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Headlines :
Support for smoking ban shown in census; MPs to visit;
Governor's reception; Queen's 80th thanks; Higgins returns; Staff nurse sacked; Death of Falklands lecturer.

Support for smoking ban shown in census

PEOPLE are overwhelmingly in favour of a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in the Falklands. That's according to the first results of the health census carried out by the government. While the results released yesterday are only interim indicators and more questionnaires are expected to be received, 76.83% of the 669 people who have so far responded are in favour of a ban on smoking in enclosed public places. Councillor Richard Davies was expected to propose a motion at today's meeting of Legislative Council that smoking in public places be banned. However he said yesterday that the motion is likely to be postponed from today's meeting to the next, in September. He explained, "It's important we have informed debate, and some of my colleagues want further time to seek people's views and consider the matter. While I am disappointed to postpone discussing such an important issue, it is important that we have all the facts so that we can make the best decision. "I would like to talk to publicans and hotel managers to hear their views on the issue and this will give me an opportunity to do so. I will be inviting them to a meeting fairly soon. However, the evidence from other places with a ban is that it has very little, if any, impact on business." The possibility of a smoking ban will also be the subject of September's public meeting, just before the next Legislative Council meeting, Councillor Davies said. "Although most people know that smoking and passive smoking are very bad for you, there is a view that it is not appropriate to make laws against it. I understand this viewpoint, though I do not agree with it. "My proposal is not an attack on the rights of smokers but a defence of the rights of non-smokers. I believe people should be able to go out into a public place, be it a shop, office, pub or restaurant and breathe air which is clean and non-toxic. I also believe that those who work in these places have a right to breathe clean air at work. A ban would only cover enclosed public places, not outdoor areas." He welcomed the interim results of the Health Census: "I am of course pleased that most people who responded support the idea. "Falkland Islanders, quite rightly are concerned about being swamped by huge amounts of legislation, and it is important that we only introduce laws which are beneficial to society and fair to individuals. I believe most people agree that a smoking ban in public places is a reasonable and sensible measure." ? Two Stanley businesses have launched their own initiatives in the campaign to help people breath easier. The Falklands Brasserie will become a non-smoking premises on August 1 and, from that same date, the Seafish Chandlery will stop selling tobacco products to anyone aged under 18. (Turn to page 5.) Photo: Could this become a thing of the past? Tanzi and Cathy Jacobsen and Neville Hayward enjoy a cigarette in the Victory Bar.

MPs to visit

FOUR Conservative Members of Parliament will visit the Falklands next month as part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. Hosted by the military, they will spend one day of their five day visit - Friday, August 25 - in Stanley. The MPs, Nigel Evans, Tobias Ellwood, David Wilshire and Ed Vaizey, will be accompanied by civil servant Jason Bradbury. The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS) is a programme in which Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords volunteer to spend a fixed number of days during one year on detachment with a branch of the Armed Forces. This group is detached to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The aim of the scheme is to give MPs and Peers, the vast majority of whom have no experience of the services, an insight into Forces life that would not otherwise be available to them. It is then hoped that they will be able to make a more informed and useful contribution to defence debates in the House of Commons.

Governor's reception

THE general public has been invited to a reception in the Town Hall next week to bid farewell to His Excellency the Governor and his family. The reception takes place on Thursday, August 3, from 6-7.30pm. A sculptured albatross, a gift presented to the Governor by Legislative Councillors last night will be on display during the reception. (See story on page 12).

Queen's 80th thanks

A MEMBER of the Queen's staff has written to thank Islanders for their kind wishes on Her Majesty's 80th birthday. In a letter to the Falkland Islands Government's UK representative, Ms Sukey Cameron, the Queen's Deputy Private Secretary, Christopher Geidt, said, "The Queen much appreciated your thoughtfulness in writing and sends her best wishes to you all."

Higgins returns

A FAMILIAR face is to return to take over the headship of the Falkland Islands Community School (FICS). Following the resignation of Headteacher Alan Purvis earlier this month, the Director of Education this week said that the services of experienced Headteacher David Higgins have been secured for the first term of the next school year, which begins in September. Mr Higgins preceded Mr Purvis as Headteacher, serving a five year contract. During the term, as well as managing the school he will work closely with the Director of Education to make a permanent appointment which it is hoped will be effective from January 2007. Barbara Booth, Director of Education, said she was "delighted" that David had felt able to come at relatively short notice. "David already knows the Islands and how the systems here work so he will be able to fit in immediately. I am looking forward to working with him. "It is important for the school and the community that there is a Headteacher in place and this appointment will help to provide stability and support for both pupils and staff." Holder of the Education portfolio, Councillor Richard Stevens said, "I am very confident of David's ability to provide leadership and direction for the future very quickly. "It will also give us the time we need to recruit a permanent Headteacher who can lead the school into a new phase of its development."

Staff nurse sacked

A NEWLY appointed Staff Nurse at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital has had his employment terminated. The nurse was suspended from duty after serious allegations about his conduct were made. The government's Director of Human Resources, Kathleen Dobbyns, said the allegations were fully investigated and, on the basis of the investigation, the Governor terminated the Staff Nurse's contract with effect from July 26, 2006. When asked to reveal what the allegations against the nurse had been, Ms Dobbyns declined to comment saying, "it would not be appropriate for me to do so." Ms Dobbyns added, "The Chief Medical Officer would like to reassure the population that no patient suffered any ill-consequence as a result of this Staff Nurse's actions."

Death of Falklands lecturer

THE Falklands has lost a friend, following the death of a dedicated UK supporter last week. Geoff Moir was a teacher at Fox Bay West for four years in the 1980s and returned in 1999 at the invitation of the Falkland Islands Government. He spent much of the past two decades giving lectures about the Falklands.

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