MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First Executive Council meeting for new Falklands Governor

The 21st September saw the first full meeting of the Falkland Islands Executive Council (ExCo) to be attended by new Governor, Mr Alan Huckle and in his report of the meeting on the Falkland Islands Radio Station (FIRS) he said that he had enjoyed the quality of the discussion and was looking forward to more.

As the representative of the British Crown in the Falklands, the Governor always presides over the meetings of Executive Council, which is the upper house of the Falklands legislature. Theoretically, he has the power under the Constitution to over-rule any decisions made by the three voting members, all members of the democratically elected Legislative Council (LegCo), but in practice, he never does.

During his swearing in as Governor a few weeks ago, Mr. Huckle promised to use "a light touch" with regard to local matters, which, he said, were the province of the elected members of LegCo and ExCo and perhaps for this reason he refrained from commenting on the decision by ExCo to authorise the Falkland Islands Development Board to release funds to implement a somewhat contentious plan to implement a recent report on the marketing of Falkland Islands wool by setting up a wool co-operative.

This is a topic which has recently led to some heated debate in the Islands with accusations that farmers were being coerced into something that they did not agree with. Governor Huckle said that while he understood that there were differences of opinion, he hoped that people would not resort to threats or personal abuse and restated the government position that there was no coercion on farmers to join the new co-operative.

Among other measures directly affecting the economy of the Falklands Governor Huckle reported that Executive Council had also agreed in principle to move ahead on setting up a national aquaculture development programme, pending EDF9 funding, and to establish two new energy saving schemes to promote solar thermal hot water systems and high efficiency condensing boilers. Funding for these schemes would be considered at the Budgetary Review in November, which members of the Government's Standing Finance Committee, composed of all eight elected councillors, would set the strategic priorities for expenditure in the next financial year.

Governor Huckle told listeners that Executive Council had reviewed a report on the outcome of the public consultation on a recently conducted Integrated Transport Study. Key issues will be the capital programme for road construction and maintenance, including the provision of new infrastructure at Newhaven and Port Howard to support the proposed ferry service, which will link the two main islands of East and West Falkland.

Also due for review, the Governor said, was the operation the Government Air Service (FIGAS), including the possible purchase of new aircraft. FIGAS provides an essential passenger and freight service between the many islands which comprise the Falklands Archipelago, using twin-engine Britten-Norman ?Islander' aircraft.

Still on the subject of aviation, Mr. Huckle reported that Executive Council had also approved a new distribution of regulatory functions between the Director of Civil Aviation in the Falkland Islands and Air Safety Support International, based in London.

Finally, Executive Council discussed a draft report on the implementation in the Falklands of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is required every five years.

Although the first Executive Council meeting for Governor Huckle, it was the final meeting for the Commander, British Forces, South Atlantic, Commodore Ian Moncrieff, before his departure on 14 November, since he will be in London on official business at the time of the next meeting in October. (Although not allowed to vote, successive Commanders British Forces are invited to sit on both Executive and Legislative Councils and join in the debates.)

The Governor reported that Council members had expressed their warm appreciation of Commodore Moncrieff's work with the civil community.

John Fowler (Mercopress) Stanley