, un-derstanding, assessing and monitoring potential risks of fraud and abuse of the system:
• department policies, procedures and legislation;
• government contract management practice;
• investigations and legislative compliance;
• audit specific to Office of the Auditor General and Department of Internal Audit;
• a governance structure that reinforces man-agement’s message of honesty and integrity; • recent trends and practices as observed by law enforcement agencies and other professional
authorities.
The department will continue to provide training to officers, aimed at enhancing value- added capability to the current system, and aid in robust technical
solutions when addressing areas of concern. As a re-sult, the department continues to integrate the management of risk into its strategic and operational management system and to place emphasis on leadership,
governance, processes, actions, and controls with positive results.
The second objective is To sustainably manage operating cost of awards to financial assistance cli-ents. This compliance process [just described] facilitates the investigative, legislative, financial and operational sections of the department to identify and prevent areas of potential fraud, abuse of the financial assistance system and overpayments to clients . Improvements can be measured by a more efficient turnaround
of case referrals to the Attorney General’s Chambers,
random audit of client cases to detect any areas of concerns, identifying red flags of possible fraud during assessments, and deploying preventative measures to
manage the cost of awards in accordance with legisla-tion and budgetary constraints. Evidence of this approach can also be garnered from the recent findings
of the Consolidated Fund audit, whereby there were no
major audit exit conference point deficiencies as it pertains to the department.
The third objective is To apply internationally
recognised standard of care when managing relationships with financial assistance clients . The department
continues to be guided by the National Association of
Social Workers practices when managing relationships with financial assistance clients. In addition, the department collaborates with other licensed and/or accredited entities to provide supportive services such as health
care assessments, psychological/psychiatric assessments, substance use disorder as sessments and care
placements. During the fiscal year 2023/24, the depart-ment has made strides in fortifying these collabora-tions, and this will be explained further in the Financial
Assistance Social Workers section of this brief.
The fourth objective is To leverage collaboration with other government departments in achieving digitis ation . The department will continue to collaborate
with the Department of Information and Digital Technology on the introduction of digital forms for persons making an application for financial assistance. The intent is
to connect the public service with the people of Bermuda through comprehensive, secure and accessible
digital forms. Modern innovative digital technology facilitates internal efficiency and effectiveness and mo-bile working conditions. It is hoped that data- gathering
and reporting are expected to be less onerous in the
very near future. This will improve the department’s
data analytics function and risk management.


Bermuda House of Assembly
Mr. Chairman, Performance Measures for the
department can be found on page B -304 and demonstrate to stakeholders and citizens the achievement of
public value to a vulnerable population group. These
performance measures are deliberately concise and
precise, as they focus on measuring outcomes from the
department objectives and other business improve-ments to better articulate the ability of the department in achieving effectiveness and service delivery.
In accordance with page B -304, [some examples follow]:
1. Reduce recoverable debt from prior year.
This allows the department to eliminate waste and con-trol budgeted amounts by effectively dealing with finan-cial assistance fraud and to reduce abuse of the system
and overpayment of funds. The original forecast for
2023/24 was to reduce recoverable debt by 15 per cent
from the prior year, and the revised forecast remains
the same. The cybersecurity matter in 2023 prevented
access to the department’s database which impacted the investigative officers’ ability to r etrieve and follow up
on outstanding debts. However, the investigative offic-ers remain committed and continue to collaborate with
Attorney General ‘s Chambers in the pursuit of legal recourse.
2. Reduce number of able- bodied and/or earnings-low clients from the prior year. The department
provides a financial assistance award foundation that
allows able- bodied unemployed, and earnings -low clients to become employed or employable without losing
all financial assistance benefits. This has led to clients
becoming employed, financially independent and not
dependent on financial assistance. Additionally, the department will continue to strengthen relationships with
external agencies and resource centres as a means to
complement the department’s goal in addressing any
chronic emotional and psychological issues that may
contribute to barriers to self -sustainability, psychological well -being and financial independence. Collaboration with the Department of Workforce Development
has proven to be successful, whereby the use of personal employment plans encouraged client participa-tion in employment opportunities that led to avenues for
recipients becoming financially independent.
The original and revised forecast for 2023/24
was based on the hope that with continual review and
formulation of strategy, 10 per cent of clients who fall
under the categories of able- bodied unemployed and
earnings -low at fiscal year -end will have transit ioned
out of financial assistance and into sustainable work
with independent living conditions. At the time of writing this brief it is anticipated that this target will be exceeded.
3. Reduce the number of legitimate client complaints from the prior year. This is aimed at improving
service quality. The department addresses legitimate
client complaints in a timely and efficient manner without compromising professionalism. For both its revised forecast 2023/24 and target outcomes for 2024/25, the
department will be benchmarked against a 50 per cent
reduction of reported legitimate client complaints. Complaints, or in many instances issues, that are either
raised at the departmental level or directed toward the
Minister’s office are responded to in an efficient, fact -
based, and timely manner. The department will con-tinue to reinforce a work ethic of customer centricity and
aim at delivering consistent and professional service standards tow ard the delivery of excellence at both the
front end and back end, consistently and profession-ally.
4. Reduce number of Review Board appeals
from the prior year. A Financial Assistance Review
Board is appointed to hear appeals against the Director’s decisions to
• refuse application for an award;
• impose special conditions on an award;
• suspend in whole or in part an award;
• vary an award;
• revoke an award; or
• require repayment of any sum of money in accordance with legislation.
On any appeal, the Board may confirm, vary or
reverse the decision which is the subject of the appeal.
Notice of the board’s determination, together with a
statement of its reasons, shall be given to the appellant
and to the Director; and unless the board otherwise directs, the determination shall come into operation when
the notice is given. Therefore, this performance meas-ure is aimed at improving the overall administration of the Financial Assistance Act, Regulations and policy.
The reduction in number of legitimate client complaints,
as previously discussed, led to a positive correlation
which resulted in only two registered appeals in
2023/24, compared to four from the prior year. In both cases, the review board supported the decision taken
by the Direc tor.

Expenditure Overview
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the total current
expenditure for fiscal year 2024/25 is estimated to be
$54,121,000, as shown on page B -302. This amount
remains unchanged from the prior fiscal year’s original
budget for 2023/24. Mr. Chairman, there is no capital
expenditur e estimated for fiscal year 2024/25, as
shown on page C -16. The capital budget of $29,000
that was appropriated in the prior year 2023/24 was used for its intended purposes. That is, two photocopiers that reached the end of their useful lives were replaced. Replacement was necessary as the lack of efficiency with the current machines impacted the productivity of the department and significantly hampered the processes used for client intake and assessments. In addition, $5,000 of unspent capital budget
from fiscal year 2022/23 was requested for carry -
840 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly forward into 2023/24 to cover system- related issues
with regard to the department’s IT software.
Mr. Chairman, the department conducts frequent reviews of resource utilisation so as to identify
any structural deficiencies and capability gaps. This
House will be aware that the Speech from the Throne
2022 highlighted new Financial Assistance reform init iatives that resulted in amendments to the Child Day
Care Allowance Act 2008, Child Day Care Regulations
2008, Financial Assistance Act 2001 and Financial Assistance Regulations 2004. These amendments are aimed at expanding the pool of parents who can qual ify
for Child Day Care Allowance and provide social protection systems that will guarantee all families, regardless of their current economic standing, access to resources that allow them to meet their basic needs.
In addition, Financial Assistance reform will assist households requiring immediate assistance with
expenses to meet short -term needs. As a result, these
initiatives will grant easier accessibility and eligibility to
Child Day Care Allowance and Financial Assistance. Therefore, it is anticipated that this will result in an even
higher number of application submissions. With all of
these factors taken into consideration, the department’s capacity to deliver its service will need to be
managed. As such, Cabinet approved five new positions to manage the increase in service deliverables. These five new positions represent a new Financial Assistance Team that comprises four Financial Assistance officers and one Financial Assistance manager.
In addition, Cabinet approved the abolishment of one
vacant position to facilitate the creation of these new
positions. Therefore, this variance of four as shown on page B-303 is as [just explained]. For fiscal year
2024/25, the total full -time equivalent count is 38
funded substantive positions. These numbers are also shown on page B -303.

Expenditure and Subjective Analysis

Hon. Tinee Furbert: The 2024/25 budget estimates
are listed as two business units and are shown on page
B-302. They are 65050, Grants Administration; and
65080, General Administration. Mr. Chairman, business unit 65050, Grants Administration, is estimated at
$49,643,000, as shown on pages B -302 and C -21. This
is a reduction of $365,000, or less than 1 per cent, from
the prior year. As the total budget ceiling for the Depart-ment of Financial Assistance remains unchanged from the prior fiscal year 2023/24, th e Department of Financial Assistance will effectively manage and closely
monitor the funding pool as payments are made to its
clients. Additionally, every effort will be made to collaborate with the Department of Workforce Development
to provide clients ac cess to job opportunities.
Specifically, the funds under business unit
65050 are earmarked for the following financial assis-tance programmes: • $46,913,000 will be used to maintain the financial assistance programme;
• $2,100,000 will be used to maintain the Child Day Care Allowance Programme; and
• $630,000 will be used to maintain the Short -
Term Relief Programme, for which legislation
is currently being drafted and expected to take effect early in the new fiscal year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, the total estimate for business
unit 65080, General Administration, for 2024/25 is $4,478,000, as shown on page B -302. This is an increase of $365,000, or 9 per cent.
Mr. Chairman, the subjective analysis is found
on the same page as follows and explains the breakdown in expenditure for business unit 65080.
Mr. Chairman, as previously explained under
Manpower, Salaries increased by five new positions for
a total of $481,000. One position was abolished, causing a decrease of $111,000. Also, a two- year salary upliftment of $159,000 has been factored in. Therefore,
the net change in salaries shows an increase of
$529,000 from the prior fiscal year.

Professional Services

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the budget estimate of $473,000 consists of funding for two service providers to manage the new short -term relief programme—one service provider to manage the antici-pated increase in payments and administration, and reserve funding to accommo date the need for additional
office space due to an increased headcount. This re-flects an overall decrease of $195,000 due to a reduced
need to hire local consultants as new positions were
created under Salaries.
Materials and Supplies. Mr. Chairman, the increase in materials and supplies of $28,000 from the
prior fiscal year is due to anticipated higher operational expenditure to accommodate the Short -Term Relief
Programme, Financial Assistance reform measures
and overall price increases due to inflation. Specifically,
this increase comprises increased costs for office supplies, printing, food supplies and computer software- related expenditure.
Mr. Chairman, the increase in Minor Furniture
and Fixtures for equipment of $2,000 will facilitate minor purchases due to ageing and obsolete equipment.
Mr. Chairman, the department will continue to identify key levers of success and failures, whilst deploying
short -term planning cycles and an agile forecasting tool
during this time of uncertainty.

Investigations

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the department’s
investigative officers continue to conduct investigations and pursue individuals or entities that commit fraud and
abuse of the system. For instance, the following two
case studies are based on actual events and are


Bermuda House of Assembly
provided to give an inside look on the nature and types
of fraud and abuse that are being committed by per-sons in receipt of financial assistance, and the work re-quired by the department:

Case Study 1, Fraud: Unreported Income
Hon. Tinee Furbert: In 2023, the department was notified by the public of a client that was gainfully employed in the hospitality sector whilst in receipt of financial assistance. In accordance with legislation, any changes to a client’s circumstances must be reported
to the department. An investigation and examination of
the evidence was conducted by the department’s investigative officers, and this investigation revealed that
the client received in excess of $19,000 under eight
months. The client deliberately failed to disclose this in-come to the department and thereby was in wilful
breach of the law. Reporting this income to the department would have had an impact on the client’s reas-sessment and would have changed the circumstances
for subsequent awards paid to this client. Recovery of
the financial assistance overpayments made to this client is currently being pursued by the department.

Case Study 2, Fraud: Suspicion of Money
Laundering

Hon. Tinee Furbert: The department’s Investigation
and Compliance Unit cooperates with Bermuda’s law
enforcement agencies and, by extension, other jurisdictions for mutual legal assistance when analysing and investigating suspicious transactions or money -laundering crimes. For example, an eligible financial assistance client was flagged and detained before exiting
the Island whilst carrying an undisclosed amount of foreign cash. In accordance with legislation, any recipient
of Financial Assistance shall not ify the department of
their intention to travel outside of Bermuda. An investigation into the client’s travel activity determined travel
occurred regularly and on multiple occasions. Suspicion of micro- structuring, a method of money laundering, is currentl y being investigated by Bermuda’s law
enforcement authority.
Mr. Chairman, at the time of this brief, there
were active cases under investigation for which the total reimbursable amount due to the government was
$359,466. This comprises 43 active cases that were referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers, and six
cases that are currently under the remit of the department’s investigative officers. Again, these cases are as
a result of fraudulent activity or abuse of the system and
result in overpayments made to financial assistance clients.
Suspicious activities are brought to the department’s attention via certain channels such as investiga-tive officers’ field investigations, the department staff
observations, internal findings and tips from the public. During the fiscal year 2023/24, the department received on average seven tips per month. Primary and
secondary data research is conducted within a compli-ance framework to ensure evidence gathered can be
used for legal redress. The framework used is guided
by the department’s legislation, polic ies, and procedures; the Criminal Code; and current trends and practices observed in law enforcement.
Mr. Chairman, the public can report incidents
of Financial Assistance fraud on the department’s hot-line on 297- 7867 (STOP).

Financial Assistance Social Workers
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, throughout fiscal
year 2023/24, the Financial Assistance [FA] Social
Workers continued to streamline internal processes.
Specifically, the process for the submission of client
progress reports by residential mental health treatment
facilities was addressed to ensure continuity of care for
clients served, and [to ensure] that the process for a
client’s step- down to a lesser level of care was efficiently facilitated when deemed appropriate.
The FA social workers continued to work collaboratively with the Bermuda Health Council to validate the bed capacity of each of the rest and nursing homes. Through this collaboration, the Bermuda Health Council initiated their inspections of all rest and nursing
homes, which commenced in September 2023. The inspections will include addressing any required bed capacity adjustments.

Collaborative Partnerships
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, during the fiscal
year 2023/24, the FA social workers continued to rein-force and expand both intra and inter departmental/agency partnerships and collaboration. Increased collaboration occurred between FA social
workers, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital social
workers, and Ageing and Disability Services social
workers. Partnership expansion and strengthening efforts will continue by scheduling ongoing collaboration
meetings on a quarterly or bi -annual basis with respective partners/stakeholders.
The FA social workers collaborated with the
Salvation Army to support persons with housing chal-lenges. FA social workers visited the facility to survey
the existing accommodations as well as the newly built
container homes. In addition, the FA social workers were able to brainstorm with the programme’s executive director on potential options for financial assistance
support.
The Department of Financial Assistance collaborated with the Department of Child and Family Services [DCFS] as they prepared to open a new residen-tial facility in St. George’s. The facility houses those former DCFS foster care clients who aged out of the
842 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly system. FA staff toured the facility to assess potential
financial assistance that could be provided to eligible programme participants and assist with supportive pro-gramming and services to enable the young men and
women to become self -sustaining and productive citizens. The FA social workers continued to participate in
Drug Treatment Court (DTC) and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Court -facilitated interagency collaboration.
The department collaborated with the Department of Immigration, Department of Health, Ageing and Disability Services and the Bermuda Government’s
London Office to coordinate the return of an FA client
back to Bermuda. The client, who has intellectual disabilities and chronic health conditions, was successfully
repatriated and placed in a suitable facility upon arrival. Other inter -agency collaborations like this one continued throughout the fiscal year, resulting in successful
repatriations. The FA social w orkers participated in
monthly collaboration meetings with the Department of
Health [DOH] Community Social Workers, the Depart-ment of Health Community Nurse and the Case Management Supervisor for Ageing and Disability Services
to share general department u pdates, address any
concerns or challenges, and identify common client
trends to serve clients more effectively.

Case Referrals

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, FA social workers’
workflow trends continue to be highly concentrated on
case conferences, case discussions and individual
counselling. Overseas medical transfers averaged be-tween five to eight per month, with longer stays due to
more acute medical conditions and subsequent care
being required. The FA social workers pre- screen support serves as a mechanism to facilitate the application process, specifically for pensioners and individuals with
disabilities. Ongoing crisis in tervention counselling continued with an upward trend. This crisis counselling provided interim psychological support following an acute
or traumatic event. This support aided in stabilising the
client’s symptoms and facilitated the coordination of long-term care based on the assessed need.
Case conferences and case discussions continued to be utilised as an effective tool to ensure that
comprehensive service/care plans were developed and
executed. The FA social workers continued to increasingly participate in multidisciplinary complex case c onferences with the Health Insurance Department, the Community Social Worker team, Prison Services, BHC
[Bermuda Housing Corporation] and other relevant
stakeholders to establish comprehensive strategies to
address complex, multifaceted issues including cl ients
with chronic mental health disorders.

Community Outreach and Support
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the department attended an open house hosted by Focus Counselling Services to strengthen community partnerships. The
open house presentation identified the organisation’s
objective of supporting men and women with substance use disorder. The FA social workers continued to conduct site visits of rest and nursing homes throughout the fiscal year to survey each of the facilities to ensure that the FA clients served are in safe and healthy environments, are receiving appropriate services/programming and are receiving quality care. During the fiscal
year 2023/24, the Department of Financial Assistance
purchased school clothing (summer and winter) for
over 40 clients with school -aged children. This activity
involved the preparation and payments of over 200 purchase orders, the order and collection of clothes and
shoes from various Bermuda retail stores and distribu-tion to the parents before the start of the 2023/2024
school year.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Financial Assistance and the Department of Education continue to
collaborate on a joint ministerial initiative that was
forged to facilitate the transfer of three- year-old children who received financial assistance into the Bright
Start Programme. This programme was intended to
provide two years of high- quality learning experiences
through a progressive 21
st century teaching and learning experience and to address one of the five priority areas of Bermuda’s Strategic Plan for Public Education. This initiative continues.
The Department of Financial Assistance continues to collaborate with the Department of Parks in
providing health insurance coverage for participants in
the Skills Development Programme. The programme is intended to provide hands -on skills to promote the enhancement of knowledge, skills and experience to fa-cilitate the possibility of securing employment. This ini-tiative reduces the need for dependency on financial
assistance.

Major Legislative Changes
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, as part of Financial
Assistance reform, amendments to the Financial Assistance Act 2001 and Financial Assistance Regulations
2004 will take effect in April 2024. The department’s
staff have been trained, and the department’s dedicated software has been configured to accommodate these changes. Also, as part of Financial Assistance
reform, legislation for the short -term relief programme
is expected to be finalised and will take effect within the
new fiscal year of 2024/25. A resource audit is currently
being performed to ensure the department is prepared
for the implementation of this new programme in 2024/25.

Plans for the Upcoming Year



Bermuda House of Assembly
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Mr. Chairman, the department will
continue to collaborate with the Department of Workforce Development to encourage participation in em-ployment opportunities to create avenues for recipients
to become financially independent. The creation and
monitoring of personal employment plans will continue
to be deployed. The department will continue to im-prove and reengineer existing systems that will facili-tate operational and performance enhancements when
conducting investigations, compliance, t ransaction
monitoring and evaluation. The department will conduct
and regularise PIPA impact assessments to ensure
compliance with legislation. Revisiting and revising policies and procedures to ensure alignment with legisla-tion is ongoing and will continu e in 2024/25.
Lastly, documenting Financial Assistance
fraud typologies will enable the department’s officers to have a point of reference in identifying patterns, trends
and red flags of fraud and abuse in the system. In turn,
this can reduce overpayments and enable a culture of compliance.
Mr. Chairman, staff at the Department of Financial Assistance continues to demonstrate professionalism and commitment to support disadvantaged
and vulnerable Bermudians. For this, I continue to recognise and applaud the hard work and dedicated actions demonstrated by this department.
Mr. Chairman, that ends my presentation on
Head 55, the Department of Financial Assistance, and
my presentation for the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors.

Thank you, Minister.
For the listening audience, we are in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates
of Revenue and Expenditure for the 2024/25 budget.
This is a four -hour debate. We are now on hour three
and a half. So, we have 30 minutes left in this debate.
Is there anybody who would like to speak to
these heads?
The Chair recognises MP Susan Jackson.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman.
And before I get started, and I will get directly
into questions, but I want to acknowledge a couple of
things. One, the very hard work of this Ministry. It is unbelievable the amount of programmes and effort and
work that go into it. And I must absolutel y give all
acknowledgement to the Minister for her hard work in keeping that Ministry going.
I would also like to, on the eve of International
Women’s Day, just make a note that we have the two
women sitting in the House debating today. I just want
to acknowledge it. And certainly, it shows that in Bermuda in the House of Assembly we have some semblance of inclusion. I am going to get right to the questions that I
have. I am going to begin on page B -288, Head 86,
which is the Ministry Headquarters. I just want to take
a look at some of the objectives that are listed here.
And two of them that I am seeing are progressi ng very
well. But I would like to ask the Minister a couple of
questions. One is the second objective, which is to create partnerships that allow for better coordinated services. And I would like to ask the Minister what is being
done now to really start to engage and look at how we
can better coordinate the system of social services in
Bermuda so that we are being more effective and more
efficient in the delivery of our services?
My second question is around . . . and I am not
sure it is in the objectives with this. But I am interested in the digitisation and the data collection of all of the departments within the Ministry and what the Minister
and the Ministry are doing to make sure that we are
able to have computer systems that are able to integrate and speak to each other so that we have a more
comprehensive look at what the different activities are within the Ministry and how the case management and
the client experience are m ore comprehensive. What I
am really getting at, Mr. Chairman, is that this is our
opportunity to do things differently. And I would like to
ask the Minister what she envisions doing differently now that she has so many departments that are some-what coordinated and comprehensive around the social
services. And we have that opportunity to do something
different.
So, if I move over to . . . I mean, I just keep flipping through because there is not a lot of time. It is going to be a little all over it. But on page B -289, still on
Head 86, we have the new services of business unit
96100, which is the Youth Services and the Before, After Out of School programmes. I would like to know
whether the Minister, the Ministry, is going to make ac-commodation to meet an increased demand for, in particular, the After -School Programme. It is a very popular
programme. Parents like it. The children like it. But the
demand when it is time to enrol in the After -School Programme is wild crazy and can be almost a desperate act for many of our parents.
So now that the [Honourable Minister] has the
programme within her department, her Ministry, whether she will be able to take a look at the programme overall and how it may be expanded, or we
may be able to increase the number of children who
can be enrolled in the After -School Programme.
And then going to move on to page B -292, and
this is . . . (one moment please) I am going to move on
from the Ministry Headquarters. Before I do, there is not
a line item for this. I believe that it came under page B -
289, Administration, business unit 96000. And that is
the Litigation Guardian programme. I am jus t curious if
the Minister can let us know how many litigation guardians you have in total so far. (And apologies if I missed
that in the comprehensive brief.) And how many cases
844 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly have used the services of a litigation guardian this past
year? I believe that is it under the Ministry Headquar-ters for now.
And if I may be able to now move on to Head
23, Child and Family Services, which is on page B -293,
the Foster Care. It seems as though under the performance measures on page B -297 under Head 23, Child
and Family Services, the performance measure under
business unit 33030, Foster Care, is showing that the
number of active foster parents fell in 2023/24, and it has not necessarily bounced back. And it looks as though we may be facing a trend of fewer foster parents. Might the Minister be able to confirm whether we
are seeing decreases?
In actual fact, I did go back as far as 2019/20
where we had 78 foster parents, and then in 2022/23,
we had 52 foster parents. And if the Minister may be able to answer why are we finding challenges with foster parents engaging? And I do not know whether foster
parents are dropping out or if there is less demand for
foster parents. But I would like it if we might be able to get some information on that.
Staying on Head 23, on page B -294, business
unit 33110, the Youth Residential Treatment, the Min-ister mentioned that children are involved in the residential treatment between the ages of 12 and 18. And
I am just curious, where do the children under the age
of 12 go? And I remembered that we had the Sunshine
League, but that is now gone. So, I just did not know
what we were doing to support our young children who
may need residential living and they are under the age
of 12.
On page B -294, the business unit 33140, that
is the Mirrors Programme. And if we look at the num-bers, there is a minor reduction in their budget. But
when we move over to the performance measures on
page B -299, the Mirrors Programme has a number, I
mean j ust a long list of programmes and percentage of
people, and so on, that are being discontinued. And so I mean, the Mirrors Programme has been such a valuable part of our community. And it looks as though it is
slowly being reduced in size. And I would like if the Minister can kind of give some indication as to why we are
reducing it so much. It is these kinds of programmes
and that form of methodology that really if integrated
throughout our social services I believe could have a
real marked effect on these performances of our young
people, in particular and our parents.
So, I would love to see or know why it seems
as though the Mirrors Programme is reducing instead
of expanding.

[Pause]

(Just looking at my notes.)
If we may now just move into seniors, I have a
couple of questions which will have to go back to Head-quarters because they do not really have multi -page
departments as yet. So, page B -289, and this would be line item, business unit 96040, Ageing and Disability
Services. There are not that many people working. The employees on page B -290 are showing as an increase
of four staff members at Ageing and Disability Services, which brings the total to 11. My questio n to the Minister
is what are we going to do given the very rapid increase
in those who are reaching the age of retirement and the age of becoming a senior at 65, 68? And what is the department looking to do to make accommodation for
this increase?
Certainly, the Minister gave a very comprehensive list of a number of responsibilities that the Ageing
and Disability Services staff have. And so at some point
I can imagine that it will become somewhat overwhelm-ing to achieve and really make any progress if they are
stretched very thin. So, I am curious to know what will
be done to accommodate and make room for additional
services with the ageing at home and the National Seniors Strategy and being able to actually . . . as opposed
to just having awareness and committees and conferences and . . . but what will be done to actually implement or introduce services?
And in the same regard under Seniors, Head
86 on page B -289, this is business unit 96040 under
Ageing and Disability Services, I am very curious [about] the progress of the Office of the Public Guardian. And this has been an initiative that has been in the
PLP Administration’s Throne Speech for years. It is certainly something that I believe many people in Bermuda
would like to see. And yet it seems as though every
year we are continuing to plan, continuing to get ready.
So how much has actually progressed in this? Has the
Ministry drafted legislation? Have there been any real
deliverables under the Office of the Public Guardian theme so that we can move this along and actually
have it started?
Now, I understand that there was a consultant
who was working to help to develop this Office of the
Public Guardian. And I am wondering if the Minister
might be able to give us some update on what the accomplishments or the achievements of that consultant,
any consultant, have been to date and possibly a timeline when we might see some movement on the development of the Office of the Public Guardian.
I am still on Head 86 under Seniors, and it is
page B -303, business unit 65080. There is a performance measure on page B -304 (sorry, guys), and it is
around fraud. And the statistics are saying that we have
a relatively small percentage as far as being abl e to really capture what is happening there. (Excuse me. I am just moving to that page, moving very quickly through these questions.) And this is actually under Financial
Assistance. But for me, I am concerned about seniors
who may be involved in this. So, I may have that one a
little out of context, so I will leave that one alone. (Sorry,
Minister and the Chairman.)
And I am going to take my seat and see
whether there are any answers to those questions.



Bermuda House of Assembly

Thank you, MP Jackson.
Are there are any other Members who would
like to speak to these heads?
With there being nobody else wanting to speak
to the heads, Minister, did you want to answer some of these questions?
Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank
you to my honourable colleague for those questions.
And I apologise in advance if I get them out of order in
answering the questions.
As far as there was a question to the Ministry
objectives which was creating partnerships that allow for better coordinated services which are more syner-gistic with Government’s social initiatives. The Financial Assistance, Department of Child and Family Services, the Mirrors Programme, Ageing and Disability
Services and the Office of Legal Affairs do a lot of collaborative work that I have mentioned throughout the
budget brief in regard to the collaborative work that they are doing.
But also, I did want to mention that the Ministry
has taken the initiative to meet quarterly with the third
sector in our community. We started off meeting quarterly as when this Ministry was initiated. And we are actually meeting bi -annually to get an idea, as regard to
our social services sector, in regard to what the third sector is doing and how we can best meet the commu-nity of our social ills. So as Financial Assistance has
now come on board, it has followed the Mirrors as well
as the Office of Youth Affairs, we expect more collaborative work to be occurring in cohesion with moving in-itiatives forward.
There was a question in regard to accommodation [in response] to increased demand for the After -
School Programme. The After -School Programme has
increased the numbers of placements available at existing sites. Though we have provided for an increase,
addit ionally the Office of Youth Affairs is currently working with the Commissioner of Education and her team
to identify and commence services at schools that do
not have a programme. And this will also include pre-schools. I did also mention this in the budget brief as
well.
There was a question in regard to digitisation
of . . . I think we spoke about it as it related to Financial
Assistance, as well as ADS [Ageing and Disability Services], where we spoke about the Financial Assistance
forms. We are currently working on that so that they can
be accessible to persons who are applying for Financial
Assistance online. With ADS, our case management system is being digitised. And last year we integrated
the KMCC [K. Margaret Carter Centre] client.
Additionally, the Department of Health leveraged ADS case management systems approximately
three years ago when ADS was under Health where we
also used firewalls that had been installed between
ADS and the Department of Health. And as we have the ability to share client information as needed, so digitisation is being made available for our clients to access forms online, but also when ministries are having to talk to each other as well.
There was a question about the Litigation
Guardians. I did mention in the brief that with the last
budget year we had about 29 cases. And currently we
have three litigation guardians. We have a consultant
who works with us through the FCO [Foreign and Com-monwealth Office] who actually mentioned that we
have more litigation guardians than we do have cases. And so, as we feel the need to increase our litigation
guardian capacity, we do. But currently at the moment we have enough litigation guardians than we do have
cases.
There was a question in regard to what we
were doing to increase the staffing at Ageing and Disa-bility Services. I think I also mentioned . . . Well, I know
I mentioned in the brief that we recently under a review with Management Consultants, had the ability to . . .
Cabinet approved four positions with ADS. They were
very cognisant of the caseloads that ADS has, as well
as what the ongoing current trends will be with our increased population of ageing persons. That we have
been very progressive in making s ure that we are budgeting and including the on boarding of staff to be able to deal with the potential caseloads that we may have within ADS.
There was a question in regard to foster parents. Unfortunately, we have been experiencing a re-duction in foster families over recent years. This is due to children ageing out and the foster parents keeping
the young adults and thus coming off of our activ e list,
and fewer people responding to new foster parent recruitments. Actually in 2023, we held more recruitment
drives than ever, and with limited success. The high
commitment that comes with fostering and the stresses that people are facing in our commu nity may be factors
impacting new persons coming on board as a foster parent.
I will take this opportunity [with] our listening
audience to encourage our community to consider being a foster parent.
I would just like to go back to the question in
regard to after -school care. Because we have increased our capacity. I will actually give you some figures. Purvis and Francis Patton increased by 30 per
cent. They averaged 70 to 75 students, and now both
sites have close to 100 registered in both programmes.
As well as the Central Zone schools were increased by
20. West Pembroke, Prospect and Paget were increased.
There was a question around, What are we doing with children who are under the age of 12 as it re-lates to residential treatment? Foster care used for children under 12 who require placement is a need. Hence, the urgent need for us to increase our foster parent pool
because that is how we actually address having to have
846 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly someone to care for those persons who are under 12.
We all know that Sunshine . . . we closed them many
years ago. And that used to be a resource for us. But now we rely on our foster parents for our children who
are under the age of 12. We do know that our children
have better outcomes with families. And [they have] the
ability to thriv e when they are with foster parents.
Mr. Chairman, there was a question in regard
to Mirrors when talking about their performance
measures. And there was a note that many of the performance measures, deliverables, were discontinued. With Mirrors now coming under the Department of
Child and F amily Services, it is realigning its work to be
more efficient in the delivery of services. And its focus
is on building the capacity locally to do the work, which
means training teachers, volunteers and facilitators,
which means a decrease in the cost of consultants as
we build skill sets locally. Community partners have
supported in helping to reduce the overall costs. Transition into the new department has also allowed for
some of the services (i.e., human resources) to be held at the Child and Family Services Department’s head office.
There was a question around the Office of the
Public Guardian. And I would just like to share that we have been meeting during this past month regarding
this initiative, recognising a legal framework must be put in place which will in turn require legislation. We
have been working closely with the Ministry of Legal
Affairs, currently looking at an established Australian
model to possibly model after. And so right now the
Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors and
the Ministry of Legal Affairs ar e currently working to
progress the Office of the Public Guardian in implementing this initiative. I cannot speak to the consultative work that was done, as that was performed under
the Ministry of Legal Affairs. But I do know that our
teams have been meet ing to discuss the way forward
with the Office of the Public Guardian.
There was a question in regard to . . . I can
elaborate more in regard to our seniors and what we are doing. As our senior population increases, we are
looking to support and accommodate that increase. Due to the increase in staffing that I mentioned before,
the current focus of ADS is on improving staff -to-client
ratios, as well as undergoing adult protection. To train
and help fill the gap and provide support to persons 19
to 64 years. Additionally, ADS has increased their education awareness initiatives and are now reaching
more seniors and vulnerable persons and providing them with the knowledge of knowing and understanding the signs of abuse. This in turn will better equip
these vulnerable populations and their families with
protecting themselves against abuse.
Programme staffing and services will continue
to increase as we continue to pursue a phased ap-proach for the 2022 Management Services Office review recommendations. I had also mentioned in the
budget brief as well that we are piloting a dementia care services programme. And that is also assisting the Office of Ageing and Disability Services, particularly with more complex cases of persons who are experiencing
dementia.
I believe I touched on all of the questions that
were put forth.

I have just one more question.
Thank you.
I believe it was under Head 23, Child and Family Services, page B -294 under . . . I believe it was under programme 2304, Administration. You mentioned
that there will be a domestic abuse specialist who will
be brought on board. And I am just wondering. Yo u had
mentioned that the specialist would promote awareness and will be meeting with others within a larger
group such as the police, et cetera. But I am also curious whether they will be involved with the drafting of
any legislation, legislation to help d efine domestic violence in Bermuda.

Hon. Tinee Furbert: Thank you, Honourable Member,
for that question.
The domestic violence liaison officer. In the
brief it was pretty spelled out what they will be respon-sible for. They are actually going to be working closely
with the Centre Against Abuse in dealing with case
management, providing education in the community.
They will not have policy analyst sort of role. So they will be working with, like again I said, with the Centre
Against Abuse.
As it relates to legislation for domestic violence, that also will come under the Ministry of Legal
Affairs. But we work closely. And we provide support to
one another.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It has been moved that Heads 86, 23
and 55 be approved.
Is there any objection to that motion?
As there are no objections, agreed to.

[Motion carried: The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors Heads 86, 23 and 55 were approved
and stand part of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25.]

B ermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: And that brings us to the end of our
debate on Youth, Social Development and Seniors,
which was a four -hour debate.
And I will recognise the Minister responsible for
the Cabinet Office, who will enter into a four -hour debate for Heads 9, 13, 32, 43, 51, 61 and 80.
CABINET OFFICE
Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I move the following heads:
Head 9, Cabinet Office; Head 13, Post Office; Head 32, Department of Planning; Head 43, Department of Infor-mation and Digital Technologies; Head 51, Department of Communications; Head 61, Department of Employee and Organi zational Development; and Head 80, Project
Management and Procurement be now taken under
consideration.
[
Mr. Scott Simmons, Chairman]

Very well, Minister. We will now place
it into consideration.
If there is no objection to that motion?
There is none.
Go ahead, Minister.
HEAD 9 —CABINET OFFICE
Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the Cabinet Office operates at
the centre of the public service providing leadership,
advice and guidance to ensure delivery of the Govern-ment’s policies and services. This leadership continues
to be seen in the fiscal discipline within the Cabinet Office and, Mr. Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to
present the budget for Head 9, the Cabinet Office, found on pages B -42 through B -47 of the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, the total expenditure as seen on page B-43 is estimated to be $12,171,000 for 2024/25 and
represents a decrease of $19,592,000, or approxi-mately 62 per cent, from the original budget of 2023/24.
This decrease is mainly due to the transfer out to the
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the tourism grant of $19 million, the cultural and entertainment sup-port grant of $540,000, as well as the Regulatory and
Policy Hotel Administration unit of $386,000. The only
increase for the department’s budget not readily seen due to the significant decrease consists of salary uplifts in the amount of $334,000.
Mr. Chairman, the subjective analysis for the
Cabinet Office can be found on page B -44 of the Estimates Book. Please allow me to highlight the material object code increases as well as decreases.

Go ahead, Minister. Hon. Vance Campbell: Salaries, line item 1, estimated
at $6,773,000 , shows an increase of $24,000 . Mr.
Chairman, while not a material amount, the variance is worth mentioning to simply highlight that despite the mentioned salary uplift of $334,000, the transfer out of the Regulatory and Policy Hotel Administration unit
minimises the increase.
Mr. Chairman, within wages, line item 2, there
is an increase of $102,000, or 68 per cent, compared
to 2023/24. This does not represent an overall increase
to the department, but merely a transfer out from sala-ries to that of student employment wages to categorise
internship within the London Office correctly.
Mr. Chairman, within Professional Services,
line item 9, there is a decrease of $151 ,000, or 5 per
cent, compared to 2023/24. The reduction was
achieved through minor cuts throughout the various
sections of the Cabinet Office. Mr. Chairman, although
decreased, please allow me to briefly outline the main
budgeted fees that contribute to the $2,711,000 we see stated here.

Mm-hmm. Carry on, Minister.
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, digital transformation is essential to ensure that the Government of Bermuda can take fuller advantage of technology to better serve the public. The funds that were reserved for the implementation team will be used to support digital transfo rmation within the government. And
$750,000 remains budgeted within the Cabinet Office
to commit to the engagement of specific resources to advance the digital transformation agenda that was outlined in the Budget Statement.
Mr. Chairman, the Foreign Consultancy contract included our [Washington,] DC lobbyists of $240,000; our Middle Eastern Affairs budget, which re-mains at $240,000, which will support increased en-gagement in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] re-gion. Our representative at the Brussels Office,
$157,000, as well as the fees paid to Firehouse Communications and Dods within both the London and
Brussels Offices.
Mr. Chairman, Firehouse Communications is a
business and brands consultancy firm, and Dods is a political, intelligence and policy consultancy firm and is
the UK’s leading parliamentary monitoring firm. Mr.
Chairman, Firehouse Communications continues to as-sist in proactively managing the Government’s global public relations and international media engagement. As a reminder, in relation to Dods, the services that they provide relate to monitoring of the UK and European Parliament. In total, the fees for these services
average about $178,000 annually.
Our foreign contracts also include our [Washington,] DC Office consultant, who receives an annual allocation of approximately $133,000. Mr. Chairman, regarding the mention of the Middle Eastern Affairs
848 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly consultancy, the engagement of which began in April of
2023, I would like to take a moment to present a quick summary of the completed UAE [United Arab Emirates] engagements to date.

Go ahead, Minister.
Hon. Vance Campbell: They are as follows:
• Established economic, cultural and trade ties, as well as laid the foundational relationship for
commercial engagement with the UAE and Qatar.
• Positioned the recognition of Bermuda, relatively unknown in the UAE due to a lack of diplomatic presence, and this was built via outreach and Government bilateral engagement,
including the organisation of media appear-ances such as the Premier’s announceme nt on
Dubai TV, as well as the Deputy Premier’s podcast with Bloomberg.
• Arranged the UAE Government’s first official
delegate visit to Bermuda, organising both the
agenda as well as planned site visits.
• Hosted bilateral meetings with the high- ranking
Government Ministers across the UAE Government and associated entities.
• Developed a Foreign Direct Investment Strategy aligned to the Economic Development
Strategy.
• Initial advancement and groundwork drafting
made for the signing of the required international instruments between Bermuda and sev-eral GCC countries. And, Mr. Chairman, GCC
stands for Gulf Cooperation Council, which
was established by an agreement concluded
on the 25
th of May 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
• Developed and published the creation of an investment brochure targeting GCC - and
COP28 -related interests on behalf of the Ministry of Economy and Labour and the Bermuda Business Development Agency. And also, Mr.
Chairman,
• Organised the MOU [memorandum of under-standing] between the Ministry of Economy
and Labour and the Emirates Family Office Association, which is in the process of setting up
a Bermuda branch for 2024 for the four dele-gation visits.
Mr. Chairman, also included with Professional
Services is the $125,000 set aside for the Wellness Programme, which we will touch on further within the brief, contained under those initiatives falling under the
umbrella of the head of public service.
Mr. Chairman, finally, $120,000 has been set
aside to fund the Public Sector Negotiating Team
[PSNT]. These are non- public officers who represent
the government at the negotiating table with our union partners. The PSNT is supported by senior public officers who are not members of their respective unions. They are charged with negotiating. Relatedly, in the industrial relations space, former industrial relations programmes and partnership activities wil l be strengthened to build on the successful round of negotiations
concluded in fiscal 2023/24 with the Bermuda Industrial
Union, the Bermuda Public Services Union, the Prison Officers Association, the Fire Services Association and
the Bermuda Union of Teachers. Agreements were
reached with all of these bodies in the best interests of
the employees and the government.
The formal industrial relations activity planned
for 2024/25 will include
• the identification of working groups to advance
commitments reached as a part of the negotiations process; and
• formalising the Central Consultative Committee process and, where applicable, adding
members who might add valuable contributions in partnering on employee programmes
designed to reach specific members of various
bargaining units.
We are committed to a productive and harmonious workplace.
Mr. Chairman, returning to the variances. The
remaining material variance is seen in Grants and Con-tributions, the last line item which shows an allocation of $75,000 decreased by $19,540,000 from 2023/24.
As mentioned earlier, this is due to the transfer out of
the tourism grant of $19 million, along with the cultural
and entertainment support grant of $540,000, now both more suitably housed with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Mr. Chairman, as highlighted on page C -17 of
the Budget Book, the Cabinet Office continues to maintain the Natural Disaster/Hurricane relief fund, now at
$25,000, as well as two youth grants amounting to $50,000 [which comprises] $25,000 to Future Leaders
and $25,000 in education grants.
Mr. Chairman, also on page B -43, please note
that the $114,000 increase being under programme
0902, Economic Policy and Foreign Affairs, is a result
of minor operational increases throughout the foreign
offices.
Overall reductions seen under the Subjective
Analysis line items on page B -44 such as Professional
Services, Rentals, and Repair and Maintenance lessen the impact of the Foreign Office increases and ensure
no effect to the bottom line.
Mr. Chairman, turning to page B -45 in relation
to employee numbers, we see a total decrease of three full-time equivalents in 2024/25 compared to the original FTE estimate of 2023/24. This results from the net
effect of the transfer out of five FTEs, four within busi-ness unit 19065, Regulatory and Policy Hotel Administration transferred to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture
and Sport; and one relating to the defunding of a vacant
post within business unit 19015, Policy and Strategy.


Bermuda House of Assembly
These five reductions are netted against an increase
within the General Administration business unit 19000. The funding of two vacancies, one PS post as well as one administrative assistant, resulted in the bottom line
decrease of three FTEs.
You will note, however, that General Administration showed an increase of three as opposed to the
stated two FTEs. Mr. Chairman, this additional FTE is merely an internal result of a transfer in of a post currently housed under business unit 19040, Ministr y Administration, to the General Administration business
unit, 19000. You will note that this serves as explanation for the decrease in business unit 19040. Again, Mr.
Chairman, having no effect on the bottom line. Mr. Chairman, if we quickly turn back to page B -43, the
same post transfer -out corresponds to the $90,000 decrease seen under programme 0903, Government Re-form, business unit 19040, Ministry Administration.
Mr. Chairman, in relation to capital expenditure, you will note that in accordance with page C -4,
there are no funds allocated for capital development for
2024/25 or within capital acquisition, as seen on page
C-9.
Mr. Chairman, I shall now turn my attention to
Performance Measures.

Go ahead, Minister.
Hon. Vance Campbell: The measures developed for
the Cabinet Office are found on pages B -46 and B -47.
Most of the measures outlined in 2023/24 have been or are anticipated to be realised by March 31, 2024, with continuance throughout the 2024/25 period. Mr. Chairman, kindly al low me to expound upon a few of the
measures.
As shown on page B -46 within business unit
19015, Policy and Strategy [PSS], all targets were achieved in terms of response rate to both policy advice
and service requests. Mr. Chairman, the unit also pro-vided the following:
• training on making public policy to senior officers participating in the Executive Leadership
Development Programme that forms part of the
succession planning initiatives led by the Department of Employee and Organizational Development;
• strategic and technical guidance to the Cabinet Office as well as weekly support to the Public
Service Executive to ensure proper reporting
and ongoing process with public and administrative policy initiatives;
• strategic and technical advice on the development of public policies across ministries;
• training for officers via workshops on writing
cabinet memorandums;
• valuable assistance to the Public Service Negotiating Teams during their latest round of ne-gotiation with the six unions and/or associations representing the government workforce. The PSS ensured that negotiations with the Government for two of the negotiating entities were fully and accurately recorded and
accounted for and provide strategic support,
research and guidance as neede d to the
PSNTs including the lead negotiators; and
• technical and management support to the Project Management Office, which monitors, records and reports on the progress with the 30
initiatives contained in the Economic Recovery
Plan.
PSS also performed the important function of
Information Officer for the Cabinet Office, a function that ensured that the public authority, Cabinet Office,
was compliant with its legal obligations as outlined in
the Public Access to Information Act (PATI). Under the
Act, all public authorities are required to report annually to the Information Commissioner’s Office on the scope
and status of PATI requests, as well as ensure that the
information statement is accurate and current.
Mr. Chairman, as seen on page B -43, Policy
and Strategy, business unit 19015, has been allocated $666,000 for 2024/25, a decrease of $53,000 below the current price. The decrease is mainly a result of the defunding of an administrative assistant post that became vacant during 2023/24, previously mentioned under the
employee numbers explanation. With the 2024/25 allocation, the unit will continue to provide the necessary
guidance and support outlined in the 2023/24 highlights.
Mr. Chairman, back to page B -46 under business unit 19020, Safety and Health.

Yes.
Hon. Vance Campbell: You will note that in 2023/24
two safety and health audits were undertaken. One audit involved an inspection of the Tynes Bay Facility that
included a thorough examination of its past self -inspections, as well as an examination of the systems used to
track implementation progress in addressing any identified issues. This review process is crucial, Mr. Chairman, in ensuring regulatory compliance, enhancing operational efficiency and maintaining safety standards at
the power plant. The audit also included the following:
• reviewing manuals and operational procedures
of the facility;
• reviewing an inventory of all fire equipment on
site;
• discussing storm water management, and establishing and implementing practices for outside loading and unloading of liquid materials. This aims to prevent spills and contact between liquid materials and storm water runoff;
finally, Mr. Chairman,
• reviewing the Contingency and Emergency
Response Plan, focusing mainly on the steps
850 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly taken in emergency situations occurring during
operations.
Mr. Chairman, looking at the second measure,
safety policies and programmes development to enhance safety management systems, I am pleased to
report that there has been an increase in safety communications sent out to health and safety committees
to help re -energise participation. Feedback from the
materials shared monthly has been positive from the
departments. For the year 2023, the Drug and Alcohol
Procedures and Guidance document was focused on. The Drug and Alcohol policy has been approved, with
next steps ensuring that the National Drug Control, the
government -led DEOD [Department of Employee and
Organi zational Development] and all unions have reviewed the Drug and Alcohol Procedures document.
This procedures document, Mr. Chairman, will
aid in implementation of the policy and training required for public officers. The training material will be produced by DEOD, the Department of Health and the National Drug Control. The training will have a si milar
rollout such as the Public Service Standards training,
utilising in- person training, video- and web- based
methods for ensuring all employees have the correct
information.
The third measure, level of completion of workplace and building inspections, involved inspections in 2023 of various departments such as Registrar General, Cabinet Building, Devonshire Preschool, Hamilton
Health Centre and Southside Government Labs, to
name a few.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the last measure, to increase compliance rate. Cabinet Office is pleased to in-form that Health and Safety training was continued in
2023 to enhance safety education within the public service. The OSH [occupational safety and health] officer
has requested that safety orientation be included in the onboarding process for new employees to help set the
tone for the organisational safety culture. This includes the Health and Safety Policy slide at the onset of employee orientation, showin g the organisation’s commitment to health and safety. The policy helps to foster
positive attitudes toward safety and highlights the or-ganisation’s direction toward providing and maintaining
working conditions that are safe and free from reorganisation haz ards and risks to the safety, healthy and
well-being of all workers.
Training will continue in 2024/25 to engage
staff with the rules and laws that govern health and safety, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1982 and the OSH Regulations 2009. Mr. Chairman,
three main courses were provided:
• Introduction to Occupational Health and
Safety;
• Accident in Workplace Investigation; and
• The Health and Safety Committee Training.
New courses, such as Chemical Safety, will also be
added to the list for 2024/25. You will note that as the
health and safety culture increases within the departments, the target number naturally decreases as more employees are engaged in health and safety training.
Mr. Chairman, directly below Safety and
Health, you will note that business unit 19035, the Lon-don Office, has achieved the ongoing 2023/24 objective set with plans continuous throughout the upcoming
2024/25 budget year. If we turn, Mr. Chairman, back to page B -43, it is seen under Economic Policy and Foreign Affairs that the office has been allocated $1,235,000 for the 2024/25 fiscal year. Mr. Chairman, this year the [London] Office celebrates 15 years of service to Bermuda as the official representative of the
Government in the United Kingdom. A pivotal function of the office continues to be the maintenance of our relationship with the United Kingdom through highest -
level dialogue with the UK Government and by continued engagement with departments of His Majesty’s
Government across Whitehall.
The office works in cohesion with governments
of the Overseas Territories on shared policy areas and
continues to engage with the UK Parliament; the UK
Diplomat ic Corps such as embassies and high commissions; the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Asso-ciation; the Commonwealth Secretariat; along with all UK-based Commonwealth associations; the general
UK public to include the private sector, civil society and those who have a general or vested interest in Bermuda; and finally, Bermudians living in the UK, including students.
Mr. Chairman, the London Office continues to
provide the necessary immediate assistance and guidance to its consular function to Bermudians living and
studying in the UK and throughout Europe. With the in-crease of Bermudians relocating to the UK, the London
Office has experienced an increased number of consular cases and as such will be looking to increase its
level of resources and personnel, starting with the cre-ation of additional posts reporting to the Cabinet Office.
Mr. Chairman, as you know, the Brussels Office is overseen by the Government’s Senior Advisor of European Affairs and Policy, and we see that for 2024/25 on page B -43, the office has been allocated
$393,000. Mr. Chairman, the mandate of the Brussels Office continues to be The maintenance of relationships with key stakeholders and decision- makers in
Brussels while establishing new connections. The objectives of the Brussels Office for the fiscal term 2024/25 remain as follows:
• maintaining close dialogue with the European
Commission, Council and European Parliament and other EU institutions;
• facilitating access of the Premier and Ministers
to key persons in upholding the Government’s
presence in Europe; and
• working in cohesion with the Ministry of Fi-nance to support Bermuda’s global position as
a robust regulatory financial regime with a primary function to ensure continuous dialogue


Bermuda House of Assembly
with the European Council on the EU List of
Non- Cooperative Jurisdictions for Tax Purposes.

Honourable Members, we remain in
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25. The Minister is in Head 9, the Cabinet Office. His programme is 0902 under the Economic Policy and
Foreign Aff airs. And he is in business unit 19075, which
is the Brussels Office. He is on page B -43.
Minister.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, while still on
page B -43—

Yes, sir.

Hon. Vance Campbell: You will note that the Washington, DC Office shows an allocation in the amount of
$452,000, a minor increase of approximately $26,000,
or 6 per cent, higher than the current 2023/24 allocation.
Mr. Chairman, we are pleased to inform the
House that the director of the DC Office has effectively
restored its operations. By doing so, the office has actively engaged with business and government stakeholders in promoting Bermuda ’s financial services as
well as engaging with political thought leaders in positive dialogue to protect Bermuda ’s economic interests.
The key objectives for fiscal term 2023/24 focussed on were:
• engaging with key contacts;
• informing thought leaders in the US of Bermuda ’s role as an international financial services centre and tourist destination;
• executing associated business development functions; reviewing and advising on emerging
US policies and legislative measures that may
impact Bermuda;
• advising and managing direct engagement by
the Premier and Ministers with DC contacts as
well as identifying opportunities to promote
Bermuda ’s environmental initiatives.
Mr. Chairman, the DC Office met all key objectives set out for the fiscal term of 2023/24. As a result,
the office was able to:
• strengthen Bermuda’s relationships with US
political leaders thereby safeguarding Ber-muda ’s interests in the US;
• facilitate engagements for the Premier’s trips to
Washington, DC with members of the US Congress, principals in several US Government
agencies, business leaders and also delegates from the Embassy of the State of Qatar to further build up our relationship with entities from
the Middle East; • engage with numerous leaders of various industries and organisations to promote Bermuda ’s financial services and other business
products;
• highlight Bermuda as a premier tourist destination; and also, Mr. Chairman,
• engage with entities seeking further information about Bermuda ’s efforts to protect its
marine environment.
For 2024/25, in the DC Office’s recent report,
the Washington, DC Office 2024 strategic road map, a
set of planned objectives, are denoted. The priority of
the objectives are categorised under three key areas
which are US political and government engagement,
business development and the image and actions of the DC Office.
Mr. Chairman, for 2024 as seen on the bottom
of page B -46, the DC Office has set out a list of performance measures that are as follows:
1. Engage with US organisations in the digital as-set and FinTech industry that results in having at least one conference hosted in Bermuda.
2. Secure three business leads resulting in meaningful engagement or progression in domiciling
companies in Bermuda .
3. Create and maintain an up- to-date database of
Bermudian college students residing in the US.
Mr. Chairman, one final note to highlight regarding all our foreign offices is the continuance of our
successful internship programme in 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, continuing the measures on
page B -47, I would like to turn your attention to business unit 19080, Head of the Public Service.

Go ahead, Ministe r.

Hon. Vance Campbell: The second measure that is
intended to track responses to customer complaints
within 48 hours continues to be a work in progress. The
feedback system went live on the government portal in
2023 and includes an automated response feature
which means that receipt is acknowledged 100 per cent
of the time. The true measurement however rests in our ability to ensure customer complaints are investigated and resolved in a timely fashion. The timeliness of the
resolution and the response to the customer is a measure we will work to ensure is used to determine our per-formance as we go forward. Our goal is to cause responses to align with our service standards policy in
each area of the service.
Mr. Chairman, the policy on service standards
was developed and implemented to standardise cus-tomer service approaches and provide direction to de-partments on the expectations of their service delivery.
More training in meeting service standards is expected
to take place in 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, while the Leadership Development Programme (third performance measure) is
852 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly ongoing, the most senior management area requires
focused attention. In February, aspiring Permanent Secretaries were specifically invited to register for an accelerated programme to assist with succession planning at that level. This is not a separate pro gramme but
rather one that leverages the existing leadership development programme to ensure a healthy talent pool is
being prepared to assume roles that will become va-cant within the next few years owing to expected retirements.
Mr. Chairman, the action taken to increase the
development opportunities at the senior level accords
with the policy on succession planning and management wherein the Head of the Public Service must ensure development opportunities are available to prepare officers to compete for vacant posts.
Mr. Chairman, with reference to the fourth
measure, the 2019– 2023 Government Reform plan has
expired. Planning is in progress on the 2024– 2027 update with a view to building on the accomplishments of
the initial plan. The 2019– 2023 plan helped the Government organise administrative policy activities
around two specific priorities: its people (that is employees) and its information technology direction. Arguably,
greater strides were made in the development and implementation of sound people policies and programmes. However, the foundation from which to build in the provision of digitised services in the IT space was
also realised.
Mr. Chairman, with regard to the remaining
measures under 19080, please allow me a few mo-ments to highlight a few initiatives.

Go right ahead, Minister .

Hon. Vance Campbell: Quickly becoming a recognised public service staple is the monthly Public Service Excellence Award initiative which recognises service excellence in the preceding month or two and the complimentary annual Public Service Excellence
Awards end of year celebration where all nominees for
the year are acknowledged and rewarded for their contributions. The programme recognised the Public Offic-ers who consistently go above and beyond in their service to the Bermuda community.
In the calendar year 2023, more than 200 officers were nominated for the award and therefore were recognised at the end of the year. Of those who had
received the monthly award, one was selected as the Public Service Employee of the Year. The Public Ser-vice Employee of the Year was awarded to Ms.
Frederica Lambert, a community health worker from
the Department of Health, for using her skills and expertise to deliver exceptional outcomes for her clients.
The awardee must show initiative and perform above
and beyond his or her role undertaking work or a project
and achieving tangible results. Known for working tirelessly within the clinic and providing crucial assistance
in patients’ homes, Ms. Lambert was recognised for making an impact beyond her immediate team, being a
self-motivated learner and her ability to deliver excellence in exceptional circumstances.
Mr. Chairman, there are three other award categories. The Rising Star Award was presented to
Jahkari Woods , also a community health worker from
the Department of Health for the tangible impact he has made on his department and outstanding commitment to his team. The award for Excellence in Supporting
People was presented to Mr. Tony ( Wayne ) DeSilva, a
teacher at the Whitney Institute who was commended
for extending contributions beyond the curriculum,
serving as a beacon of inspiration, and promoting confidence in the public office through his unwavering support for colleagues and programming for Bermuda students.
Finally, the award for Excellence in Project Delivery was presented to the Department of Employee
and Organizational Development’s Compensation and
Benefits Team for providing resilience and professionalism and outstanding collective efforts to ensure the
smooth functioning of government processes. The
team was commended for their display of exemplary
resilience and proficiency in ensuring timely payroll processing for Government of Bermuda employees and
pensioners in the months of September and October —
in particular, I believe they received the award for October following the cyber attack which disabled networking systems government -wide. Those of us who sit in
this House were able to receive our pay as a result of
their efforts.

Yes.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, in 2024/25, the
Head of the Public Service programme will continue to
evolve to strengthen the administrative policy develop-ment and infrastructure of the Public Service.
Mr. Chairman, on that note, it is expected that
a Deputy Head of the Public Service will be appointed
to assume the role vacated by the now Head of the
Public Service. Mr. Chairman, $125,000 has been allocated to the Wellness Programme to continue to provide for activities to support the physical and mental
health of public officers. Our aim is to create a culture of health and encourage the development of sustainable behaviours. It is expected that the progress made
with the virgin programme will be suppl emented with
activities and wellness challenges to increase engagement of public officers and leverage local events.
Mr. Chairman, the public sector is increasingly
competing for talent and, in some cases, there are in -
demand skill sets that are not readily available locally
and in some instance internationally. Public sector sal-aries are not as competitive and there is a general lac k
of awareness of the rich and varied careers in the public service.
Mr. Chairman, the office of the Head of the
Public Service will coordinate a series of actions


Bermuda House of Assembly
designed to retain existing talent, advance succession
planning, increase awareness of the benefits of careers in the public service, drive interest in Government
sponsored training programmes to prepare our young
people for careers in the public service and build support for the impact of the work delivered by public officers. The funding of this multi -faceted campaign dubbed
Re-Imagining Careers in the Public Service is spread
across many programme areas and heads. Funding
will be used to support targeted training programmes
that extend beyond the traditional bursary programme
to include the reintroduction of specific programmes in
hard- to-fill areas such as those requiring pilots, engineers, accountants, teachers and mechanics as well as
the introduction of new training programmes for emerging areas such as compliance professionals, IT security
specialists and more.
Mr. Chairman, a series of internal and external
activities including the launch of an online Public Ser-vice Careers Guide, online forums and social media ac-tivity to promote specific careers and training programmes, partnership with the signature schools to introduce s tudents to the public service with the many career options as well as work taking place under Head
61 to address job evaluation and salaries will all be implemented during fiscal 2024/25.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, allow me to turn your attention to as well as expand on the last business unit
under Performance Measures 19085, PATI/PIPA Unit
where we see both measures achieved. Mr. Chairman,
the PATI/PIPA Unit is responsible for the coordination
of the Public Access to Information Act 2010 (PATI) and the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA) for
the Government of Bermuda.
For PATI, the unit maintains the PATI administrative code of practice, provides advice and guidance
to public authorities; offers information officer training
and carries out administrative responsibilities as assigned to the Minister in accordance with the Act.
For PIPA, responsibilities of the unit include the
development and implementation of the Privacy Pro-gramme for the Government of Bermuda, offers privacy
programme training and the establishment of the privacy equivalency strategy that would enable the
smooth flow of personal information between Bermuda
and other international jurisdictions. Additionally, the
unit is considering the elements of artificial intelligence
governance that overlap with privacy.
Mr. Chairman, the Government of Bermuda interacts with the public, the broader community and international entities regularly. This interaction includes the use of large amounts of information, including personal information by both physical and electronic methods. It is therefore important that the rights of access to
information and privacy principles are engrained in the Government’s operations and culture.
Mr. Chairman, the unit ultimately supports the
Government in creating an environment that underpins our economic ecosystem. The PATI and PIPA Acts further enhance Bermuda ’s mandate of a trusted jurisdiction that protects personal information. For the Government this is reflected in the adherence to the principles
of lawfulness, fairness and transparency. The PATI/PIPA Unit works in collaboration with the Offices
of the Information Commissioner and the Privacy Commissioner to protect and promote information and privacy rights in the jurisdiction. The work of the unit is
important to the Government’s reform efforts and ultimately in how our jurisdiction is seen by others around
the world to manage information.
[Pause]
Hon. Vance Campbell: Just getting a bit of water.
Mr. Chairman, as shown on page B -43 of the
Budget Book, the PATI/PIPA Unit has been allocated
$838,000 for the 2024/25 fiscal year. This is a decrease
of $79,000, or 9 per cent, as compared to 2023/24.
Mr. Chairman, as shown on page B -44 of the
Budget Book, Revenue Summary following from 2023/24, revenue from these fees is predicted to be
$50,000. However, as amendments to PATI are considered the projected revenue level will have to be adjusted according ly. Once details are determined and tabled, this information will be communicated.
Mr. Chairman, activities of the unit include
• development and implementation of an organisational structure to enable the requirements
of the unit;
• administering updates to the Acts as required
and facilitating compliance requirements;
• implementing strategic, programme, opera-tional and administrative measures to deliver
upon the requirements of PATI and PIPA;
• providing policy procedure, guidance and template administration related to PATI and PIPA;
• advising public authorities on the application of
the Acts and their legislative obligations;
• responding to requests from public officers;
• acting as a liaison with the respective regulatory authorities; and
• the delivery of training, awareness and other
communications.
Mr. Chairman, the PATI framework is operational and under review to enable the optimal structure
and utilisation of resources within the unit. In addition,
the unit continues to coordinate the review of PATI legislation for amendment. This activity includes consulta-tion with the regulator, the government and the broader
community. In 2023/24, the unit worked in collaboration with the Information and Privacy Commissioners on the PIPA Amendment Act 2023. This Amendment Act harmonised PIPA and PATI legislation ahead of PIPA
coming fully into force in 2025.
Mr. Chairman, this harmonisation process also
identified elements of PATI that need to be brought into
854 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly alignment with clauses found in the Acts of the other
regulators such as PIPA and the Ombudsman. These details have been included in the PATI legislation re-view. Additionally, as per the Throne Speech 2023, an
additional component to create a committee similar to
the audit committee in section 5 of the Audit Act 1990
has been identified for inclusion into the PATI Act.
Mr. Chairman, when PIPA comes fully into
force on 1 January 2025, it will have significant implications for the entire jurisdiction. The Privacy Commissioner has responsibility to provide guidance relating to the implementation of PIPA in the jurisdiction. In January 2024, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (or
PrivCom) launched the Road to PIPA 2024
on their
website ( www.privacy.bm ). It is an online roadmap to
assist the community with becoming compliant with the
upcoming PIPA legislation. The Privacy Commissioner also publishes guidance notes related to elements of
PIPA, as well as best -practice- based advice for implementation. Tra ining on PIPA is also available via the
[Office of the] Privacy Commissioner, and many other
organisations in the community. Mr. Chairman, the unit
also leverages the Privacy Commissioner’s guidance in
the training they provide on PIPA within the Government of Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, the unit has integrated the Privacy Commissioner guidance and international privacy
and data protection best practice into the Government’s Privacy Programme. A summary of the main implementation steps that will help in the achievement of compliance with PIPA includes:
• completing the PIPA readiness assessment to
identify compliance gaps and to codify the necessary steps to PIPA compliance via a privacy
plan;
• conducting personal information inventories
and classifying or mapping the personal information that is used in their processes;
• documenting in policies and procedures how
personal information is to be used in the organisation and how PIPA requirements will be met
in the organisation’s operations;
• providing appropriate training and awareness
to staff and others (like vendors and service
providers) who have access to the organisa-tion’s data;
• analysing the privacy risk to the organisation,
using tools such as Privacy Impact Assessments and Vendor Assessments;
• measuring and tracking key metrics that
demonstrate compliance with PIPA and the op-erational majority of the Privacy Programme over time;
• tracking of the Government of Bermuda’s privacy maturity;
• transitioning personal information requests (the process) from PATI to PIPA; • communicating a PIPA manual for use by the
Government of Bermuda as a practical guide
to achieve the standards required by PIPA;
• developing the partial exemption process in collaboration with the Privacy Commissioner
and the Ministry of National Security.
Mr. Chairman, the PATI/PIPA Unit has begun
promotion and awareness of PIPA and the Privacy Pro-gramme with the Public Service executive and department heads. In addition, monthly training sessions on
PIPA and PIPA compliance have been offered via the
Government ’s training programme since July of 2021.
The PATI/PIPA Unit has also had focused interactions
with select ministries and departments. This has enabled the unit to customise elements of the Privacy Programme to reflect the context of the operation of a government, the nature of Bermuda as a jurisdiction and
the requirements of PIPA.
Mr. Chairman, the PATI/PIPA Unit hosts pilots
that are ongoing as each step of the plan is tested be-fore rollout. Pilots that have informed the Government ’s
Privacy Programme and tools developed have been in
the areas of personal information mapping, privacy by
design, privacy officer training and development, webbased privacy training content and privacy notices. We
are currently piloting our PIPA readiness assessment
step, a questionnaire with a series of questions against
PIPA requirements that will be used for gap analysis.
The intention is to roll this tool out across the Government shortly.
Mr. Chairman, when PIPA comes fully into
force, there will be a requirement to notify the Privacy
Commissioner in the case of a security breach that
leads to the loss or unlawful destruction or unauthor-ised disclosure of or access to personal information
which is likely to adversely affect an individual. This
may then result in affected individuals being notified by
the organisation.
Mr. Chairman, I recently had the opportunity to
attend the International Association of Privacy Profes-sionals [IAPP] Data Protection Intensive in London with members of the PATI/PIPA Unit. The focus of the conference was on building fundamentally sound data protection systems that can react to change. Additionally,
it provided us with access to a global information privacy community. The keynotes this year included the
UK Information Commissioner who spoke on the continued evolution of the role of data protection professionals in the face of a dynamic, ever -changing environment while also outlining priorities around the UK’s data strategy for the future. The Minister for AI [Artificial
Intelligence], within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, who oversees the UK’s strategy on artificial intelligence, who is seeking to build
possibilities for the UK for the future that can deliver real value to society while identifying risks.
Mr. Chairman, I will be delivering a Ministerial
Statement shortly about this conference and the meet-ings that took place during the London visit. I can say


Bermuda House of Assembly
that participating in such gatherings provides insight
into ongoing global activities that will enhance the unit’s work both with PIPA and with the Government ’s Privacy Programme. For example, there were a significant
number of sessions on artificial intelligence and privacy
enhancing technologies. We benefited from this exposure as the unit is very aware that the adoption of artificial intelligence principles may be a near future step. I
will also state, Mr. Chairman, that the personal meetings that I was able to have were quite productive and will be beneficial to Bermuda as we seek to gain adequacy or equivalency in our privacy laws with the UK
and Europe.
Mr. Chairman, before concluding Head 9,
please allow me to speak briefly on the updates to IP
legislation as well as the Alien Land Licensing Programme.

Go ahead, Minister .

Hon. Vance Campbell: Members of this Honourable
House will be aware that modernisation of the legislation governing intellectual property rights is currently in
progress.
This Government has embarked on an enormous undertaking to update the country’s legislation
governing trade marks, patents, registered designs and
copyrights. These changes will reposition Bermuda’s intellectual property regime to be more fully aligned
with global standards and best practices. This initiative
is being achieved through the collaborative efforts of
the Ministry for the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Regis try General and the Ministry of Economy and Labour and the Economic Development Department.
Mr. Chairman, during fiscal year 2023/24 the
Government tabled legislation updating the laws governing trade marks. This includes a new Trade Marks Act 2023, new primary regulations and new fee regula-tions. Updated forms are also being produced and will
soon be published. We will begin using the new trade
mark s legislation in the upcoming fiscal year. As that
legislation is modelled after the United Kingdom’s
framework, Registry General staff are currently attending training sessions with the UK Intellectual Property Office in advance of the legislation becoming operational. The Government team is also in the process of
updating internal processes and exploring options for
updating the technology used to administer the trade
marks legislation.
Mr. Chairman, this modernisation initiative will
make Bermuda more attractive for new businesses and
more competitive in the international market. Intangible assets such as intellectual capital and brand recognition are the lifeblood of most businesses regardless of the size of those businesses. Trade marks are inta ngible assets that help businesses establish brand recog-nition by distinguishing their products, goods or services from that of other businesses. Likewise a company can harness its intellectual capital to create cutting edge technology products, new medicines or other
inventions that need to be protected as trade secrets or
that may be eligible for a patent.
Mr. Chairman, these assets can give an organisation both a competitive advantage and revenue op-portunities and legal frameworks that feature strong
protections for intellectual property are essential to any jurisdiction competing for business in today’s global
economy. Bermuda is working to meet the requirements of various international treaties that facilitate the
registration and protection of intellectual property
across various jurisdictions to which the treaties extend. We are looking to increase our competitiveness
in this area, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, in the upcoming fiscal year we
will continue the important work of modernising our legislation. The Government will continue its practice of
using the intellectual property laws enacted in the
United Kingdom as a model for Bermuda ’s legislation.
This will also ensure that there is sufficient legal clarity
and case law that can be used by the courts and other
authorised parties to determine intellectual property
disputes under the updated laws.
Mr. Chairman, the process for updating the
laws governing patents is currently ongoing and we look forward to bringing new patents legislation to this
Honourable House in the upcoming fiscal year. Additional projects under this initiative include updates to
the legislation governing both registered designs and copyrights. We look forward to providing updates on
those initiatives in due course.
Mr. Chairman, the Alien Land Licence Programme as detailed in Part VI of the Bermuda Immigration Act 1956 aims to protect land in Bermuda for ownership by individuals who possess Bermudian status
and they aim to do this by (a) requiring restricted persons to have licences to hold or acquire land in Ber-muda and preventing them from appropriating it; (b) requiring trustees to have licences to hold or acquire land
in Bermuda for the benefit of restricted persons and
preventing them from appropriating it; and (c) preventing corporations from acquiring or holding land in Bermuda unless they do so in accordance with the legislation.
Mr. Chairman, the Alien Land Licenc e Programme includes applications by restricted persons to
hold or acquire land in Bermuda , to let their Bermudian
properties, to take a mortgage or charge on land and to
apply for deferral certificates. In 2023/24, the Alien
Land Licence Programme earned the Government of
Bermuda over $4,400,000 in revenue. This is reflective
of 38 landholding charges received and 128 land li-cence applications received. In total, 131 applications
were approved in 2023/24 as follows:
• Sixty -eight land licence applications to acquire
land;
856 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Twenty -seven short -term rental applications;
• Twenty -three permissions to let applications;
• Eight deferral certificate applications;
• Two permissions in principle to let; and
• Three taking a mortgage or charge on land application.
Mr. Chairman, in comparison to the previous
fiscal year, the Alien Land Licence Programme saw a decrease in the number of land licence applications re-ceived falling from 151 land licence applications in
2022/23 to 128 land licence applications, a decrease of
23 applications. As a result, the Alien Land Licence
Programme also experienced a decline in revenues
from over $5,900,000 in fiscal year 2022/23 to
$4,400,000 in revenue.
Mr. Chairman, the Economic Development Department [EDD] maintains its commitment to promptly handling alien land licence applications and is committed to collaborating with the Bermuda real estate market to uphold operational efficiency. The EDD will endeavour to continue its processing timeline with the expectation that application processing will not exceed 30
days.
Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to take
the opportunity to extend my thanks to all the staff at
the Cabinet Office for their ongoing contributions and
dedication to serving the people of Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my presentation
on Head 9, Cabinet Office.

Very well, Minister , at your leisure.

HEAD 13 —BERMUDA POST OFFICE

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I present the
budget for Head 13, the Bermuda Post Office, found on
pages B -48 through B -54 of the Budget Book.
The Bermuda Post Office is governed by the
Post Office Act 1900, the Post Office Regulations
[1933] and the Post Office Departmental Administration
Regulations 1933. Postal services are provided from
the General Post Office (also known as the GPO), located on Church and Parliament Street, the Mail Processing Centre (also known as the BMPC) and located
at New Venture House on Mills Creek. Currently the
Post Office operates seven sub- Post Offices located
throughout the Island. Sub- Post Offices are located in
Crawl, Devonshire, Flatts, Mangrove Bay, Southampton, St. George’s and Warwick.
The overall mission of the Post Office is To provide all residents of Bermuda with an affordable, reliable and accessible postal service that is also cus-tomer focused . The Bermuda Post Office is a member
of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) and works to ensure that it meets its universal service obligations as
Bermuda’s national postal service provider. The Post Office is 212 years old and was the first to offer domestic letter, parcel and package delivery services. It is
100 per cent Bermudian and continues to provide
postal products and services as a cost -effective alternative.
Mr. Chairman, the Post Office continues to
meet its local delivery standards. That is, it delivers 98 per cent of all local and international letter mail received into Bermuda within four working days and delivers all customer notifications of international parcels,
packages and express mail, to advise the addressee of
the mail arriving in to Bermuda in their name within two
working days.
Mr. Chairman, as a UPU member, the Post Office meets its international requirements, expectations
and standards in delivery. The Post Office has passed
both security and process standards certified by the
UPU. In fact, Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Post Office is
gold certified for mail security. Bermuda also sits on the management board of the Caribbean Postal Union and currently chairs its task force to modernise the constitution and regulations. The Post Office’s disaster risk
management plan and attributes are also being used
as part of a pilot project to help determine the disaster
risk management certification and credentials for the
Universal Postal Union. As the Bermuda Post Office
was first in the region for security certification, they have been deemed (though unofficially now) DRM certified and should receive a gold certificate in May.
Mr. Chairman, benefits of membership in the
Caribbean Postal Union include access to postal
benchmarks, best practices and alignment with re-gional postal administrations to help grow the postal in-dustry and to build resilience. Bermuda Post Office staff
also benefit fr om training and development opportunities as regional and UPU workshops are held.
Mr. Chairman, annually traditional letter mail is
declining and the Post Office needs to retool and to re-invent itself to remain relevant. This means providing a
balanced approach between service offerings based on
taxpayer funding received and providing an efficient
and quality service. For example, MyBermudaPost was
implemented in November 2021 to help increase reve-nues for the Post Office. Membership now stands at
4,000 local residents, entrepreneurs and many small to
mid-size businesses. Its homepage also encourages
residents to shop locally.
Mr. Chairman, local residents can continue to
visit www.bermudapost.bm
to track -and-trace incoming
and outgoing parcels, packages, registered mail items and letters containing merchandise and goods. Residents can open an online account to make mail forwarding services smoother and can find information on
all postal products and services on the Post Office


Bermuda House of Assembly
website. Stamp collectors and interested parties can
also utilise the Post Office philatelic link on the website to buy retail items, physical stamps, first day covers, et cetera.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Post Office is
comprised of the Administration Division and the Operations Division. The Administration Division includes
Administration, Finance, Information Technology, Phil-atelic Services and Quality Assurance. The Operations
Division is made up of the Bermuda Mail Processing
Centre (BMPC), the General Post Office (GPO), SubPost Offices and the Facilities and Procurement Department.

Expenditure Overview

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, as indicated on
pages B -49 and B -50 of the Budget Book —

Yes, go ahead, Minister .

Hon. Vance Campbell: The Bermuda Post Office has
been allocated a total of $9,620,000 for the financial
year 2024/25. This amount this reflects an increase of
$335,000, or 3.6 per cent, from the original 2023/24
budget allocation of $9,285,000. The percentage differ-ence as has been stated in other budget briefs represents negotiated salary increases effective 1 April 2024 and related staff salary increment changes.
Mr. Chairman, you will note on page B -50 that
Salaries and Wages continue to be the largest expendi-ture item at 81 per cent of total expenditure. The total
estimate of salaries and wages for 2024/25 is
$7,820,000. While full -time equivalents remain at 125
staff members. For 2023/24, full -time equivalents were
revised to 125 against the prior year as Post Office staff
retire or resign due to an ageing workforce. To offset,
staff are reassigned and operations are maintained by
making processes efficient and more effective.
Mr. Chairman, on page B -50 you will note that
Operational Expenses for the Bermuda Post Office make up the remaining 19 per cent of the expenditure
for 2024/25. The major operational expenses included
in the Post Office budget include inflation and market
increases in rent, repairs and maintenance, energy
costs, and materials and supplies.
Training costs for the 2024/25 budget is static
at $20,000, as the Post Office continues to commit and encourage staff to train, enrol and take advantage of
online job- related courses to develop and improve
technical skills.
Communication expenses is estimated to be
$72,000 for 2024/25, with no change from the 2023/24 revised total. This expenditure includes telephone
rental equipment, local and overseas calls, GPS de-vices and mobile devices for couriers and customer
communications in deli very. Mr. Chairman, R ental expense for the 2024 /25
budget cycle remains at $396,000. This allocation represents rent for the Post Office Mail Processing Centre,
which is located at New Venture House, Mills Creek, at
current market rate.
Mr. Chairman, Re pairs and M aintenance expens e is estimated to include an increase by 2 per cent,
or $10,000, for the new budget year to $548,000 in total and includes service charges for New Venture House, building repairs, cleaning contracts, cycle and vehicle
repairs, and security services.
Equipment, which includes furniture and fixtures, handyman tools and equipment, the Bermuda
Mail Processing Centre lift, mail trays and racks remains at $20,000 .
Materials and S upplies costs of $225,000 for
2024/25 have not changed from the previous financial year. This expenditure line includes increased costs for
stamp production, printing, stationery , office supplies ,
chairs and more.
Mr. Chairman, Transport costs, which include
freight charges for the transport and the handling of
mail to and from international postal administrations,
will be $46,000 as the Post Office looks to manage increasing costs in mail transport.
Travel costs to support conferences, training
opportunities and workshops as a member of the Universal Postal Union and the Caribbean Postal Union
hold at $18,000 during the 2024 /25 budget period, as
the Post Office embraces local and global trends in the
postal market.
Advertising and Promotion expenses to cover
philatelic and increased BPO marketing efforts remains
at $52,000 in the 2024 /25 budget.
Mr. Chairman, Professional and/or Consultant
Services include annual dues for the UPU, the Caribbean Postal Union, EMS (Express Mail Service) cooperative and fees for the Stamp Design Advisory Committee. The 202 4/25 estimate is $63,000 with no
change from 2023/24.
The budget for E nergy costs, which includes
electricity, gas and diesel, for 2024/25 will be $213,000.
Insurance expenses to cover the Post Office
vehicle fleet remain the same at $12,000.
The Clothing, Uniform and Related expenses
will also remain the same during the 2024/25 financial
year at $60,000. It is expected that uniform costs will
reduce going forward as the Post Office implements effective usage and exchange policies but also as p ersons retire and are not replaced.
Other Expenses include World Post Day
recognition costs, staff -related costs (for example, staff
retirements), office supplies, paper, debit/credit card
commission fees, et cetera. These budgeted line items
in 2024/25 remain at $55,000.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes the commentary
of the Bermuda Post Office’s 2024/25 current account expenditure.
858 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly I will now move into an overview of revenue,

Very well, Honourable Minister , go
right ahead.

Revenue Overview
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Post Office
continues to provide postal and other services as man-dated by the Bermuda Government and supported by local legislation and UPU regulations. As a British Dependent Territory, the Government of Bermuda has a
designated obligation to provide residents of Bermuda
with a postal service —

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Vance Campbell: This obligation . . . you are correct. I stand corrected. This obligation is Bermuda ’s
Universal Service Obligation (USO) as mandated by
the United Nations and executed by the Universal
Postal Union to member countries and their territories.
Bermuda has to provide its residents with a postal service that is affordable, reliable and accessible to all. Affordability means that postal fees must be reasonably
priced. Simply put, as a UPU member through the United Kingdom, Government is lega lly obliged to deliver all addressed mail which includes mail that is addressed to the occupier or with any other generic recipient information, as well as mail that is personally addressed to you by name five days a week.
Mr. Chairman, therefore the Bermuda Post Office has a unique responsibility to provide a postal ser-vice. That service is expected to be efficient and as
stated to provide taxpayers with value and quality service.
Mr. Chairman, what the Post Office is experiencing regarding a reduction in mail volumes is being experienced by most international postal administrations. That is, a steady decline in mail volumes and its
impact on postal revenues and expense ratios. These
declines have to be hedged through innovation and new products and new services.
Mr. Chairman, from a revenue perspective, the
total revenue estimate for the year 2024/25, which can
be found on page B -51, is $2,829,000. This is an increase of $181,000, or 7.0 per cent, from the 2023/24
. . . and that would be versus the revised amount of
$2,648,000, as the postal industry struggles to return to pre-COVID -19 mail volumes and resulting revenues.
Mr. Chairman, the main revenue source for the
Bermuda Post Office continues to be Frankpost or postal meter sales, bulk mail, Post Office Box rentals,
terminal dues revenue and general stamp sales.
Mr. Chairman, Frankpost or postal meter sales
is budgeted for 2024/25 at $603,000, as postal meter sales are a most efficient way for small to large businesses to apply postage to letter mail and packages without having to buy physical stamps or even to visit
the Post Office as postage is updated online. Express and parcel sales add an additional $57,000 of revenue.
Mr. Chairman, the Bulk Mail budget for
2024/25 is estimated to be $227,000, as revenue dif-ference is reclassified under Frankpost meter sales.
This service is especially beneficial to small businesses
and entrepreneurs who can use the Post Office to mar-ket their products and services using flyer mail. Flyer
mail can be used to target postal codes, parishes and to specific addressees and/or Island- wide to the occupier. Business mailers continue to take advantage of
flyer mail rates. This service is an inexpensive alternative when compared to other traditional and electronic media to market and reach 38,000 residences, businesses and PO Box holders.
Mr. Chairman, total Philatelic sales for local, international and general stamp sales decrease by
$9,000 for 2024/25 at $86,000. The Philatelic website
link is expected to drive online sales and increase the current standing order customer base and retail philatelic sales locally and internationally.
Direct Stamp Sale revenues for 2024/25 are
expected to decrease by $44,000 to $445,000, or 9 per
cent, as digitisation and other means of communication impact the purchase of stamps.
Mr. Chairman, PO Box rental fee revenue projections are estimated to be $419,000 for 2024/25. Compared to 2023/24 revised revenue of $369,000, or
a 14 per cent increase. And the original 2023/24 figure
was $562,000. The Post Office continues to market PO
Box usage as an affordable, secure and private 24hour service. PO Box late penalty fees is estimated to be $29,000 for 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, Terminal Dues, or mail revenue
received from international postal administrations for
the Post Office to deliver mail received into Bermuda, is conservatively estimated to be $250,000. As the let-ter mail product shrinks annually, terminal dues received decreases. It is hoped that the Post Office can
continue to explore other products and services to offset this decline.
Customs Declaration Fees, namely MyBermudaPost Processing, and Post Office front counter ser-vice fees is expected to be $523,000, or a 9 per cent
decrease versus the 2023/24 estimate of $574,000. For
2024/25, parcel revenues is estimated to be $75,000.
Mr. Chairman, the Other smaller revenue line
items include Mail Handler Licence fees of $45,000,
Courier Service fees of $32,000, and Postage Paid Indicia fees of $15,000, among miscellaneous revenue receipts.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Post Office also
continues to collect revenue for other government de-partments. During 2023/24 and as of 31 January 2024,
the Bermuda Post Office collected agency receipts of
$1,176,000. This amount is broken down as follows
within the Post Office network:
• HMS Customs duty collected, $662,000;


Bermuda House of Assembly
• Department of Public Transportation bus
passes, tokens and tickets sold, $319,000;
• Department of Education pre- school and after-school vouchers sold, $173,000; and
• Department of Environmental Protection dog licence fees collected, $22,000.
Based on timeline, $1,176,000 agency collections is estimated to increase to just over $1,400,000
by the 31 March 2024. These collections represent a
testament from residents that still value the service and
postal network that the Post Office provides.
Mr. Chairman, agency receipts plus delivery
and courier services [which] the Bermuda Post Office
continues to provide to other government departments
are not included in the Post Office Revenue figures but
represent cross -departmental initiatives though not recognised as Post Office Revenue. These services or financial goodwill provided by the Bermuda Post Office
in this context adds to government -wide efficiencies
and effectiveness and highlights the role the Post Office plays to provide service opportunities for govern-ment departments while helping to reduce their annual
operational budgets. This is the Post Office’s direct
contribution to government with an estimated savings
of millions of dollars annuall y.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes commentary of
the Bermuda Post Office 2024/25 current account revenue. Mr. Chairman, I will move now move into Capital
Expenditure.

Capital Expenditure

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Post Office Capital Expenditure budget for 2024/25 can
be found on page C -9 of the Capital Acquisition Esti -
mates —

Yes.

Hon. Vance Campbell: —Schedule C. The Bermuda
Post Office has been allocated $15,000 for computer
equipment and (on page C -4) Capital Development of
. . . they have been allocated an amount of $500,000 to
renovate the General Post Office main floor to help im-prove operational efficiencies and customer service.
Funds received will also be used to help start
the remedial work and planning to move the Post Of-fice’s mail processing centre to the General Post Office over the next two budget cycles. This significant move
will ensure greater economies of scale, better customer
service overall and improved capacity in staffing.

Honourable Members, the Minister
continues in the Committee of Supply for further con-sideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2024/25. The Minister is in Head 13 on
the Post Office and he is on C -9 which is the Cabinet
Office department. Honourable Minister, you may continue.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to now move into
performance measures for the Post Office.

Yes, Minister.

Performance Measures

Hon. Vance Campbell: The performance measures
developed and reserved for the Bermuda Post Office
are found on pages B -54 and B -55. These measures
are directly related to the work done within the Post Of-fice to meet both local and international mail and delivery standards as a collective business unit.
Mr. Chairman, the high- level summary of the
2023/24 performance reflects that despite declining letter mail volumes, the Post Office continues to increase
its customer base and confidence in the Post Office.
Mail is being delivered on- time and parcel and package
arrivals are communicated to addressees for pickup.
Customer serv ice training has improved customer engagement at the front counter as customer service
training will become mandatory for all front counter staff
and delivery teams later this year. Customer com-plaints are at an all -time low, though they will occur,
mostly via social media but the Post Office engages
customer complaints and customers to resolve as
quickly as possible.
Mr. Chairman, the Post Office philatelic service
continued to produce the number of stamps issued targeted as the philatelic customer base increased on its
www.bermudapost.bm
website module. Mr. Chairman,
from an international perspective, the efficiency of the
Post Office’s processing unit helped to make foreign
posts more aware of Bermuda ’s timely domestic delivery standards as they do not hesitate to send Bermuda
their mail to deliver locally. Relatedly, the Post Office is meeting UPU compliance standards and measures and
remains part of the UPU compliance project to ensure
quality in service to local residents.
Mr. Chairman, Post Office international
measures has resulted in Bermuda being used as a
benchmark (and I am reiterating that) regarding secu-rity, process reviews and disaster risk management
compliance in the Caribbean region. As mentioned earlier, the Post Office is gold certified from a security perspective and will be re- audited by the UPU in April (next
month). In May the Post Office will also be awarded a
disaster risk management gold certification from the
UPU for its continued excellence and compli ance.
Mr. Chairman, the MyBermudaPost product is
a related measurement and is improving also despite
its ongoing legal matter as residents look for value in
package and parcel delivery. It remains part of the Post Office’s efforts to meet local delivery standards and
quality in servicing initiatives. To date, the product
860 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly service has approximately 4,000 customers signed up
and the Post Office expects to improve and increase parcel and small package volumes and offerings in the near future.
Mr. Chairman, it is the hope that these improvements will also transfer into additional revenue:
increased Post Office Box rentals and increase in staff
buy-in and satisfaction.
Mr. Chairman, the Post Office Administration
and Finance section continues to meet its objective to improve staff engagement, training and future develop-ment. The Post Office now has a UPU trained staff
member to assist staff with online UPU training post
courses and i t is expected that more staff will take advantage of this. Further the Post Office’s operations manager, assistant manager of facilities and IT managers have also participated in international UPU and USPS workshops to increase skill sets, ex posure and
experience as the postal industry shifts and the Post
Office attempts to remain relevant and continues to
train and develop staff. New Post Office staff members have also been trained in security and dangerous
goods standards to meet local aviat ion requirements.
Mr. Chairman, the Post Office IT services team
remains effective, efficient and continues to meet staff’s daily IT concerns, problems, and resolves issues within
the standards set. IT services remain engaged with the UPU IT professionals regarding several IT applicatio ns
that the Post Office uses to record, measure, process
and dispatch mail.
Mr. Chairman, the performance measures developed and reserved for Bermuda Post Office are
found on pages B -54. These measures are directly related to work done within the Post Office to meet both
local and international mail and delivery standards as a
collective business unit. A high- level summary of the
performance reflect . . . sorry, I think this is a repeat.
So, I will stop there, as far as performance
measures and move on to policy changes.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Policy Changes

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, this budget
statement from the Bermuda Post Office is a reality -
based reflection of Government ’s investment in the
Bermuda Post Office. Policy changes within this budget
year are focused on an increased emphasis on digitisation and diversification of services. The focus on the customer remains. We are also trying to provide these
services at a reduced price point.
Mr. Chairman, this House should be reminded
that the Bermuda Post Office is not just a local post office. Its operations and standards are governed by local
and international laws, Universal Postal Union stand-ards, resolutions and conventions.
Plans for the upcoming year, Mr. Chairman.

Go right ahead, Minister.

Plans for the Upcoming Year
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda
Post Office’s high level objectives for the next budget
year are
• to modernise postal legislation to reflect the
changing postal industry both locally and internationally in line with ensuring compliance with
UPU acts and mandates and international laws
concerning electronic data transmissions and
mail item electronic declarations;
• to increase market share to be more relevant
by embracing digitisation and to diversify services for continued growth;
• to introduce new postal products and/or ser-vices; and
• to continue to empower and train staff to serve
customers better.

The Bermuda Post Office’s focus is to better
utilise staff to meet mail delivery demands. This includes re- tooling and re- training staff, capacity building
and cross -training staff to meet customer demands.
The reality, Mr. Chairman, is that the volume and type
of work to be done should match the staffing requirements to do the work. No jobs will be lost but the Post
Office will right -size and work with all stakeholders as
the postal market shifts and becomes more competitive.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Post Office plans
to have four stamp issues inclusive of the Presentation
Pack in 2024/25 and a private stamp issue later this
year. The tentative stamp programme will include the following:
• Bermuda Fruits, 4 April 2024;
• Mary Prince, 17 July 2024;
• Alternative Bermuda Christmas Trees, 19 September 2024; and
• Presentation Pack 2024, 7 November 2024,
which is a combination pack of all the stamps
issued in the year.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Post Office is the
only government department that has direct competi-tion that impacts its revenue generation and services.
To remain relevant and to survive, the Post Office has
to shift its operations model to embrace or even reconstruct its universal service obligation to maintain a
postal service that is affordable and accessible. The
Post Office business model, mail delivery and govern-ment policy for the Post Office role continue to be reviewed.
Mr. Chairman, the Bermuda Post Office is
meeting most of its customer service needs. This is evidenced by a customer service survey conducted in
January 2023 which gave the Post Office an overall customer service satisfaction rate of 76 per cent. Mr.
Chairman, other survey responses indicate that 72 per
cent of respondents are satisfied with the Post Office’s


Bermuda House of Assembly
MyBermudaPost mail product. Sixty -five per cent of respondents are satisfied with the value for price paid and
timeliness of delivery and 65 per cent feel that the Bermuda Post Office should be more competitive.
Mr. Chairman, from a competitive perspective
the Post Office was the first to offer international package and parcel services in Bermuda. E -commerce,
such as online shopping and delivery of parcels and
postal packages, are areas where the Post Office
needs to grow to survive.
Mr. Chairman, additionally a Post Office analysis of MyBermudaPost customer transactions compared to if they would have used other services since
inception is calculated to have saved local residents and businesses almost $1 million in transport and other
related costs since the inception of MyBermudaPost.
These savings allow local businesses the opportunity
to hire more staff, to pay them better, to grow and increase residential and business disposable income
within Bermuda. Fundamentally, these savings add to
the premise and concept of government’s service obligation to its people.
Mr. Chairman, by 1 May, a UK address should
be in place with a future start date to be announced and MyBermudaPost will be a one- stop payment portal
soon, meaning quicker post office to residential and business doorstep deliveries. The Post Office’s mail
forwarding ser vice will be marketed so small to medium -sized enterprises can sell their products to international customers via a low price point to ship overseas with reliability in delivery. During this budget year,
the Post Office hopes to provide residents with access to input mail forwarding dispatches online, then come
to the Post Office to weigh, pay and ship. For inbound
mail items, addressees will be receiving electronic customer notices for arriving mail items into Bermuda to
aid in pickup and delivery, in addition to the use of parcel lockers with 24- hour access. The Post Office is
making processes more efficient as it strives to provide
the best service propositions for its customers.
Mr. Chairman, courier and postal transformation has been accelerated to a future norm. Bermuda has one of the most accurate addressing systems in the world, and the Post Office, local business
and private delivery services will continue to capitalise on this benefit. F or local packages, the Post Office’s
drop- and-deliver service is a package pickup and drop
off delivery service. Customers can drop off packages to any office, pay local postage rates and the Post Office will deliver them within 24 hours. Looks like you are
looking to use that delivery, Mr. Chairman.

Absolutely!

Hon. Vance Campbell: Alternatively, customers can
ask the Post Office to pick up and deliver pre- addressed packages anywhere in Bermuda within 24 hours at a cost of $7.50 each for packages up to 20
pounds.
Mr. Chairman, lastly, the Post Office continues
to serve the local community in need. They have a gen-eral delivery service in the General Post Office [GPO]
so residents who are indigent, homeless and without a
home address can use the GPO as an address. Staff
served wi thin the community throughout the year and
each World Post Day staff do volunteer work to help
those in need. Annually, the Post Office has its own in -
house centre and welcomes hundreds of school chil-dren for pictures with Santa Claus and for takeaway
goodies. They also get free postcards to mail to their parents, guardians and relatives. Nice touch.
Mr. Chairman, I conclude by thanking the hardworking and dedicated staff of the Bermuda Post Of-fice, Postmaster General, Mr. Samuel Brangman, Jr.,
and his senior management team for their continued
commitment to deliver mail and to provide an efficient
postal service.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Go right ahead, Minister.

HEAD 32 —DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, it gives me
great pleasure to present the budget for Head 32, the Department of Planning found on pages B -55 to B -59,
and C -17 of the Approved Estimates [of Revenue] and
Expenditure for the year 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Department
of Planning is To ensure the sustainable management
of the natural and built environment.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s objectives
comprise of
• balancing the need for development with protecting the natural and historic environment;
• managing the development of land to ensure
its efficient use;
• ensuring policies and processes are stream-lined, transparent and consistently implemented;
• ensuring developments are constructed in
compliance with required standards to protect
the health, safety and welfare of communities;
and
• engaging with educating and being responsive
to the needs of the public.
To meet these objectives the department has
seven business units as shown on page B -56. They are
as follows:
• Business unit 42000, General Administration
862 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Business unit 42020, Front Desk
• Business unit 42050, Enforcement and
Searches
• Business unit 42060, Planning
• Business unit 42070, Development Manage-ment
• Business unit 42080, Building Permits
• Business unit 42090, Inspections
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Planning’s
total budget allocation which is shown on page B -56 is
$3,838,000 for the 2024/25 fiscal year. This represents
an increase of $242,000 from the previous year.
Mr. Chairman, the Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates is also found on page B -56 and
includes the following:
• Salaries for the department is shown on line
one. The total budget is $3,351,000 and represents 87 per cent of the department’s budget.
• Rentals is shown on line eight with a budget of
$275,000 which is required to fund the rent associated with the planned office move during
this fiscal year to 44 Church Street in the City
of Hamilton.

Hon. Vance Campbell: If I move on to the Revenue
Summary, Mr. Chairman.

Go right ahead, Minister .

Revenue Summary
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the department’s revenue is found on page B -57 for the 2024/25
fiscal year and is estimated to be $1,691,000. This estimate represents an increase of $136,000 when compared to the budgeted revenue for the 2023/24 fiscal
year. Like other industries, the co nstruction industry is
not immune to rising costs of doing business. Whilst these rising costs may deter some projects from pro-ceeding, therefore representing a slight contraction in
the industry, there is still a healthy appetite to develop.
Residential and new tourism investment will continue particularly within the high- end sector. This is in addition to the recently announced large scale projects
such as the Fairmont Southampton and the Brookfield
development (91 Front Street).
An analysis of the projected revenue includes
the following:
• Planning Application Fees, shown on line one
is projected at $649,000 which reflects an increase of $190,000.
• Building Permits, shown on line three and is
projected to increase. Now, we expect, Mr.
Chairman, that residential construction will continue. It may decline slightly but the expec-tation [is] that it will still be vibrant and robust
throughout this year. And the expectation is
that it will be ably supplemented by a number
of larger scale projects which are expected to come online. The revenue is set at $600,000,
which represents an increase of $100,000 over the original estimate for 2023/24.
• The department continues to observe a healthy
real estate market in respect of property transactions. The projections made for the revenue
of Planning Searches are based on search re-quests received this current fiscal year and
only a minimum decrease is forecasted. As
shown on line five, the projected revenue figure
is $150,000, representing a decrease by
$85[,000].

The Minister continues in the Committee of Supply. He is on Head 32, the Department of
Planning and he continues under Review Summary.
Go right ahead, Minister .

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman,
• The projected revenue for Elevator Licences is
$200,000 and is a relatively static number due
to the number of conveying devices on Island. It is not expected to change significantly and I
might add that last year’s original budget was
overstated in regard to this. I believe it was
listed at $300,000.
Mr. Chairman, if I move on to Manpower —

Go ahead.

Manpower
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the department’s employee numbers are outlined on page B -57
of the Budget Book. For the past three years two administrative support positions were not funded. One of
these posts falling within the Administration business
unit of the department will now be funded for this new
fiscal year. The department has a total of 33 full -time
funded posts of which eight are currently vacant. The
department is therefore operating at 75 per cent of its
minimum staffing requirement to provide core services.
All postholders apart from three are Bermudian. The
vacant funded posts include Assistant Director, Planner, Development Management, Electrical Inspector, Senior Applications Officer, Applications Officer, Applications Information Clerk and Heritage Officer.
The recruitment process was completed for the
Planner post with the successful applicant starting in the first quarter of the new financial year. Recruitment
for the Electrical Inspector post has recently begun. Re-cruitment for other posts such as the Ass istant Director,
Administrative Officer and senior applications officer is
planned for the 2024/25 fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, it bears mentioning that the department takes a keen interest in providing young Bermudians with work experience and to train them for key
roles within the field of planning. It is recognised that
the Planner post is one that is labelled as hard to fill and


Bermuda House of Assembly
as such the department aims to attract young Bermudians who are studying in related disciplines. The department takes part in the Government ’s bursary award
scheme each fiscal year and for this upcoming year will
be advertising two awards. One to attract a student aspiring to be a Planner and another interested in the construction field, specifically as an Electrical Inspector.
Mr. Chairman, in this vein, I am pleased to report that the department’s most recent bursary student
commenced employment as a trainee Assistant Planner in September 2023 and is currently on a develop-ment plan for future advancement. Additionally, I am
happy to report that a trainee Heritage Officer, another
young Bermudian, is nearing the completion of her
training and is expected to move into the Heritage Officer post during the 202 4/25 fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, I will now move into Output
Measures.

Go right ahead, Minister .

Output Measures

Hon. Vance Campbell : Mr. Chairman, the performance measures for the department are presented on
pages B -58 to B-59 of the Budget Book.
These performance measures remain largely
unchanged from when they were first introduced last
year. For the business unit 42070, Development Management, during the period of 1 April 2023 to 10 February 2024, Mr. Chairman, 287 planning applications for
development or subdivision were processed. This represents a decrease by 76, or 21 per cent, when compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year.
Despite this reduction, it must be noted that the
Development Management team of the department has been operating with two vacant posts for the majority of
this fiscal year, a Planner and an Assistant Planner post. The vacancies represented a reduced capacity of approximately 30 per cent. Similarly, the department’s
Building Control team has been operating with a vacant Building Control Officer post and the department’s
Front Desk team has been operating with two of its four
posts vacant for the majority of the fiscal year. The
workload of each officer has therefore remained extremely high. The department has worked tirelessly to
process both planning applications and building permits to service the construction industry, a key pillar of
the economy.
Mr. Chairman, I would like t o highlight some
key projects that the department has processed over
this past fiscal year.

Yes.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Not all successfully, I might
add. P lanning permission was granted for two hotel
residence buildings at Harbour Drive subdivision. Approval was granted to create 13 additional lots at Wilkinson Quarry and the department carried out comprehensive assessments for a substantial tourism and res-idential development at the Fairmont Southampton. A
major tourism and a supermarket development at
South Road, Warwick and a multistorey office and commercial development at 91 Front Street. The depar tment has also processed applications for other tourism
and residential developments including numerous ex-ecutive style homes and a large volume of applications
involving renovations to existing dwellings.
Mr. Chairman, for this next financial year, the
department expects to receive planning applications for
executive homes particularly on lots within the approved White Crest Hill subdivision, redevelopment of
brownfield sites within the City of Hamilton and infra-structu re projects such as the replacement of both the
Longbird and Swing Bridges in St. George’s and expansion of port facilities. We are hopeful anyway. I have
the Minister for Works in front of me.

Yes.

Hon. Vance Campbell: And there is also the expansion of the port facilities in Dockyard, as well, that we
expect to process an application for.
Mr. Chairman, for the business unit 42080,
Building Permits, the statistics for both the submission
of building permits as well as the issuance of building
permits has held relatively steady over the course of
the 2022/23 and current fiscal cycles. Of note, building
permits have continued to be issued for the development of residential lots at Riddell’s Bay pursuant to the
Special Development Order made in July 2020. Tourism development maintains at steady levels including
both the Azura/Nautilus expansion, the recommencement of the Bermudiana Beach involving a new admin-istration block and swimming pool and renovations of
the Southampton Princess, a new beach club develop-ment. The department is also observing a continued
growth of commercial solar array installations particu-larly on the rooftops of buildings within the city and
along the outskirts, similar to what has been done on the Bacardi building, as a notable example.
Mr. Chairman, a breakdown of building permit
data reveals the following with totals included from the
2022/23 year as a helpful comparison:
• For the 2022/23 fiscal year, a total of 961 permits were submitted, and a total of 765 of these
permits were issued. Of the 765 permits issued, 16 per cent were for commercial developments, 26 [per cent] comprised residential
developments and 58 per cent r epresented the
minor works category of development.
• We anticipate a volume in and around between . . . for the 2023/22 [sic] fiscal year projects the
projection to 31 March based on current trends
so far this year, there is an expectation that
864 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly permits submitted will be in the region of between 850 to 900 permits.
Mr. Chairman, the department has experienced another healthy year with respect to the number
of planning searches performed under business unit
42050, Enforcement and Searches. Comparing the figures for the same period used for reviewing planning
approvals and permits, this fiscal year thus far yields 240 planning searches. T his number reflects an active
real estate market despite this being a slight decrease of 37 searches, or 13 per cent, from last year.
Mr. Chairman, I will move on to some of the
greater or major achievements for the year.

Major Achievements
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, aside from the
general processing of planning applications and issuing
of building permits, the department has completed several other key projects. The Department of Planning
completed an extensive process of data gathering, analysis work a nd public consultation in supported of a
new land use plan for the City of Hamilton. I am pleased
to report that the department has pleased numerous
messages of support for not only the change in process, but the content of the plan. Th e department has
just released the official draft City of Hamilton 2024 plan
which has commenced the statutory consultation period which will run for two months. Any representations
that are received during this period will be processed
by the department. Taking into account the requisite
legislative steps towards adoption, the department remains on course to have the new plan adopted and op-erational within this new financial year.
Mr. Chairman, it was reported in the past that
the department partnered with the Bermuda Land De-velopment Company [BLDC] to produce a community
plan for St. David’s. The area of St. David’s is recognised for its expanse of open spaces, wide mix of uses and valued historical landmarks. The need for St. David’s to have its own community plan is vital to ensure
a continued compatibility of land uses but, most importantly, that the area can grow sustainably, and fu-ture economic growth is in alignment with the needs of
the local community.
Mr. Chairman, after months of research and
consultation with the residents and business owners of St. David’s, a draft version of the St. David’s Community Plan was issued in August 2022 and the public was invited to provide their input. Following the conclusion of the consultation exercise, the Plan has moved to the
final stage of adoption which includes a strategy for implementation.
Mr. Chairman, with respect to legislative
change, the department has provided significant input
into the forthcoming Special Development Order for the Fairmont Southampton. During this fiscal year, the department has published procedures and guidance to
enable the commencement of the use of civil penalties to allow for proper measures to be taken against those
who breach planning regulations. Procedures and guid-ance have also been issued on Protected Conservation
Areas and Emergency Development Orders pursuant
to the amendments which were made to the Develop-ment and Planning Act 1974 in 2021.
Mr. Chairman, a number of civil penalties have
already been issued and received by the department following the procedures and guidance which was put
in place over the past year. The value of the civil penalties received by the department totals in excess of $60,000 to date and further civil penalty notices have
been issued which will result in the receipt of further penalties during the current fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, I am also pleased to confirm that
the department’s efforts to increase awareness of its functions and processes along with a desire to clearly understand the concerns of the construction industry
have continued with regular stakeholder engagement.
Meetings are routinely held with key groups in the in-dustry such as the Institute of Bermuda Architects, the
Construction Association of Bermuda, the Professional
Engineers Registration Council, the Chamber of Commerce and the Bermuda Economic Devel opment Corporation. This engagement proves to be key in ensuring the department is acutely aware of the challenges
and needs that the industry and community are facing.
These existing efforts will be expanded upon through
the provision of a series of information sessions to engage and educate the general public on planning processes. In response to the feedback received, the department is currently exploring new ways to incorporate
further efficiencies to improve the ways services are delivered.
Mr. Chairman, the department continues to
make enhancements to its public online interface, more
commonly known as EnerGov as well as the streamlining of workflows internally to enable a more efficient process. Progress continues with improvements to the
department’s website, particularly in respect of the publication of procedures and guidance notes to provide
clear and transparent information to stakeholders (including members of the public). This coming year, the
department will be exploring how the use of artificial intelligence can provide further assistance to the public
in answering frequently asked questions on planning
procedures.
Mr. Chairman, we have gone through a short
testing phase on this, just to test the accuracy. It did
better than I did . . . or would have done, in answering
those questions. So, we will develop that further and
that is something we are hopeful that we will be able to
bring to the public sometime in the future.
Mr. Chairman, if I can go into our plans for the
coming year.

Plans for the Upcoming Year



Bermuda House of Assembly
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the department
aims to roll out its Grow Bermuda initiative through creating a place for willing landowners to connect with members of our community who are looking for farming
opportunities. Whilst we have a very limited amount of
land, there are still numerous areas of land across the
Island which could be put to more productive use for
the benefit of the wider Island. Through creating a plat-form which connects landowners with farmers of any
skill, the department hopes t hat this will increase the
volume of locally grown produce and make a positive
contribution to bringing down the cost of living.
Mr. Chairman, the department is in the process
of developing an online platform for the identification of development opportunities which will highlight and promote sites that have development potential starting
with the identification of vacant and/or derelict proper-ties. An important part of this project will be the mapping of all vacant properties across the Island. When we have such a limited landmass, it is imperative to consider the number of disused properties across the
Island, particularly residen tial. From a sustainability
perspective, the department aims to first and foremost
facilitate the reuse or redevelopment of brownfield sites
and vacant and/or derelict buildings. Compiling the
data on these opportunity sites and properties will bring
them into public focus and hopefully ignite the interest
of potential investors.
Mr. Chairman, we will look to work with other
government departments . . . when you look at housing, they may have some of this information already
available through their research, so we are not looking to completely reinvent the wheel on this here, but to
work with o ur fellow government departments and/or
NGOs , like the Housing Corporation who may have
some of this information already.
Mr. Chairman, it was announced previously
that the department was performing a comprehensive
review of the Listed Building Register, a register that was first established in 1991 and has been subject to
limited review over the years. This is a significant undertaking by the department, the first stage of which was to devise an appropriate methodology for the audit.
International best practice on reviewing listed buildings
is constantly evolving and the department had to deter-mine an approach which was not only reflectiv e of modern practices within this field but could also be effectively applied within a Bermudian context.
There are currently a total of 782 listed buildings in Bermuda, all of which had to be reviewed as part
of this audit. Mr. Chairman, owing to the cyberattack on
the government ’s IT network, regrettably there has
been a delay in the completion of this project and therefore it is anticipated that the review will be completed
within this new fiscal year enabling the consultation processes to begin thereafter.
Mr. Chairman, another item which I anticipate
tabling this year includes the replacement of the Development and Planning (General Development) Order 1999, which will increase the scope and provide
greater clarity on what is considered permitted development. The new order will introduce permitted
changes of use to Bermuda which will provide muchneeded flexibility to assist business owners with appropriate l imitations to protect residents. In efforts to encourage renewable and green technologies, changes
to increase the scope of renewable energy infrastructure will also be one of the key features of this document. This item was due to be completed during the
current fiscal year. However, due to current staffing levels and the need to prioritise other items, it was not possible to complete the task within the originally anticipated timeframe.
Mr. Chairman, the department has been liaising with and assisting the Ministry responsibility for Mu-nicipalities to advance the adoption of a new World Heritage Site Management Plan. This document has been
finalised and has since been sent to the Departmen t for
Digital Culture, Media and Sport of the UK State Party.
The department continues to lend its support to the
Ministry of Public Works in respect of providing the
technical expertise in the arena of heritage planning of
an anticipated new management st ructure for the
World Heritage Site and upcoming mission visit by UNESCO officials.
Mr. Chairman, [during] this next financial year,
the department will commence a review of the existing
building codes with an aim to incorporate requirements
where appropriate and feasible to mitigate against the impacts of climate change. It is readily acknowledged
that Bermuda ’s building requirements are recognised
as the gold standard, but the intent is to take another
big step forward in ensuring that development is as efficient as possible with respect to energy usage. This
project will be collaborati ve, inviting the input from a
broad range of stakeholders.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, during my short
time thus far as Minister for the Department of Planning, I have acquired much knowledge of the department’s processes as well as the significant efforts being
made by the staff despite the resource challenges mentioned earlier. Year after year progress continues to be
made in respect of both policy and legislative change
and I look forward to the continuation of these efforts to
streamline the department and become more customer
centric. The department recognis es its value and pivotal role it plays as it relates to the health of the con-struction industry and ultimately the overall economy. Investor confidence is often dependent on obtaining a
smooth delivery of service derived from the regulation
of development. I am confident in the Department of
Planning’s team and attest firsthand to their persistence to educate the public on the important role that
Planning plays for our Island home. Whilst we don’t al-ways get it right, that is our goal . . . to provide the b est
of service to our client.
866 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly With that, I would like to thank all of the dedicated members of staff in the Department of Planning,
led by Ms. Victoria Cordeiro, the Director. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to now move on to
head, Head 43, that is the Department of Information
and Digital Technologies found on pages B -60 through
B-63 of the Budget Book.
HEAD 43 —DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Mission
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the mission of
the department is t o provide information and digital services that streamline processes to facilitate the government’s strategic business objectives .
Mr. Chairman, the department seeks to fulfil its
mandate by securing and maintaining its IT infrastruc-ture that hosts applications that are used within govern-ment departments. IDT will continue to improve on its security posture. This will provide a safe and secure
platform to build the future upon. IDT will continue to
provide governance and oversight to monitor and con-trol the use of key systems. IDT will also provide anal-ysis tools which will allow for data- driven decision- making. The department delivers and manages IT and telecom services used by government departments, as
well as deliver a digital reform solution for select government business processes.
To fulfil its mandate, the department has nine
business units as shown on page B -60 and they are as
follows:
•Business unit 53000, Administration and Management
•Business unit 53030, Device Support
•Business unit 53035, Network Support
•Business unit 53040, Service Support
•Business unit 53050, Digital Services
•Business unit 53060, Business System Sup-port
•Business unit 53070, System Support ISeriesand Wintel
•Business unit 53080, Training
•Business unit 53090, SecurityWe will now move into the expenditure overview, Mr. Chairman.
Expenditure Overview
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the total current
expenditure of the Department of Information and Digital Technologies, found on page B -60, is estimated to
be [$8,505,000] for 2024/25. This is an increase of
$287,000, or 3.5 per cent, over the 2023/24 budget of
$8,218,000.
Mr. Chairman, the subjective analysis of current account estimates of the Department of Information and Digital Technologies is found on page
B-61. I will now focus on the line items with the greatest
absolute change. Please note that most of our budget increase will be in Capital which will be addressed un-der the Capital heading.
Consultants increased by $141,000, or 62 per
cent, to $370,000 over the 2023/24 budget amount of $229,000. This increase is due to the need for addi-tional security staff. Currently there are only two secu-rity positions. Given the impact of the cyberattack, it is
prudent that IDT on board additional security re-sources.
Mr. Chairman, Salaries increased by
$348,000, or 7 per cent, due to salary uplifts and the [defunding] of four vacant and formerly funded posts. These unfunded posts are Service Analysist Support and Business Analyst and Business Process Analyst. These posts are under the business section and would
have no affect on security. There were also two additional posts which have been filled and they were Net-work and System Engineer posts. These two positions are critical to the long- term operational success of the
department.
Mr. Chairman, Training decreased by $34,500
as these funds were redirected to other critical ex-penses. To address the training shortfall, IDT has in place an extensive online training catalogue which is available for use by all staff members.
Mr. Chairman, Other Personnel Costs . . .
IDT’s other personnel costs in 2022/23 was $64,000 and these same costs in 2023/24 was $60,000. The budgeted amount for 2024/25 budget year is $48,000. This is $12,000, or 20 per cent, less than last year’s
budget. The other personnel costs include the allow-ance for network security and system staff to be on call
for network security and system issues. IDT will further
enhance monitoring of the infrastructure, utilising a lot of tools as opposed to the personnel.
Communications, IDT Communications costs
in 2022/23 was $1,609,000 and in 2023/24, the budget
was $1,578,000. In the 2024/25 [fiscal year], the budget
is $1,515,000, which is a decrease of $63,000, or 4 per
cent. Communications includes data lines and tele-phone communications. This decrease is due in part to system stability and enhanced staff skills and abilities.
I will move on to Rentals. IDT Rentals in
2022/23, [the budget] was $751,000. In 2023/24, this amount was $743,000. In the 2024/25 budget, Rentals is $660,000, a decrease of $83,000, or 11 per cent.
This is due to a decrease in rental costs at Link Ber-muda for our facilities plus building rental costs.
If we look at Repair and Maintenance, IDT Repair and Maintenance for 2022/23 was $500[,000]. It is budgeted at $650,000 for this current year and in 2024/25, the budget is $640,000 which is $10,000, or 2 per cent, less. This area includes software maintenance and application licensing costs.
Mr. Chairman, if I now move on to Capital Expenditure. Mr. Chairman, the Capital Acquisition for the

B ermuda House of Assembly Department of Information and Digital Technologies
[IDT] can be found on page C -9. It makes provision for
new capital expenditure in the amount of $5,846,000, which is an increase of $2,441,000, or 72 per cent, over
the Capital budget for 2023/24, which was at $3,405,000. This is an example of the commitment of
this Government to making sure that IDT has the resources that it requires to best serve the g overnment
and also to protect the information and data that the
government collects in its normal operati ons.
IDT will be able to launch and complete major
systems upgrades to our infrastructure, implement a
testing environment, improve systems security with
24/7 monitoring and additional tools to assist with de-tecting and prevention of cyberthreats. This also in-cludes upgrading legacy servers, upgrades to network
switches, upgrades to cabling and other uninterrupta-ble power supplies. IDT will also upgrade the ISeries
platform as well as improve our backup systems. Investments in our infrastructure will ultimately lay the groundwork for our digital transformation initiatives.
The 2024/25 budget adjustments in capital expenditure affect the following areas.
•There is increased funding for Infrastructure
Computers of $200,000 which brings the total
Infrastructure Computers budget to $500,000.This includes replacement workstations, laptops, monitors and inventory.
•Development Projects funding was decreased
by $5,000 and sits at $690,000.
•There is increased funding for Network Upgrade of $470,000, which brings the total Network Upgrade budget to $1,000,000. This willinclude the replacement of current switches,
cabling upgrade, network monitoring tools, licences and firewall upgrades. The cost in-cludes unified communications and networkcosts. The unified communications costs arefor telephone software, business critical ser-vices, collaboration support, Cisco room kits
and endpoints as well as related items and that
is $700,000. Network costs are Cisco Edge,switch replacements, Cisco total data centre,network assessments and Cisco digital net-work architect centre implementation. These
funds also include the Fortinet equipment systems services and licensing. Our switches areat the end of life . . . also cabling and uninterruptible power supplies are outdated, and we
need the additional equipment for monitoringand support. This is $300,000 . . . are the additional funds for these tasks.
•Increased funding for ISeries Systems/Serversof $325,000 which brings the total ISeries Systems/Servers budget to $555,000. This would
include hardware system and software up-grades. This is to purchase an IBM Power10Server and an additional storage area networkand direct access storage device or disk drives as our current system is now longer supported by IBM and needs to be upgraded.
•Increased funding for Wintel Systems/Servers
of $1,251,000 which brings the total Wintel
Systems/Servers budget to $1,601,000. This
increase is to upgrade servers, licensing, stor-age and additional maintenance costs. Thisfunding will also provide for licences for Of-fice365 which will enable the government email
system to be migrated to a secure cloud environment. Our email systems are at end of sup-port and need to be upgraded. This move willalleviate the email outages that occur and willenable the government’s email servers to be
more resilient in the future in the event of future
attacks
.
•Government Portal/Website funding remains
the same at $400,000.
•Increased funding for E- Government Initiatives
Digital Reform of $100,000 which brings the to-tal E- Government Initiatives Digital Reform total to $600,000: This is to support the G overnment Reform Initiative. These funds will support digital reform requests for proposals, re-quests for information, evaluation, onsite de-mos as well as proof of concept pilots for gov-ernment departments. IDT, Mr. Chairman, wil
l
c
ontinue to support management consultant
services as the Project Management Office forgovernment reform. Delivery of 100 per cent of
the priority initiatives set out in the GovernmentReform Strategic Plan Framework 2019– 2023
were tracked used a cloud- based project management tool called Achieveit. This system isopen to 125 users to monitor and report on theimplementation of the G overnment Reform Initiative. As a note, Mr. Chairman, and to validate
government efficiency endeavours, Achieveitis also being used to project manage other
largescale initiatives inclusive of the Economic
Recovery Plan and the Education ReformPlan. The maintenance of this licence is$70,000 annually.
•Mr. Chairman, increased funding for IT Security of $100,000 which brings the total IT Secu-rity budget to $500,000. As you might expect,Mr. Chairman, security is our top priority.
These additional funds include software, monitoring, penetration testing and additional tools.
Additional security tools include, but are notlimited to, extended detection response (XDR),topology mapping and Fortinet analyser tools,24/7 monitoring and additional tools also to respond to cyber incidents.
I move now to Manpower, Mr. Chairman.
Manp
ower
868 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Manpower
for the Department of Digital and Information Technologies, shown on page B- 61, has increased by one.
There are 49 full -time equivalents in 2024/25, one less
than the 50 . . . it has decreased by one, at 49, which is
one less than the 50 in 2023/24. The department is
working with the Department of Employee and Organizational Development to fill eight additional vacant funded positions to increase our operational capabili-ties and meet our mandate. These positions are filled currently with temporary relief employees. Just in case the public was wondering on that matter, these positions are filled by temporary relief employees.
Mr. Chairman, I am happy to report that recruitment for some of our critical posts has been completed.
Those posts would be a Deputy Chief Information Of-ficer, two Department Relationship Managers, a Net-work Engineer and a Systems Engineer. Two of the remaining critical positions to be filled include a Chief
Systems Engineer Wintel currently filled with a temporary additional. IDT is working with the Department of Employee and Organizational Development on recruit-ment for this critical post. A Security Manager, we are
working to upgrade this position to Chief Information
Security Officer to assist the department with recom-mendations, guidance and implementation as well as leading and implementing the security initiatives as it relates to IT and the government. This will yield a higher pay scale and make it more likely that government can
attract a quality and experienced person to this public
officer position.
Mr. Chairman, IDT recruitment programme is
ongoing and will enable us to better manage govern-ment’s IT resources and consequently allow us to meet the department goals. Recruitment will also supplement project management resources and oversight
with respect to ongoing government or IT projects. Ad-ditional staff will also allow IDT to support a future digi-tal government and security.
Now, Mr. Chairman, I will move on to Output
Measures.
Output Measures
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Department
of Information and Digital Technologies Performance
Measures are found on pages B- 62 and B -63 of the
Budget Book. Selected indicators under each business
unit are outlined as follows:
Business Unit 53030 —Device Support
Hon. Vance Campbell: Indicator: Resolve and repair
service tickets within service level targets. The original forecast for 2023/24 was 80 per cent to be completed
within service level targets. Revised forecast for 2023/24 achieved 89 per cent within service level targets due primarily to staff turnover. The target outcome
for 2024/25 is 90 per cent due in part by filling in additional posts and the implementation of modernised
device management systems and desktop upgrades.
Business Unit 53035 —Network Support
Hon. Vance Campbell: Indicator: Network monitoring,
resolve repair tickets within service level targets. Origi-nal forecast for 2023/24, 75 per cent. Revised forecast
achieved 75 per cent due to telephone system stabilisation initiative related to telephone incidents. The tar-get outcome for 2024/25 is likewise 75 per cent.
Business Unit 53040 —Service Support
Hon. Vance Campbell: Indicator: Manage tickets and
resolve account administration within service level tar-gets. The original forecast for 2023/24 was 95 per cent.
Revised forecast remains at 95 per cent. The target
outcome for 2024/25 is 95 per cent completion within
service level target due in part to continued roll- out of
self-service online tools such as: password.gov.bm,
service desk logging, and single sign- on.
Business Unit 53060 —Business Systems Support
Hon. Vance Campbell: Indicator: Conduct routine
monthly service level review meetings with key depart-ments. Original forecast was 70 per cent. The revised
forecast is 60 per cent and the target outcome for
2024/25 is moved back up to 70 per cent, due in part to
the cyberattack and the introduction of a new IT gov-ernance model.
Business Unit 53090 —Security
Hon. Vance Campbell: The target outcome for
2024/25 is 100 per cent, as all E1 upgrades have been completed and IDT working along with the Accountant General will focus on coordinating and executing a full disaster recovery exercise.
Projects in the Past Year
Hon. Vance Campbell: The following IT projects were
accomplished during the 2023/24 fiscal year:
•Cybersecurity attack investigation and restoration. The Bermuda Government was hit by a
cyberattack during the past fiscal year. This
had a significant impact on services deliveredand moving projects forward as all IT re-sources were focused on recovery. However,
although the systems were impacted, IDT was
able to get some things accomplished.
•If we look at portals, automation of the Cabinet
memorandum process (phase one), onlin
e
pay
ment portal, Flu Express health, gov.bm
portal upgrade.
•Under digital services, the issuance of SmartGovernment Partner Request for Information
(RFI); assisted with the National Digital Health

Bermu da House of Assembly Strategy; assisted with the Judicial Enforcement Management System (JEMS) replace-ment.
•Under business services, a manual mission
critical tool created to assist and prioritise outages after a cyber incident, restoration of Man-age Engine for ServiceDesk; assisted with decryption of service and desktops.
•Under ISeries, maintained 100 per cent uptime
for server platform prior to and during the cyberincident.
Pla
ns for the Upcoming Year
Hon
. Vance Campbell: The Department of Information
and Digital Technologies will continue with the devel-opment of its core services in the upcoming year by fo-cusing on four key strategic areas. The four areas that make up our IT strategy are centred around:
1.Ensuring a Trusted Environment. Building atrustworthy and dependable IT infrastructure.
2.A Secure Environment. Security has been andwill continue to be a top priority. IDT will con-tinue to focus on protecting systems, networksand data from unauthorised access, breaches
and other cyberattacks. Due to the recent
cyberattack, IDT will be adding extra resources
such as enhanced monitoring tools that takeadvantage of artificial intelligence and staffingto increase our cyber awareness even further.
By investing in these resources, we fortify our
defences and maintain vigilance against poten-tial threats. Fostering an environment where
safety and security are paramount concerns,IDT will implement a more stringent process toensure the safety of our stakeholders and systems. By remaining vigilant and adaptable to
the evolving cyber threat landscape, IDTstands ready to confront and mitigate emergingrisks effectively.
3.Reliable Environment. Committing to ensuringthat IT systems and services are consistently
available and perform well.
4.Robust Environment. Ensuring that systems
strength and resilience in the face of chal-lenges are embedded within all that falls underthe IDT purview.
Mr. Chairman, IDT has created a draft 18month strategy that lays the foundation to deliver a
more secure environment while increasing operational stability. Thereby creating a catalyst for the Digital Re-form Initiative in 2024/25.
Mr. Chairman, as I close this section, I think
that it is important to note that this Government continues to make investments into technology and that these investments will yield significant productivity im-provements in future fiscal years. I hasten to also thank the entire Information and Digital Technologies staff for the service that they continue to provide the Bermuda
Government, especially with multiple challenges and
staff shortages. They have done a great job over the
last year serving the Government and I commend them
for their
efforts. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This
concludes my presentation for Head 43.

For the listening audience, this is Minister Vance Campbell presenting on the Cabinet Office
in our [Budget] Debate. We are now in the Committee of Supply for further consideration of Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure. Minister Campbell has a four -
hour debate which started at 4:00 pm. It is now 6:45 so
that leaves us with just over an hour left. He has done
Heads 9, 13, 32, 43 and he is about to go on to Head 51.
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, it gives me
great pleasure to present the budget for Head 51, the Department of Communications found on pages B -64
through B -67 of the Budget Book.
Mission
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the mission of
the Department of Communications is To be the trusted
source of information for Bermuda.
Expen
diture Overview
Hon
. Vance Campbell: If we look at the Expenditure
Overview, Mr. Chairman, on page B -64 there is a General Summary for the department.
The total current expenditure for fiscal year
2024/25 is estimated to be $3,396,764. This is an in-crease of $88,661, or 2.6 per cent, over the original
2023/24 budget.
Mr. Chairman, the Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates can be found on page B -65 of
the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, in this year’s Communications
budget, in line item 1, page B- 65, there is an allocation
of $2,665,000 for salaries. This is an increase of $154,000. This increase accounts for posts that were vacant and are now filled and for the Bermuda Publ ic
Services Union (BPSU) uplifts in salary. Also, an addi-tional $35,000 has been allocated to cover the cost of overtime expenses for the myriad of government events which occur during weekends, holidays and af-ter hours on weekdays.
Mr. Chairman, in this year’s Communications
budget, in line item 3, page, B- 65, there is an allocation
of $20,000 for staff training and development. This al-location is to provide all members of the department an opportunity to engage in industry training in specialised fields. HEAD 51—DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS
870 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly In line item 5, page B -65, there is an allocation
of $40,000 for travel, subsistence and accommodation
associated with any overseas training that will be un-dertaken by members of the department.
In line item 6, page B -65, there is an allocation
of $94,250 for Communications which covers the acquisition of replacement cell phones and monthly billing
costs. Mr. Chairman, with a steady rise in government
activities, events and community engagement, the Department of Communications is being relied on more
and more to provide promotional services to support the critical programmes and activities that affect the
lives of Bermudians. In order to support these activities,
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Co mmunications will
utilise an increased allocation in advertising to support a variety of media activities and engagements.
In this year’s communications budget, at line
item 7, page B -65, there is an allocation of $371,221 for
Advertising. This allocation also covers the annual Blue Page’s insertion which outlines the litany of public service information available to the publi c.
Mr. Chairman, in line item 8, Professional Services, there is an allocation of $35,231. This is for securing specialised services associated with ensuring
the effective operations of the government television
station, CITV.
In line item 10, on page B -65, a new object
code, there is an allocation of $2,000 to cover insur-ance costs for the department’s three vehicles. In line
item 11, on page B -65, there is an allocation of $49,100
to cover energy and the increased cost of elec tricity. In
line item 12, Material and Supplies, there is an allocation of $40,800. This is to cover the cost of office sup-plies, computer software and general administrative
materials. In line item 13, Equipment (Minor Capital)
there is an allocation of $9,439 for the cost of furniture
such as desks, chairs and storage units.

Staff

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Department
of Communications consists of a passionate and committed staff, all of whom work tirelessly to achieve the department’s mission. Currently, there are 28 full -time
funded employee posts. I am pleased to note that pre-viously vacant full -time funded posts of an assistant director of communications, content officer, photographer and senior graphic designer have now been filled.
In that regard, I am pleased to acknowledge the follow-ing individuals who have been c onfirmed in these
posts: Ms. Honey Adams, as the assistant director of
communications. Mr. Jamie McDowell, senior graphic
designer, Mr. Antoine Hunt, photographer and Ms.
Michelle Lamb as a content officer .
Mr. Chairman, we are anticipating that the two
vacant posts of a communications officer and a graphic designer will be filled before the end of this current fiscal year. Mr. Chairman, when we discuss the structure
of the Department of Communications, you should note
that there are five sections within the department and
they comprise of the following:
• Administration;
• Communications;
• Creative Services;
• CITV (the government television station); and
• Telephone Customer Service Representatives, who are the government telephone operators.
Mr. Chairman, as we highlight the staff within
the department, I want to provide a brief overview of the various sections within the department, starting with the Communications section, business unit 61030, as indicated on page B -65 of the [Budget] Book.
The Communications section currently comprises of an assistant director, four communications officers, an internal communication officer, a content officer and a social media officer. There is a vacant Com-munications post that will be filled on 18 March. T hat is
the target deadline.
Mr. Chairman, these eight officers serve a
dozen ministries and more than 60 government departments. Mr. Chairman, in the last year, this team of communications officers continued to operate at a breakneck pace, meeting increased demands and providing
a number of communications services [to] government ministries and departments. Working days, nights, holidays, weekends, through hurricanes, power outages
and cyber interruptions, communications officers continued their mission of ensuring that residents were in-formed about government’s critical programmes, policies and legislative initiatives.
During 2023, the communications officers created targeted messaging, wrote several hundred government press releases, media advisories and ministerial speeches, responded to hundreds of media inquir-ies and mitigated high profile crisis and risk situations.
Added to these tasks, Mr. Chairman, the communications officers also project managed dozens of community events and government activities throughout the
year. The communications officers are at the forefront
of public engagement on behalf of the ministers , ministries and the departments they serve. They are the cre-ators and architects of the messaging that supports and
enhances the government initiatives. They work in partnership with the government leadership, and they are
an integral component to ensuring that the public have
all the information required in order to make informed
decisions about their lives.
Mr. Chairman, I now turn to the g overnment television station, CITV, business unit 61040, as indicated on page B -65 of the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, CITV comprises a general manager, programme manager, senior producer, television editor, and two full -time videographers.
Mr. Chairman, the government television station works in partnership with the Communications


Bermuda House of Assembly
section to support and amplify the words and messages that are created on behalf of government minis-ters, ministries and departments. Throughout the past year, the government’s television station has remained
committed to producing and airing programming t hat
showcase the government’s programmes and how they
benefit the people of Bermuda . The station also features cultural, historical and socially relevant topics that
celebrate and underline the diversity of Bermuda’s heritage. In 2023, the government telev ision station also
produced hundreds of videos, radio commercials, public service announcements and social media videos.
Additionally, the station provided coverage of press
conferences, government town hall and public meet-ings and several major live remote broadcasts.
Mr. Chairman, highlights of this year’s live
broadcasts included the convening of the Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, the Peppercorn Ceremony, the Bermuda Day Parade, the Remembrance
Day Parade and the Bermuda College commencement ceremony just to name a few.

Creative Services

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I now turn to the
Creative Services section, business unit 61050, as in-dicated on page B -65 of the Budget [Book].
This team includes the assistant director of creative services, a senior graphic designer, two graphic
designers, two photographers and a photo librarian.
There is also a graphic designer post that will be filled
by 2 April of this year.
Mr. Chairman, this section of the department
provides the government ’s visuals through photography, digital and hard copy collateral materials. The
imagery created by the Creative Services section helps
to tell the story of government’s programmes and policies. Creative Services work together in support of government minis tries and departments to provide all the
government’s signage, posters, e- fliers, business
cards, social media graphics, animated graphics, print ads and photography. This small team has proven to be an invaluable resource to the Government of Bermuda .

Customer Service Representatives

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the Customer
Service Representatives section, business unit 61070, as indicated on page B -65 of the Budget Book currently
consists of two full -time employees. Government’s call
centre remains one of the most active in Bermuda. On
average, th e government ’s switchboard receives
around 150 calls per day. The Customer Service Representatives provide information to hundreds of callers on a weekly basis. The Customer Service Representatives field calls from the public ranging fr om health to
immigration, from education to public transportation, from social insurance to financial assistance and more. The department continues to partner with the Department of Information and Digital Technology to manage the Cisco Unified Computing [UC] System, the digital,
web- based platform that interfaces with the call centre.
Because the call centre is now web- based, it has from
time to time experienced some technical issues as a result of intermittent network issues. However, there
has been a concerted effort to ensure that regular maintenance on the system is conducted to reduce any
customer complaints due to dropped or missed calls.
Additionally, the Department of Communications, in partnership with the Department of Information
and Digital Technology, continued to explore machine
learning technology to populate an online knowledge
base platform to provide more complete information t o
residents.

Administration
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, business unit
61000, as indicated on page B -65 of the Budget Book,
comprises of the director, an administrative officer and
an accounts assistant. This unit continued to steadily
ensure the efficient and effective administration of the
department.

Performance Measures

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the output
measures for Communications are listed on pages B -
66 and B -67 of the Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, the continued demand for CITV,
business unit 61040 on page B -66 of the Budget Book,
to provide live coverage of government events has increased tremendously. The government television station will seek to ensure that government press confer-ences are successfully carried live on CITV and
streamed live to the Government Portal, Facebook and
YouTube without interruption of the broadcast signal
100 per cent of the time.
Mr. Chairman, our Creative Services section,
listed as business unit 61050 on page B -66 of the
Budget Book, prides itself on speed, innovation and efficiency. Mr. Chairman, Creative Services is an integral
component in the cost savings necessary to make public information quickly accessible to the broader community. During this past year, the Creative Services
team fielded more than 1,429 project requests. Within those requests there were a further 4,500 pieces of art-work that were required.
Our Photography Section, within the Creative
Services, has taken an excess of 146,000 images over the course of 2023. This past year Creative Services
had a job completion rate of 99.3 per cent. Creative
Services will seek to ensure that there is a 100 per cent
turnaround time on the production of photography and graphic design materials.
872 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Plans for the Upcoming Year

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, in this upcoming year t he department will continue to assist implementing communication strategies that will demon-strate the Government’s commitment to engaging and
supporting the people of Bermuda. This includes communications, campaigns and promotions that support such activities as the 2024/25 national bud get, the annual Ag Show, International Women’s Day, Heritage Month and the Bermuda Day Parade, the Government Summer Employment programme, the Ministry of
Transport’s Electronic Vehicle campaign, improvements to the Island’s ageing infrastructure, promoting
the Government’s Economic Development Strategy, attracting talent into the Government with the re- imagining careers in the public service campaign, education
reform, health care reform, and the Speech from the
Throne.
Mr. Chairman, communications in all its mediums and disciplines are rapidly growing. This year’s
budget reflects an increase in funds for training so that
the department can invest in the professional development of the staff. As the demands and technology of
the profession change, the talent matrix must adapt . A
premium will be placed on ensuring continuous learn-ing and development to keep the team at the forefront
of industry evolution.
Mr. Chairman, our digital and online platforms,
Government’s Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp,
StreamYard, YouTube and LinkedIn continue to be
popular mediums for residents to receive their information. The department recognises that building and strengthening relationships with our stakeholders is a
priority for the Department of Communi cations. This
year, in an effort to communicate to a broader audience
and ensure maximum awareness of the Government’s
programmes, initiatives, and policies the Department of
Communications will expand its engagement with local,
nontraditional and traditional media partners.
Funding for advertising within the department’s
budget will allow for partnerships with new and emerg-ing local media entities who have contributed to the rap-idly shifting media landscape. The aim of these partnerships is to engage our community directly i n diverse
and innovative ways to encourage residents to learn
more about the Government initiatives that matter most
to them. These engagement activities will take the form
of direct in- person curated events with key segments of
the community. We expect that the invaluable feedback received will be used to guide proposed Government
policies and programmes.
Mr. Chairman, to ensure that we provide the
most unique perspective with the Government imagery we share with our community, funds in the budget have
been included for an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, or drone. With the introduction of drone technology aerial
photography has become more compelling and innovative. The Creative Services section within the department will invest in this technology. By doing so,
we hope to revolutionise government photography by opening up a number of new opportunities to capt ure
high-quality photos and videos from a variety of perspectives.
Mr. Chairman, as indicated earlier in this brief,
the department will continue its commitment to provid-ing our community with access to events and activities that engender national identity and community pride.
This year the government’s television station will continue to provide live coverage of signature events such as the Remembrance Day Parade, the King’s Birthday
Parade, National Heroes Day, the convening of Parliament and of course, the Bermuda Day Parade. To as-sist with the technical demands of showcasing these
events live, a modest uplift in the budget has been provided to allow the upgrade and acquisition of new equipment for the Government’s television station.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, it has been roughly five
years since the Department of Communications has engaged in a strategic review. This year, under the
leadership of the Director of Communications and in
partnership with the Government’s management consultancy services, the department will undertake a strategic planning exercise that will review the current mis-sion and operating model and identify strategic issues
and determine strategic actions.
Mr. Chairman, the reality is that much has
changed over the past several years and the communications landscape has transformed considerably. To
ensure that there is a shared purpose and clarity of
message, both internally and externally, the department w ill implement a robust plan that supports the
team and seeks to deliver Government communications in ways that contribute to the enhancement of the
lives of the people of Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, as I close, I wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the director
and to the entire team at the Department of Communications. They are a team of committed public servants.
They work behind the scenes effectively with professionalism and without fanfare. Their sole aim is to serve the Government and the people of Bermuda. For that
we are appreciative of their dedication. During this next
fiscal year, the Department of Communications looks forward to continuing to support the Government’s
mandate of ensuring a prosperous and successful Ber-muda for all.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This concludes my
budget presentation for Head 51.

The Honourable Minister Campbell
has finished his presentation on Head 51. He does have two more heads to go. He has Head 61 and Head 80.
Minister, you have the floor.



Bermuda House of Assembly
HEAD 61 —THE DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYEE
AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to
present the budget for Head 61, t he Department of Employee and Organizational Development, found on
pages B -68 through B-72 of the Budget Book .

Mission
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the mission of
the Department of Employee and Organizational Development is To optimize talent and transform the Organization.

Expenditure Overview

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the total current
expenditure is estimated to be $7, 962,000 for 2024/25
which represents an increase of $364,000 or 5 per cent
compared to 2023/24. The increase is largely attributed
to salary increments because of negotiated salary increases with the Bermuda Public Services Union
[BPSU].
Mr. Chairman, the subjective analysis for the
department is on page B -69 of the E stimates Book,
which I will highlight.
Salaries : These are estimated at $6, 803,000
and represents an increase of 7 per cent or $469,000
compared to the current estimate for 2023 /24 of
$6,334,000. Mr. Chairman, the majority of t his increase
is attributed to the salary negotiations with the BPSU,
as previously mentioned. In addition, one position that
was partially funded in 2023/24 is now fully funded.

Training

Hon. Vance Campbell: The estimated budget for this
is $135,000 and represents a 1 per cent decrease in
comparison to 2023/24. However, funding of $80,000 (which will be discussed under the subjective analysis
for professional services) will be journaled to raise the
total number of bursary awards from six to ten.

Travel

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, this is estimated at $27,000 and represents a 23 per cent decrease in comparison to 2023/24. These costs are associated with expenses to relocate new employees to Bermuda and to repatriate non- Bermudians at the end
of their contract period.

Communications

Hon. Vance Campbell: As we look at Communications, this is estimated at $45,000 and represents an increase of 80 per cent, or $20,000. These funds which
were sourced from funding already in the department’s
budget will cover the cost of mobile services as phones were purchased in the latter part of 2023 for critical staff
to ensure they have telephone access to conduct Government business. The current location cannot accommodate additional landlines and thus office phones
have been experiencing challenges s ince the cyberattack.

Professional Services

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, this is estimated at $554,000 in comparison to $492,000 for the
current estimate. Funding to continue work with the
new job evaluation modelling initiative which com-menced in 2023 remains. More details from the status
of this project will be shared later in this brief.
In addition, as previously mentioned, $80,000
will be applied to the bursary and trainee schemes programme. Other costs covered under this category are associated with such areas as the annual employee assistance programme fee, consultant fees for local and
overseas facilitators to provide services in relation to
talent management and legal fees associated with work
undertaken by the Public Service Commission.

Repair and Maintenance

Hon. Vance Campbell: The budget is estimated at
$361,000 and represents a 6 per cent decrease in comparison to 2023[/24]. And the reduction has been used
to supplement other priority areas, Mr. Chairman.

Materials and Supplies

Hon. Vance Campbell: The total funding of $83,000
represents an increase of 14[ per cent], or $10,000. It
was necessary as more office supplies are needed due to the increase in employee numbers as positions that
were not occupied previously have now been filled.

Receipts Credited to Programme

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, t his is attributable to the estimated recharges back to the Public Service Superannuation Fund [PSSF] , Ministers and Members of the Legislature Pensions Fund [ MMLPF ], and
the Government Employee Health Insurance F und
[GEHI]. These funds cover the administrative costs incurred by the compensation and benefits [ business ]
units.

Manpower

Hon. Vance Campbell: The manpower estimates for
the department as outlined on page B -70 is 63 full- time
874 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly equivalents which remains consistent with the original
estimate for 2023 /24.

Capital Acquisition

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman , capital acquisition for the d epartment is on page C -10 of the Estimates Book. The estimated $1 4,000 is to cover the replacement of outdated computer equipment, i.e., laptops, monitors and monitor stands.

Performance Measures
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman , the performance measures developed for the Department of Em-ployee and Organizational Development are found on
pages B -71 and B -72. These measures are directly related to the work of each of the business units. Time
will not permit a full and detailed review ; therefore, I will
provide a high- level summary of the 202 3/24 original
and revised forecasts on significant matters.
Mr. Chairman, with a view to causing ministries
and departments to function more efficiently, the Management Consulting Services (MCS) section completed 1 5 operational/organi sation reviews thus exceeding the original forecast of 10.
Mr. Chairman, MCS also served as the Project
Management Office for Government Reform. Delivery
of 100 per cent of the priority initiatives set out in the
Government Reform Strategic Planning Framework
2019 –2023 were tracked using the cloud- based project
management tool AchieveIt. The system is open to 125
users to monitor and report on the implementation of the Government Reform Initiative.
As a note, and to validate Government efficiency endeavours, AchieveIt is also being used to pro-ject manage other large- scale initiatives inclusive of the
Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) and the Education Re-form Plan.
Mr. Chairman, on the matter of employee compensation, through a competitive tendering process a
new job evaluation tool was selected to determine the
relative value of public service positions. The imple-mentation guided by the selected vendor has started
with the evaluation of specialist positions in the areas
of finance, health, compliance, engineering, legal, and
informat ion technology which are in alignment with
hard- to-fill data.
Mr. Chairman, the HR Business Partnering
Section completed 40 per cent of the development of
human capital resource plans for assigned ministries
and departments. However, given the high volume of
recruitment their work continued to focus on recruitment and hiring owing to the high number of vacancies
across the s ervice .
Forecasting activities were again limited to
length of time to recruit for vacant funded posts and workforce planning cent red around devising ways to fill
the labour gaps in the short term. As each HR Business [Partnering Section] stabili ses their portfolio recruitment issues , they will re -focus on the more holistic matters associated with human capital resource planning.
Mr. Chairman, t he Talent Management Services section continued the implementation of the Government’s Succession Planning and Management Policy upon identification of critical and hard- to-fill posts.
Posts held by officers retiring within five years and
posts held by non- Bermudians.
The team working with the HR Business Partnering Section met with respective client departments
to prioritise implementation of succession strategies in relation to business and resource planning.
Professional development plans were created
for internal candidates having expressed interest in development toward the next level [of] hard- to-fill posts. In
addition, a more focused effort was made in relation to
bursary recruitment ensuring hard- to-fill posts were
given priority. Lastly, the team was active with student outreach organising several departments’ participation in career events held at the Berkeley Institute, CedarBridge Academy and the Bermuda College. These
events provided opportunities to share information
about critical and hard- to-fill posts as well as bursary or
trainee programmes offering support for those transitioning from high school to university and then into the
work force. In addition, content was created for inclusion in a planned career guide for use by students, par-ents and anyone interested in a career within the public
service.
Mr. Chairman, the Government bursary and
training schemes, including trainee and designate development plans, are existing tools used to ensure that
there is cadre of competent viable candidates to fill hard- to-fill roles. In relation to the forecast, Ms. Ashley
Fubler completed her tutelage and was appointed as a
junior crown counsel in January 2024.
Mr. Chairman, the Leadership Development
Programme continued with two groups this year. Those
requiring support around the foundations of management and those demonstrating the ability to fill permanent secretary or head of department posts within two years of training. The cohort completed learning not
only in management and leadership but policy development. Some have led or participated in cross -department projects having significant impact on Government
services or legislation such as Government online payments, improved debt collection and the minimum
hourly wage entitlement. In addition, public officers
were invited to apply for the permanent secretary leadership development programme with a view to increas-ing the number of viable candidates to fill v acancies as
and when they arise.

Current Year Achievements
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, i n summary,
amongst other initiatives, the d epartment


Bermuda House of Assembly
• successfully managed the weekly and monthly
compensation and benefits programme for in
excess of 4,400 public officers;
• onboarded 218 new permanent employees;
• conducted 177 recruitment exercises since
April 1, 2023 ;
• facilitated and/or organi sed 160 in-person and
virtual training sessions;
• supported six bursary students;
• developed and managed 24 professional development plans;
• conducted 15 organi sational reviews as previously shared; and
• successfully managed the continued implementation of the Government Reform initiative
focusing on people and Information Technol-ogy.
Mr. Chairman, additionally, in response to the
2023 Throne Speech, which indicated that the pace of Government recruitment needed to be streamlined to
ensure vacancies are replaced more quickly, the recruitment function has been enhanced to offer a decen-tralised option, i.e., line managers and supervisors to
lead out with their own recruitment. The aim of the decentralisation option is to assist ministries and departments with moving recruitment for posts forward faster through the expansion of resources. T o ensure leaders
are equipped the Department of Employee and Organ-izational Development commenced mandatory training
for all permanent secretaries, heads of departments,
managers and supervisors.
The Bermuda Government is committed to developing talent to fill critical roles at all levels in the pub-lic service. During this fiscal year, six students received
bursary awards. Five students are pursuing degrees in
the health profession which will fill an increasing need
in health care service delivery. The cohort consists of four nursing students: Ms. Dejhah Burgess -Simons ,
Ms. Alaysia Swan, Ms. Zyon Minors , Ms. Chioma Lawrence; as well as Mr. Joshua Gilbert who is pursuing a
degree in dental hygiene. Ms. Keanna Gooden is completing a master’s degree in real estate management in
preparation to transition to a role of trainee estates supervisor. Ms. Danielle Foote who was a bursary student
transitioned to trainee assistant planner in September
2023. It is anticipated that bursary student Ms. Taneesha Ottley will be appointed to a trainee policy analyst
post before the end of this fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to now move into
plans for upcoming year.

Plans for the Upcoming Year
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, t he Management Consulting Services section, in their capacity as
the Project Management Office for the Government Reform Initiative [GRI] will guide the Government through
the development and implementation of a new Government Reform Plan. The forthcoming phase of
reform slated for 2024– 2027, extends from and expands upon the groundwork laid in prior efforts joined
from insights garnered in the previous GRI engagement, this phase capitalises on accumulated wisdom to
drive even more impactful and sustainable transformation.
The Reform Plan for the next period will maintain its people imperative and focus on digital transfor-mation which is a catalyst for the creation of value for
citizens and employees through significant change that
leverages the potential of process technol ogy data and
also to create value.
Mr. Chairman, the project team, led by Management Consulting Services [MCS] , will continue to
deliver on people and IT initiatives, as the fundamen-tals of digital transformation are already in progress.
Mr. Chairman, The MCS team will work with ministries
and departments to review and conduct cost benefit
analysis to support the decision- making process for the
future of government’s service offerings .
Mr. Chairman, t he most important deliverable
by the Administration [ Unit] is to continue with the evaluation of positions for completion in August 2024. Thereafter, plans for full implementation will be developed.
Mr. Chairman, the Talent Management Strategy will be completed, and an implementation plan
drafted for developing government’s talent pipeline to
meet current and future needs at all levels of the service.
Mr. Chairman, t he implementation of training
programmes related to succession planning for hard-to-fill posts will continue to be a priority, although with
the bursary and trainee programmes there will be focused efforts on relaunching programmes for apprentices and trainees at the Departments of Works and En-gineering, Transport, and Marine and Ports.
Efforts to launch programmes in the areas of
accounting, IT policy compliance, nursing, and project
management and procurement will also be a focal point
of the 2024/25 fiscal year. Participants of the permanent secretary leadership development programme w ill
be exposed to how Cabinet functions and will have the
opportunity to sharpen public policy and administrative
policy development skills and participate in capacity
building experience in another jurisdiction. The programme will run parallel with the ex isting leadership development programme inclusive of leadership courses to be undertaken.
Mr. Chairman, in the interest of supporting the
growth and development of young Bermudians and exposing students to jobs within the Government of Bermuda, the Department of Employee and Organizational
Development will coordinate the participation of ministries and departments in the Bermuda public school
system’s signature learning partnership programme.
876 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly This partnership will give students valuable information
about pursuing Government careers.
Mr. Chairman, the department will play an integral role in the re- imagining public service careers initiative to include hosting career and networking events that will attract and inspire persons entering the workforce and those currently in the workforce to pursue
meaningful careers in the public service.
Mr. Chairman, the current contract for the government’s first Human Resources Information Management System (HRIMS) will soon 30 June 2025. To this end a request for proposal will be launched for a new
user-friendly system to improve the quality of online HR
processes such as recruitment, talent management
and performance management with a view to implementing a new HRIMS by December 2025.
Mr. Chairman, the projects and initiatives
shared do not include the delivery of smaller special
projects as well as ongoing services carried out by the
department and its small team of officers.
Mr. Chairman, let me take this opportunity to
acknowledge and thank the devoted and diligent staff of the Department of Employee and Organizational Development under the leadership of the Chief Employee
and Organizational Development Officer, Ms. Carlita
O’Brien. Despite resource challenges and effects of the
cyberattack, they continue d to persevere throughout
2023/ 24 to deliver a range of human resource services
to ministries and departments. Thank you and well
done to the t eam!
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I will now move
on to Project Management and Procurement.

HEAD 80 —OFFICE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
AND PROCUREMENT

Hon. Vance Campbell: It gives me great pleasure to
present the budget for Head 80, the Office of Project
Management and Procurement found on pages B -73
through B-75 of the Budget Book .

Mandate or Mission

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman , the Office of
Project Management and Procurement's mission is T o
provide oversight and guidance in project management and procurement to ensure transparency and value for money.

Department Objectives
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, following are
the objectives of the Office of Project Management and Procurement:
• Promote the areas covered in our statutory
mandate related to good governance and best practices and continue to strengthen our office
functionality.
• Use a professional approach in our capacity to help and enable our clients to achieve project,
procurement and compliance efficiencies.
• Strengthen internal processes for enhanced
team performance and development by keeping abreast of emerging trends.
• Help modernise the project management and
procurement functions in order to increase the
efficiency of public spending and building professionalism in project management, procurement and compliance capacities.

Expenditure Overview
Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, t he total current
expenditure is estimated to be $874 ,000 for the financial year 202 4/25. This is an increase in the budget
from the previous year in the amount of $34 ,000 and is
mainly attributed to respective union increases.
Mr. Chairman, the Subjective Analysis of Current Account Estimates of the Office of Project Management and Procurement is found on page B -74.
Please allow me to highlight them.
• Other Personnel Costs —No change, remains
at $3,000.
• Training— No change, remains at $3,000.
• Communications —No change; remains at
$4,000.
• Professional Services —No change; remains at
$40,000.
• Rental Expenses —No change.
• Repair and Maintenance E xpenses —No
change, which remains at $4,000.
• Material and Supplies —A decrease from
$22,000 to $ 18,000.

Capital Expenditure

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, the total of capital expenditure is estimated to be $22,000. This is an
increase from the previous year in the amount of
$9,000 mainly attributed to the purchase of computers and equipment for new staff. This can be found on page
C-10 of the Budget Book.

Current Year Achievements

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, t he office met
its three performance measures for 1 April 202 3 to the
present . [These are:]
1. The Minister and Cabinet received most of
their required quarterly waiver reports and analysis on time. Some quarterly reports were
not delivered on time due to technical challenges after the cyberattack and were beyond
this office’s control.


Bermuda House of Assembly
2. The office completed the Cabinet Memoranda
vetting within five business days after receipt at
95 per cent of the time; and
3. The office only completed three of the four targeted virtual training sessions on the Introduction to the Code of Practice for Project Management and Procurement for 35 participants.
This was due to extenuating circumstances
brought on by the digital crisis across the Government and its associated fallout and system
reconstruction.
Mr. Chairman, the office also facilitated six of
nine targeted project management training sessions: two virtual and four in- class sessions for 53 participants. These dynamic project management orientation
programme courses are customised for public officers
in middle and senior management positions and are based on international standards and training for the
Project Management Institute [PMI]. Not only does this
ensure project delivery sustainability in a dynamic global market, but it also ensures that th e Bermuda
Government maintains the growth capacity and know -
how necessary to navigate challenges in the coming
years. Along with personal advancement options toward professional certification the office partnered with
the American Management Association to provide project management for administrative professionals. This initiative has had a broad response from various minis-tries across government. Finally, in an effort to embed
project management and procurement effectively as a
viable business assurance i nstrument, the office has
taken steps in this initiative by partnering with Department of Employee and Organizational Development.
These initiatives will be further developed in the coming
year as something that provides immediate and worthwhile benefits t oward helping achieve the Government’s goals and objectives.
Mr. Chairman, these are noteworthy training
achievements across the Government for the office this
year. The adaptation of a growth mind- set and standard
approach toward project delivery is critical as public of-ficers navigate an ever -changing and more complex
global business environment. The work being done in
this area by the office demonstrates the utilisation of
resources across the Government and private sector alike that can positively impact capital project delivery
and allow the Government to achiev e efficiencies and
value for money in project management and procurement activities.
Mr. Chairman, the office also continued introducing opportunities to gain procurement skills and tools. Unfortunately, due to internal resource constraints , the in-house RFX Drafter (Orbidder 2.0) in- person training sessions were not done this year. Instead, the office continued working with the RF X drafting software service provider to enhance their offering to ensure that public officers involved in procurement and preparing RF X documents had access to online self -serve training, a help desk, and how -to guides and videos for this application.
Mr. Chairman, t he office continued to enhance
the online depository (Local Vault) in the RF X Drafter
application for ease of access for public officers to gain
other prescribed templates such as the Evaluation Matrix, updated Contract Award Recommendation template, sample pricing schedules, the updated Social,
Economic and Environment Local Benefits form, the Invitational Request for Quotation [IRFQ ] template and
other procurement documents such as unsuccessful
and successful letters and more.
Of particular note, Mr. Chairman, the office has
recently completed a competitive and robust application and interview process that will see critical vacan-cies filled. This includes the hiring and onboarding of two Bermudians who will fill the contract of compliance
manager and compliance officer posts and two nonBermudians who will f ill the procurement manager and
the procurement support specialist post for three years.
However, the project manager post will not be filled this year due to budget constraints.
The office has already developed a comprehensive plan to identify and train Bermudians for the post filled by non- Bermudians. The office being fully
staffed will enable it to fulfil its mandate as stated in the Public Treasury (Administration and Payments) Act 1969 and the Good Governance Act 2011 and Good
Governance Act 2012 thereby allowing the office to
provide the necessary professional advice and guidance in procurement and compliance across govern-ment ministries. Along with the aforementioned, the office will be able to support ongoing in- house projects
and procurement professional training as part of the office’s commitment to ensure further capacity development of public officers involved in these activities.
Mr. Chairman, the office is nearing completion
of updating the Code of Practice for Project Management and Procurement . In so doing the office sought
and received input from senior management and practitioners, allowing for a comprehensive review based on
current practices. Additionally, this year the Code underwent plain English and legal governance compliance reviews by a third party. This was done to ensure
that plain English was employed so that persons could
easily understand the Code’s content and that good
practices were continually applied. The third edition of
the Code should be ready for release in 2024.
Mr. Chairman, the office continued to be an integral and active member of the IDT Governance Com-mittee along with providing professional project and
procurement advice and guidance as to government’s
internal consultants and business concerns that perpetuate and advance the Economic Recovery Programme, Education Reform, and Education Care Reform, specifically Universal Health Coverage, and other capital projects along with capital and regular acquisitions.
878 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Chairman, the office is a member of the National Anti-Corruption and Bribery [N ACB] committee
and continues to provide project and procurement perspectives to the NACB meetings with the United Nations Convention against Corruption [ UNCAC ] assessment.
Plans for the Upcoming Year

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, t he office will
continue to produce quarterly waiver reports for the Minister and Cabinet. The office will complete the Cab-inet memoranda compliance reviews within five business days after receipt. The office's goal is to achieve
these 95 per cent of the time within the five business
days target.
Mr. Chairman, if resources permit, t he office
will increase its efforts to ensure public officers under-stand their oversight and advisory roles for capital projects and acquisitions. This will be accomplished by delivering customised virtual and one- on-one training sessions to ensure project and procurement policies and
procedures are understood and complied with.
Additionally, the office will offer four virtual
training sessions on the Introduction to the Code of Practice and nine Project Management Training sessions during the next fiscal year with support from the
Department of Employee and Organizational Development and other partners.
Mr. Chairman, with the addition of procurement
and compliance professionals there are plans in pro-gress at this time to determine an acceptable baseline
regarding compliance provisions with stakeholders
both within the public service and private sector. It is
anticipated that the office, along with other Government
entities, will establish not just a standard policy but also
a robust procedural approach with a concentration on
real-time information- sharing access and reporting between authorised public offi cers across all ministries.
Mr. Chairman, the office will continue to work
with IDT and PIPA/PATI departments and the Paperless Committee to complete the development and implementation of
1. a new internal online waiver request form;
2. establish an e- sourcing platform, Bonfire pilot
project,
3. help establish a contract register to streamline
these processes;
4. enhance the prescribed project management
and procurement templates; and
5. will investigate and invest in a new case record
management solution for the various internal
sections to enhance efficiency, transparency,
productivity, record- keeping and consistency in
the office’s case record management.
Mr. Chairman, the office will continue to work
with Ministry and department programmes and project
managers after the capital budget is released to assist
them in planning and prioritising the capital projects
thereby helping them to gain an early start on critical aspects of the project and procurement planning and
bidding processes.
Mr. Chairman, the office will produce its annual
reports for the office operational year 2023 in the not -
too-distant future. Mr. Chairman, the office will continue
to advise, guide and support the development of and
adherence to project management and proc urement
regulations and policies. They will continue to facilitate
the development of the Government and public officers’
knowledge and capacity on procurement and project
management best practices to raise the level of exper-tise in these areas across the Government.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, the office diligently
provides oversight and guidance on all Government procurements and project management while building
the workforce capacity. Mr. Chairman, let me take this
opportunity to acknowledge and commend the officers of the Project Management and Procurement team and
the Director, Ms. Elaine Blair -Christopher, for their continued dedication and efforts.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This concludes my
budget presentation for Head 80 and the budget
presentation as a whole.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

All right, 16 minutes. Well, I will
bowl a few overs and see what the Minister wants to
tell us this evening before we come to an end.
Starting with the Cabinet Office, which is on
page B -41, Head 9. It does show savings of some $18
million, but as the Minister explained that is because $19 million [from] the Tourism bucket moved to the new Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. So that is the
expenditure line.
On the revenue line, my first question to the
Minister, we see a drop of $880,000 of revenue, specifically from the post office. We see a drop of $350,000
and the Cabinet Office a drop of $540,000. So if the Minister could perhaps address why those drops were
and specifically the $350,000 drop in revenue at the
post office.
Over to pages B -43, B -44, and B -45 the Minister took us through the various budgets and expendi-tures of the various offices and also foreign consultants who are assisting the PLP Government. I am curious to
know why it is that for the Brussels Office . . . and I have
had the pleasure of meeting Ms. [ Aliyyah ] Ahad . She is
an extremely impressive Bermudian working in Brussels. And then we have a Bermudian also working in


Bermuda House of Assembly
Washington DC. And I am just curious why two Bermudians working in Brussels and Washington DC are be-ing paid so much less than the Middle Eastern Affairs consultant. And I would just like to hear the Minister’s
view of the relative value, the non- Bermudian consultant from the Middle East is offering compared to two
Bermudians working diligently in Brussels and DC.
Moving to the Post Office and Head 13, we
have actuals in 2018/19 of $3.6 million. This is on the
revenue on page B -51. That dropped to about $2.3 million in 2022/23 and then we see the column reduces to
$3.1 anticipated, and then revised down to $2.6 mil lion.
So, $3.6 million back in 2018/19, then $2.3 million two years ago on the actuals, and then we hope to get $3.1 million but only get $2.6 million. In that context, why is
it that the Minister is predicting that we will get $2.8 million next year? That seems pretty unlikely given the
numbers over the past few years.
Also on page B -51, could the Minister explain
where the numbers are on that page for MyBermu-daPost? Because I was not able to find the MyBermudaPost line item. I note that last year in the Budget Debate the Minister predicted that there would be revenue
from MyBermudaPost of circa $350 million [sic]. I am
just curious if that target has been met or exceeded.
While we are on the subject of the Post Office
and appreciating the limited time available, and I want
to leave the Minister time to answer some questions, I note that there was a decision against the Ministry,
against MyBermudaPost in terms of allowing that company to come into the picture. And I note further that
having lost that case and paid costs, the Ministry is now appealing that case which will expend more taxpayer
money on the appeal. Given how expensive lawyers
are, and I take due note that I am a lawyer, and I declare my interest, but given how expensive lawyers are,
why are we wasting yet more money from the taxpayers on an appeal in relation to something that was really
only anticipated to have circa $300,000 in revenue. I mean, we are going to spend that in litigation, aren’t
we? Is that appeal really a sensible way forward?
On Tourism, you took us to pages C -17 and C -
20 in relation to the Grants. I appreciate that it has
moved across such that your grant of $19 million is now
a grant for the new Minister of $16.5 million. My ques-tion, though, Minister, is, Had this remained with you,
would you have cut the grant in a similar fashion, and
why?
In terms of tourism, it is pretty clear that we are
lagging behind other competitive jurisdictions to our
south. And we heard real, hard- fact numbers in the Reply to the Budget given by the Opposition Leader. And
if we are lagging behind in tourism, does i t really make
sense to be cutting the Tourism budget that significantly in this year?
Moving quickly to Planning . . . and then I will
sit down and let some of these answers be given. But on Planning which is Head 32, specifically page B -57, line item 8123. You will remember, Minister, that I had
. . . the OBA and, indeed, I, specifically, had criticised
the previous Minister on his penchant for overturning
decisions of Planning officers. Since the Ministry has moved to your portfolio and your Ministry, have you
overturned any Planning decisions brought to you?

[Inaudible interjection]

Is there anyone else who would like to
speak on these heads?
With there being no one else indicating that
they would like to speak, Minister, did you want to respond to some of these questions?
And for the listening public we are in the Committee of Supply for further consideration of Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the 2024/25 budget
year. And we are actually debating quite a few heads
which come under the Minister Vance Campbell. Minister Vance Campbell is about to respond to the Opposition’s questions.

Hon. Vance Campbell: I will start with the last question
in regard to Planning.
The way the law is structured it does allow the
Minister . . . and provide the Minister or any appeals
that come to the Minister . . . I think in one of my Ministerial Statements (I believe it was a Ministerial Statement) I spoke to the fact that the City of Hamilton Plan
2024 is one that is moving away from a standard, or
numbers, numeric -based system to one that is a principle-based sy stem which will allow for more flexibility.
That is something that is very much supported by the officers of the Planning Department. That will allow
them to use their expertise and experience in many instances. They are in favour of that move. They are
strongly behind it.
They recognise that the numeric -based, numbers-based system is extremely restrictive and so when
certain decisions come to the Minister, they do come in
the format that provides recommendations that if the
Minister is so inclined to overturn, these are the conditions. Or they can make recommendations for the Min-ister to uphold and appeal, for example.
So, in answer to your question, I provide that
background but in answer to your question, yes, I have
overturned a decision of the . . . or the decisions of the
Planning Department on an occasion or two.

Minister, if I could just ask for your indulgence. It has been brought to my attention that we
might have to correct the record.
880 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Honourable Member Scott Pearman, during
your summation you stated that it was publicly [said] by
a Minister last year that MyBermudaPost was going to generate $350 million in revenue. You might have
meant to say $350,000.

All right. Thank you.
Just let the record show that it was $350,000
and not $350 million.
Sorry about that, Minister. You can have the
floor again.
Hon. Vance Campbell: No problem.
So, again, the Tourism grant, that is not my remit. I know when the question was asked, if it was . . . I
don’t know the basis for the current Minister’s decision to reduce the grant, so I cannot comment on what I would have done or not done.

Yes, the Tourism head is not up for debate right now, so you do not have to—

Hon. Vance Campbell: I don’t have to answer, but I
thought I would put that out there and answer that.
So, if we look at Head 9, there was a question
as to the differential from Brussels and DC which were headed up by Bermudians and the Middle Eastern Affairs consultant. There is no office in the Middle East.
So the DC and Brussels offices have overheads. You will note that the total cost of those offices are $393,000
and $462,000, respectively. And the $240,000 in regard to the Middle Eastern Affairs consultant is
$240,000 for that whole process.
The revenue created for Cabinet Office is a
matter of the vacation rental fees and hotel licences be-longing to the section that is now moved out of our Ministry. And this lies with cost centre 19065, Regulatory
and Policy, Hotel Administration.
Now with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and
Sport, it is not a matter of decreasing revenue overall, it is just a transfer. We also had the $540,000 budget
that was for enhancement of our cultural . . . you know,
to assist our musicians and creatives in expressing
their talents. And that has moved as well to the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Those are the responses that I have to date.
Now, I don’t know if there is anything . . . I will not respond on the potential appeal by the Government to the
MyBermudaPost decision because it is still sub judice .
I think that is the term that attorneys use. I am not sure
if there is anything that I missed answering—

Yes, was on page B -51. Where is
the MyBermudaPost line item for the revenue?
You remember the question about $300,000
[sic] that I misspoke and said $300 million. I was just
curious where it is on that.
And then secondly, in relation to the postings
in Brussels and Washington, you answered that it was
overheads. But during your brief you stated their actual
salary levels at $157,000 and $133,000 which is con-siderably below. So it is not a question of over heads, it
is actual salaries. Thank you.

And for the listening audience we are
in the Committee of Supply for the Estimates of Reve-nue and Expenditure for 2024/25. Questions are being posed to Minister Vance Campbell on the heads that
he has been doing . . . he has presented on Heads 9,
13, 32, 43, 51, 61 and 80. The Honourable MP Scott
Pearman is asking questions on Head 13 regarding the
Post Office.
Minister Campbell, you have the floor.
Hon. Vance Campbell: As far as the MyBermudaPost
revenue I am advised that that is part of the Custom
declaration processing fee, revenue I believe is at
$523,000. And the . . . I may have misspoken when I
referred to the $240,000 as being for salaries. I believe that is the total cost for all expenses allotted for the Middle Eastern advisor.

It has been moved that Heads 9, 13,
32, 43, 51, 61 and 80 be moved as printed.
Are there any objections to that motion?
With there being no objections, agreed to.
[Gavel]

[Motion carried: The Cabinet Office Heads 9, 13, 32,
43, 51, 61 and 80 were approved and stand part of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year
2024/25.]

Hon. Vance Campbell: Mr. Chairman, I move that the
Committee rise, report progress and ask for leave to sit again.

It has been moved that the Committee
rise, report progress and ask for leave to sit again.
Is there any objection to that motion?
With there being no objection, agreed to.

[Motion carried: The Committee of Supply agreed to
rise and report progress and sought leave to sit again.]

Hon. Vance Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[Pause]

House resumed at 8:02 pm

[Hon. Dennis P. Lister, Jr., Speaker, in the Chair]

REPORT OF COMMITTEE

ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
FOR THE YEAR 202 4/25

Members, are there any objections to
the House rising and reporting progress and seeking leave to sit again?
There are none.
That brings us to an end of the Budget Debate
process that we have participated in today and we
thank Members for their participation.
There is no other business to be done other
than seeking the indulgence of the House. The Deputy
Premier has a Bill that he would like to table for debate
at another time. And with your indulgence we will allow
him to table it.
Any objections? None. Mr. Deputy [Premier].

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 14

Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I move that Standing Order 14 be suspended
to enable me to introduce a Bill to the House.

Continue, no objections.
Go ahead.

[Motion carried: Standing Order 14 suspended.]

BILL

FIRST READING

VOLUNTARY REGISTRATION OF
VITAL DOCUMENTS (MISCELLANEOUS
AMENDMENTS) ACT 2024
Hon. Walter H. Roban: Mr. Speaker, I am introducing
the following Bill for its first reading so that it may be
placed on the Order Paper for the next day of meeting:
Voluntary Registration of Vital Documents (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2024.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the
indulgence of the House.

You have your 20 minutes.

USE OF CONSULTANTS
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, we stand at a
crossroads of rhetoric and reality. A moment when the
Opposition’s sensational claims deemed a response
from this side grounded in facts, transparency and accountability.
Mr. Speaker, the One Bermuda Alliance has
thrown out what I label red meat for their base, accusing the Progressive Labour Party of recklessly spend-ing $41 million on consultants. They ask, and I quote,
Mr. Speaker, from the Royal Gazette, “ Why the lavish
expenditure when we have elected MPs to serve?” To
imply simply a misuse of public funds by comparing the
spending of $17 million for one year of their short four -
year stay when looking at $41 million spent by the Progressive Labour Party in one year. Wel l, Mr. Speaker,
when I dissect those figures with the rigour and honesty
that this House deserves, the Opposition’s narrative, a
relic of their United Bermuda Party origins, is designed
to paint the Progressive Labour Party as wasteful, unable to manage money and to emphasise that their
OBA friends will put their “friends and family” plan.
Mr. Speaker, consultants are not a luxury, but
they are a cornerstone of any modern government. They bring specialised skills and perspectives crucial to
our nation’s progress. Skills that at times are not readily
available within the government structures. But Mr.
Speaker, I did the research [that] our daily and other
journalists seem incapable of doing. I have looked at the professional expenses, details from the One Bermuda Alliance’s four years in Government and compared them to the Progressive Labour Party’s six years
of budgets that are avail able. Under the One Bermuda
Alliance, in four years they spent $83.4 million on consultants. That is an average of $20.8 million per year.
Under the Progressive Labour Party for six years, we
have spent $139.8 million in consultants over six years
which av erages $23.2 million annually.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: So, Mr. Speaker, I agree—

[Inaudible interjections]

Members. Members.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: —the PLP has spent more
on consultants in the six years that we have been Government than the One Bermuda Alliance spent in the
four years that they were Government.
But Mr. Speaker, let’s not stop there. Let’s
delve deeper into the Professional Services expenditure on contractors, travel, and legal fees, Mr. Speaker,
where another narrative unfolds. The OBA’s desired narrative crumbles when faced with the fact that they
have spent more year per year on consultants, contractors and . . . here is the good one, Mr. Speaker, travel
and legal fees.

Aah! Ooh!

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: So, Mr. Speaker, when the
One Bermuda Alliance’s Leader stands up and repeats
to the Royal Gazette, “The PLP should come clean regarding the consultants they hired” I challenge the One
Bermuda Alliance to tell the public what contractors were hired during their four years at an average of $2.3
million more than the PLP has spent in six years.

Forty -one million dollars.
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, lastly, what legal firms (and I hear the Member chirping because he
should be able to answer this) were receiving the $5
million per year which is almost $2 million more than
the Progressive Labour Party has spent per year? I
wonder if they w ill stand up and tell us what legal firms
received those funds, Mr. Speaker. Because we know
from the previous Government’s fascination with pursuing a former PLP Premier and the legal fees they have
spent all over the place chasing a pipedream, Mr. Speaker, I wonder if they are going to come clean and
say, This is what we spent all this money on.

The Budget Book!
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: The facts are in the Budget
Books that stretch back to the beginning of their term.

[Inaudible interjections and desk thumping]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: That’s where the facts are
Mr. Speaker. And Mr. Speaker, as you know, those
facts are their part of the record that exists within this
House. Mr. Scott Pearman: Where’s the proof?
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, he can go and
look for himself. They managed to find $41 million versus $17 [million], Mr. Speaker, from the same—

Member, I have given you a little leeway,
but the point that is being stressed is that it is okay to
make the comment. But if you are making comments to
this degree can you produce more facts identifying the
firm or company or whoever you think received t he
funds?

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, I never said
any firm did. I said Will the One Bermuda Alliance be
willing to stand up and state what firms were the receivers of that over $5 million per year that they spent.

Just finish speaking to me.

884 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that
I give this speech during the annual Budget Debate. We
are not here to merely juggle numbers and demon-strate, but we are here to demonstrate accountability
for every dollar spent.
Mr. Speaker, consultants are instrumental in
driving forward critical projects from infrastructure development to education reform. And consultants are needed to get us through a once- in-a-lifetime pandemic.
Hon. E. David Burt: Yes.

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: So Mr. Speaker, each one
of them contribute to the fabric of our society. They fill gaps, they provide fresh perspectives, and they ensure
Bermuda remains competitive on the world stage.
So, Mr. Speaker, as we move forward let us
commit to having a dialogue that elevates and does not
denigrate.

[Laughter]

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: A dialogue that acknowledges the complexities of being a Government in the
21
st century, most important a dialogue that actually
serves the people of Bermuda and not personal inter-est, ensuring that their money is spent with transparency, vision and a purpose.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member.
Does any other Member wish to make a contribution?
Deputy Premier.

COPING WITH THE COST OF LIVING

Hon. Walter H. Roban: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak briefly tonight
because it is important that we use the time in this particular Chamber to bring attention to the important mat-ters of our country and the community, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the cost of living is
something that everyone in the country is being chal-lenged by. In recent years we have seen prices of certain essential services and essential commodities that
Bermudian residents need to survive experience often
exorbitant increases, whether it be food stuffs, whether it be health care services and other essential services.
Even water! You know, things that are essential to living. And the Government has not been immune or inattentive to this situation, Mr. Speaker.
We have seen the challenges that this has confronted our people. In fact, even the Government because we do provide support for persons through our
own agencies to deal with food costs through Financial
Assistance, for instance. And support is given to families, particularly those who are perhaps foster parents and others to deal with their needs. And we know the
challenges that we confront with health care, with the
growing population of seniors with the unfortunate (per-haps) increase in obesity and preventable disease in
the community and often in age groups that in the past
this was not experienced before. These are issues that
we face. And even just overall issues of . . . as modern
medicine in all of its areas have become a lot more improved, different types of ailments and different types
of conditions have added to the situation of cost. And
as I said, just people finding what they need to eat daily.
We go into stores and find that to eat healthier
it is often more expensive than to not. And that is a dif-ficult fixture of the market place . . . I’m sorry. I did not
mean to name . . . it wasn’t a store; I was just mentioning the market.

[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Walter H. Roban: It was not meant to associate
anything with a particular establishment, Mr. Speaker.
But that is a feature of the market. Bermuda
imports most of its foods, most of what we use is imported even just to build, just to maintain, just to operate. And we are blessed that we are wealthy enough to afford much of what this is, but it comes at a cost. And
the cost is not always something that is easy for residents to handle.
But because the Government is concerned
about the cost of living it has done a number of things to deal with this. It has lowered the duty to zero on es-sential commodities, fruits and vegetables. Things like
flour, bread, butter and other commodities that are essential to people’s basic lives and staples that we exist
on on a daily basis. The Government has sought to create a list of items that . . . at least from the standpoint
of the public purse, we are not imposing taxes.
And I would just like to say, clearly, health care
costs in particular are something that everybody is
challenged by, whether you are an institution or you are
an individual. So I will say this to those persons who
continue to have concerns about their health care
costs. Remember that the Government has not raised
the Standard Premium Rate over a number of years. So when you go to your health care provider, when you
go to your doctor and others who you are going to and
you are concerned about the cost of t hat bill, you need
to ask them why they are increasing the bill. This is not
a feature of the public mechanism. There has been an
effort to keep a lid on the increase of those costs that the Government itself contributes to. So the inflation in
health care ov er recent years has been a fixture of the
private health sector, primarily.
But these are issues that we will constantly be
challenged by as a country, Mr. Speaker. So I implore us all to be vigilant when it comes to these things. Take
some ownership of what we are experiencing and ask
the tough questions to service providers when you see


Bermuda House of Assembly
. . . and you are concerned about certain costs that you
are having to be belaboured with.
But Mr. Speaker, this past year in particular the
Government has (over the last year, obviously) been
concerned about the cost of electricity and again, that
is a regulated sector and there are a number of factors
which contribute to that cost. One is the importation of
the fossil fuel, and then there are other factors. And as
I said, this is a regulated sector, so it is possible for
people to understand better what those costs are.
But some of that does have to do with our usage. And it is very important that even as we seek to
transition to renewable energy, which can over time
help bring down the cost, seek to find ways to regulate the fuel sector so that how fuel is priced, whether it be
at the pump or the usage of fuel in other activities on
the Island, it is priced appropriately, which has not been the case for years. But we now are bringing in a system
where there will be a better pricing of fuel. These are
things that we hope over time will help bring a rational-isation of cost.
But one thing the Government has done is that
we have over the last year been promoting ways that
we can help people have control of their electric bill. At
one point we were able to see the decrease in the basic
rate of electricity. But as we know, [there are] market
factors, such as the fuel adjustment rate, which clearly in the last part of last year brought certain concerns to the business and the residential community. But we are
pleased that has gone down in this first quarter and we
hope that things like the fuel adjustment rate, which is
also influenced by the market for petroleum does stay
as low as possible. And certainly, that is a feature of the
regulated environment and we do hope that in future
evaluations that we won’t find unnecessary shocks to
the electric bills of residents.
We have also done some other things. And today I decided that I would give my colleagues in the House a little something that they could take home to help in their own little way deal with their own electricity
costs. Because everybody is impacted. I don’ t care
what your income bracket is in this country. Electric bills
are high. Bermuda has some of the highest kilowatt
hours in the region, and perhaps the world. We are certainly in the top five, if we are not the top itself. It ranges somewhere between 39 and 40- plus cents per kilowatt -
hour. That is exorbitant for the region. And my hope
over time is that with the transition of energy and many
things that we would like to see happen in our vision for
the future of energy that this type of cost, people will
begin to see decline.
But in the meantime, there are little things that
can be done. And one of those little things the Govern-ment has done is to create the opportunity for every
household to have the benefit of the latest technology in electricity that is available. And that is a giveaway of
LED bulbs. With the wisdom of the Ministry of Finance,
the Minister of Home Affairs was given a sum to purchase a large consignment of bulbs. And we have done that. And we have made efforts to ensure that our
seniors and other groups who are challenged by the cost of living in Bermuda were the first tier of receiving
that. So, Age Concern and other groups were the first
tier. And we were pleased with the uptake of that. And
we have since then made this giveaway open to everyone on the Island.
So, everyone right now can go to their post office and pick up a pack of four bulbs . . . and as an exhibit I will show it for the benefit of the House. But I
chose today to bring a four -pack for every Member of
the House. Now, some Members of the House may have already made the conversion to LED bulbs and
that is great. And I applaud those Me mbers who have
done that. But I would encourage them to take the four -
pack that they have been given. If they do not want to use it for their own house, give it to one of your constituents. And I brought it and gave it to every Member, not just Members on this side of the House, but to every
Member because everyone in the country should ben-efit from . . . in some way, with the challenge of this issue of high electricity costs.
Now, this is not to throw any barbs at anyone.
But in different countries where this is an issue, many
different things have been done. And in some cases,
not only has the Government done exactly what we have done but also those who provide electricity have
done other things. I know of countries where the utility
itself went into every home in that jurisdiction and installed LED bulbs or perhaps compact fluorescents which was a previous generation of bulbs.
So, because it is seen that if you can assist and
support the needs of your community, your community will be better. So, I say that to say that any institution,
not only the Government, can participate in finding ways to help. But I also say, Mr. Speaker, that we all can make a change and help control our costs. Some
of this is about demand and how we manage our own
demand of our electricity needs. So, I would say that
there are little things, you do not have to go out neces-sarily and put solar panels on your roof. Because not
everybody in Bermuda can afford to do that. But you
can do little things that can build on conservation and efficiency. And the priority of the Government is to help
the citizens of this country to embrace conservation
and efficiency. I can tell you, if we embrace conservation and efficiency in electricity in the same way that we
have done it with water, because the world admires
what we have done around water conservation, we will
be a better country.
So, I implore citizens and Members of this
House to take this pack of four bulbs . . . and I can tell
you that over the lifetime of this pack of four you will
save $1,000. That is a fact. So, this in anyone’s household where they installed these bulbs for the life of
these bulbs, they will save $1,000 in electricity use. So,
this is a little step in the right direction. And I
886 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly understand. And the Government along with the regulator are focused on other things that we hope over time will improve this situation with electricity and Bermuda’s dependence on oil and electrification in a way that will
benefit the country in the long t erm.
I do hope that Members appreciate getting the
bulbs. I also gave them a little form that provides information on LED lights. And I just did this as a gesture of awareness for everyone in the House to embrace what
you can do as an individual to address this issue not
only for yourself but for you community. And go back to
your own constituencies and support and promote and
encourage your members to go to their post office and
pick up their bulbs because I am still finding people who
did not know that they could do that. So clearly there
are people who maybe haven’t done it or forgot about
it or missed the notes or the promotion but perhaps we all 36 can make a difference. Because I do believe that
individuals can make a difference to the big questions
that we face.
Thank you, very much, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. I would
just like to take a few brief moments to speak about the
significance of Bermuda achieving a balanced budget
in 2024. I believe it is the first time that this country has
had one since 2002. [It is] significant because I remember some 12 years ago when the whole conversation
was around the debt. I remember writing an article
about the red sea of debt in 2012. After 2012 we did not
see a remediation of the debt. We saw an acceleration
of the debt of some $1.2 billion immediately af ter that,
during the tenure of the One Bermuda Alliance.
I feel, Mr. Speaker, it concerns me because I
understand politics and I understand rhetoric, but I think
persons who are in the space of the media have a responsibility to sometimes be balanced.
Today there was an article, March 6, is that today? March 6 is today?

“
1Chamber data dive
paints stark picture of economy.” And I said, boy, the
Chamber is coming out with an article today, which I
will deal with somewhat. And then I went looking for
what the Chamber said as a collective when the budget
was released. The most interesting thing that I found
was that the article in which is entitled where this
Chamber is very complimentary of the budget. Not only was the Chamber complimentary of the budget but a
group of persons such as the Association of Bermuda

1 Royal Gazette , 6 March 2024 Insurers and Reinsurers [ABIR], the Association of Bermuda International Companies [ABIC], Bermuda Busi-ness Development Agency, Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, and Bermuda International Long Term Insurers and Reinsurers [BILTIR] issued a media release
jointly complimenting Government for a balanced
budget. And not only that, [but] complimenting Government for the collaborative work the Government had done. In fact, they hailed the collaboration that Government has done to bring about the corporate income tax
considerations that they worked hard to assist the Gov-ernment in providing.
And I said, That is in stark contrast to the narrative that the Royal Gazette wants to paint. And I un-derstand that the Royal Gazette is a conservative -
based, led by persons whose shareholders and direc-tors are extremely conservative. But you know what, Mr. Speaker? I am one who believes in fairness. And I
have gotten up in this House and I have said this much,
that the 36 of us here all want what is best for Bermuda.

And I want to say this:
since 2002, [for] 22 years, [when] this country achieves
a balanced budget it is huge! And the Royal Gazette
has to have some responsibility to be responsible. And
they want . . . they just want to hang on to that bone to
paint the PLP in a bad light. And I am here to say that
if I was one who wanted us to try to balance this budget
to pay down the debt, if a government comes to us with
a plan where the debt is going to paid down, it can only
do so if you can first balance it.

And if the same government is going to find a way to help the people get schol-arships and the seniors to be able to afford Bermuda . . . we all know that that is a difficult task. Right? That
Government needs to be heralded in that regard. Right?
And let me tell you this. The same persons who
might be directors and shareholders and the like are in industries that would raise the price of cheese, raise the price of milk, raise the price of cereal, raise the price of
staple goods that make it difficult for this country to live
on.
You know, someone said to me, You know
what? We have not had that real debate about health
care, 8 hours or 10 hours or 15 hours in that space about the rising costs, because people make money off
of people who do not eat healthy. People make money
off of people who are suffering from diabetes. People
make money off of people who eat in too great a pro-portion of macaroni and cheese and all those types of


Bermuda House of Assembly
things that adversely impact the . . . the . . . particularly
the Black population in this country.
And you know what, Mr. Speaker? When I went
to that page where the Chamber of Commerce had said
glowing things about the PLP and the budget, guess
what? You cannot click on that link and get that link the
same way you can click on other links. It is unavai lable.
The only reason I can read it is because I am a little bit
tech and I can screenshot as I look to be able to get it.
That is not an idea of fairness.

That is the type of unfair,
unlevel playing field that has existed in this country for
centuries. It is a mind- set that we have to go against.
Now, let me just talk a little bit about that article
today. Because, you know, the article makes references to a time period of which I don’t need a history
book to go back to. It looks at employment levels and dates it back to 1985. Yes, we are going to have more
people working in international business in 2024 than locals. Why? Because in 1985 and 1986 you had a
plethora of hotels up and down this country. And what
happened to them? Business people changed them to
condominiums. Business owners changed their proper-ties. Some in the guise are building a hotel. Palmetto
Bay was going to build a hotel. It turned out to be all condominiums. Right? Coral Island was a hotel; it
turned out to be condo miniums. Even my beloved Belmont was going to be a hotel and residence and luckily
there was a collaboration and a purchase of Newstead to have that collaboration. But that used to be a hotel
and is no longer a hotel space. And in that time period,
in 1985 and 1986 you had Lantana, you had Sonesta
Beach, you had Elbow Beach and they do not exist today.
Now, let me look at this. You also had bases
on this Island. One of the biggest exoduses of working
people [as an] economic driver in this country . . . left
this country in the early 1990s. At the same time a re-cession came. And what happened? What did my
crowd do? What did the UBP do? They shipped people
out.
What did the PLP do when it came into power?
They put in long- term residents and put in a system
where people could then be able to see a future for their
families. That is what we did.

That is what we did. And
that does not get played up.
And when you just go back and look at numbers without the context, it is dangerous. It is danger-ous! And yes, I know people left this country in great
numbers. The same recession we blame on the PLP
was caused by a global recession that caused people to leave. And the reason why the debt accelerated between 2008 . . . because, remember, the biggest
growth this country ever saw economically happened
in two periods. Both of them under the PLP. Both of
them under the PLP! Right? In the early 2000s. And
yes, I was saying, Look. You need to put aside for a
rainy day. Mr. Cox had set that up and that fund was
actually used that could have been a benefit between 2008 and 2012. But during the recession that was blamed on the PLP. People were blaming the PLP for
XL going down to two dollars in stock. AIG having to
change their name to Chartis. British American pulling
out of Bermuda. Madoff and Stanford robbing people of
everything they had—globally. Right? Companies went
into survival mode.
And when the people of this country were reeling, the Government decided to make sure that it could provide some relief to people. So, you had to either balance the budget at that time and let your people perish, or find a way to stave it off. And let’s not forget that during that time period the Bank of Butterfield relied on the PLP Government to throw out a lifeline. The same Bank
of Butterfield that would lay people off today. That
would have redundancies right before Christmas and
having pensioners . . . and I declare my interest. My
mother is a pensioner who today her health insurance far exceeds the pension that she gets while they brag
about profits!
I am here to tell you! You know we have a lot
of disingenuousness going on in boardrooms. And let me tell you this: In countries like the United States, friends of mine who are lawyers in Mississippi and
down in the South who are hired by Fannie Mae and
stuff to seek out some of those predatory lenders. A lot
of people in boardrooms got away scot -free in this
country. A lot of people!
And when you talk about . . . people ask me a
question. Is it a conflict that you could be doing . . .
wearing this hat and wearing that hat? Where did I . . .
who benefited in the country when Sir Henry Tucker
was the head of the Bank of Butterfield, was on boards
up and down this country, and making decisions and
his cousin who ran the bank and ran the golf courses?
But they could use their leverage around the world to
help Bermuda. What is wrong with that? How come
there is something wrong with it that B lack people are
in a similar position?
[Inaudible interjections]

That is the same mind- set
that will cause the Royal Gazette to not allow me to go
online and pull up an article today where businesses
have heralded this Government for what it has done.
And let me say this, right? And look, I take licks
all the time. People go and say, Well, you were part of that UBP! Yes, I learned a lot there too. And I am not
afraid to . . . I learned a lot hanging around Ralph and
888 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Harry. I [learned] a lot hanging around Jim Woolridge. I
am not afraid. I am not going to run away from where I
learned a lot of things. And that is why I am glad I am here today. Because when people can put things in the
wrong context, I understand it a lot better than they will
ever know. I walked into houses and saw pictures that
were hung of some people that you would run. I remember going up just in 2022 . . . I shared that I went into a
hotel room and went into the kitchen that night and saw
all the C onfederate generals on the wall. I said, Oh, my,
my, my, my.

[Inaudible interjections]

I said, Oh, my, my, my.
I shared that picture with some folks. I shared
it with a professor of African American Soldiers of the New York University.
There is a great mind- set. But you know what?
I was trained how to navigate in those types of waters both here and overseas. And I am here to tell you that we in this party care as much about this country as the
Opposition does. I tell people that I know t hey care
about Bermuda. But you got to tell those people who
support you that there is a new day coming when we
have to let go of some of that thinking that allowed the
Royal Gazette to do such a thing as I just highlighted.
It is wrong. It is not right.
And let me tell you this. I am looking forward to
the opportunity . . . because it is easy to take numbers
and look at the glass as half empty. Very easy. It is easy
to be negative particularly when the people who are
providing the first balanced budget in 20 years, the peo-ple who are planning a future for all Bermudians. Bermudians did not leave this country because [of] the
PLP. They left for opportunities that came about as a
consequence of having greater access to Europe.
In 1999, after the bases left this country, right,
the UK Government . . . I am trying to think of his name.
Now I can see his face. The Partnership for Progress
[and Prosperity], the White Paper, which ushered in a
passport that allowed Bermudians to be able to go and
live and work in all of Europe. That changed the dy-namic. We once went to the United States or Canada.
First blush. Now all of Europe opens up. And Bermudi-ans started to take advantage of that.
Throw in a recession. And let’s not forget that
during that time period and England was a labour gov-ernment, and so to go and get an education in England was a lot more . . . it was a lot cheaper and you could
go over there and qualify for that loan system that they
had in place. And persons took advantage of that. The
conservatives changed that in education. Just like the
conservative OBA came into power and made education sc holarships . . . they took it away.
Thank you Minister Diallo Rabain and the PLP
for putting students first and making sure that young students today can get educated and go to the Bermuda College with a certain grade point average
and get an education. For what?

[Inaudible interjections]

For free! My, my, my, my,
my, my, my how we . . . And you know what? When . . .
if only we could work together.
Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you in the vein of
working together I want to thank some good people out
there. Some hoteliers in this country who are working
hard to get this country up and running. People who
work in tourism are working hard to get this country up and running. People overseas who love Bermuda, our
repeat visitors, and people who are getting excited
about Bermuda. I look forward . . . I have a vision too. I
have a vision that one day that place where I used to
watch water skiing, Lantana, wil l be back open as a hotel again. One day Sonesta Beach will have a hotel
once again. One day and one day soon and very soon
I hope to hear some news about Elbow Beach. What would that do? That would rise the tide of Bermudians
working in the industry.
And it would also . . . and look . . . and that
same article today that looks at the glass as half full
who would say that there are more persons working
from overseas, you have heard the Minister of Labour
say we have to grow our labour force. And maybe do
things that encourage more people to come back
home. We have to do both. We are doing that. And that
is why you would get an article that gets lost in the
translation deliberately that speaks well of this country
by the persons who are not necessarily our natural kin.
But I believe that Pam Gordon said to me one time, she said, Listen, you know, businesses support governments. They do not necessarily support parties.
So, it is our intention to be Government for
quite a bit longer. And we are going to work collabora-tively with every man, woman, and child in this country,
including the Opposition when they want to try to be
disingenuous sometimes. We are still going to w ork
with them. We are going to do what we can to move
this country forward. We are going to grow tourism.
Yes, we are! We are going to find . . . we are going to
find some people who want to move the needle and invest some money and build those hotels. We are going
to go find them! They are out there!
And you know what, Mr. Speaker? To move the
needle in this country economically, we got to grow the tourism season between November and April. And we are not talking about a lot of people. The amount of
people who we need to come by air during those
months is not a lot of people, but you go to know who
they are and what they like and as Jim Woolridge used
to say, We have to provide value for money. So we got


Bermuda House of Assembly
to raise our satisfaction level in some areas. In St.
George’s we got to make sure our stores are open, and
we got to do things that make sure that the people who come there and other places in Bermuda are given
world -class service. People say to me, How come you
do not have a boutique cruise ship? Well, I had one and
then they weren’t as happy. And they could very well
vote with their feet. We need to remediate that by mak-ing sure that we are what we want to be here. And that
is the hard conversation.
But I have every confidence that it is going to
happen because I believe in tourism, and I believe in
this country. And I love this country like every Member
of this House does. But sometimes it is going to take some statesmanship to start talking to those folks out
there who we know have a preconceived notion about
people who sit in this party. And it is the truth. But I am
here to say this. I live in hope. And I am going to live
long enough, hopefully, with the help of the good Lord,
to see us realise some of those hotel spaces that are some of the most beautiful, if not the most beautif ul,
places in the world and bring back some greater beds. Because since 1985 the exodus of hotels has been a
drain on our economy. And that lies at the feet of people
who owned them.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[Desk thumping]

No other Members moving . . . the
House now stands adjourned until Monday morning . . .
I got Monday on my mind . . . Friday morning at
10:00 am.
Members, have a good evening.

[Gavel]
[At 8:47 pm, the House stood adjourned until 10:00 am,
Friday , 8 March 2024.]

890 6 March 2024 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly

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