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Falkland Islands: Penguin NewsUpdate

Mr. David Pickup new Falkland's Attonery General

Headlines:
David Pickup top legal job; Liberation Day shelter rises up on harbour front; New plans for ferry haven; Budget deliberations; Seven stand for tourism.

David Pickup top legal jobMR David Pickup is to be the Falklands' new Attorney General. Mr Pickup (right) is currently Director General of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, prior to which he was the solicitor for Customs and Excise. He will take up his appointment in the Islands on September 1. Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive, Chris Simpkins said the Falkland Islands Government is "extremely fortunate" to have attracted such a "high calibre" candidate to this post. "David comes with excellent references and a wealth of experience at the highest level in government having managed large legal teams and some very high profile cases on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. His skills and experience will be a great asset and I'm looking forward to working with him." From 1995 to 2005, as solicitor for the Customs and Excise (HMCE), Mr Pickup headed a team of 130 lawyers and 230 other staff, providing legal services to HMCE and prosecuting drug importations, VAT fraud and other criminal cases investigated by the Commissioners. He was also a member of the Board and Management Committees of the department. In 2004 it was announced that Mr Pickup was being suspended from duty as part of a policeinvestigation into Customs and Excise's handling of a series of excise diversion frauds in the 1990s. In his announcement to the House of Commons, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury explained that Mr Pickup, and Terry Byrne (Director General, Law Enforcement HMCE) were being suspended because their seniority and the broad scope of their responsibilities made it impossible for them to remain in their posts during that investigation. He emphasised that it would be wrong and unjust to prejudge the outcome of the investigation. In 2005 the Financial Secretary to the Treasury announced that it had been concluded that there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr Pickup, Mr Byrne or Sir Richard Broadbent (the former Chairman of HMCE) with a criminal offence, and that further work on the matter would not be justified. Mr Pickup was accordingly reinstated in the successor department to HMCE, HM Revenue and Customs, who later concluded that nothing that had been revealed by the police investigation provided any basis for disciplinary or any other action being taken against him, and that the matter was accordingly closed. Since his return to HMRC Mr Pickup has being acting as a Director General, one of his responsibilities being to lead a HMRC / Treasury world wide study of the legal frameworks used by different countries to protect their tax revenues against tax avoidance. br> Liberation Day shelter rises up on harbour frontA NEW, brightly coloured structure which has grown on the road opposite the Liberation Monument this week has had Stanley residents talking. What might look like a modern art installation will serve as a shelter for invited guests at the June 14 Liberation Day parade. The red, white and blue structure is temporary and when the June commemorations are over it will be removed. The concrete area it stands on will then become a lay by parking bay for coaches and other traffic. Director of Public Works, Manfred Keenleyside said the frame is an attempt to create better protection "with a bit more elegance" than was the case for 2002, when scaffolding, with ply attached was used. "This was done as tidily as was practical but looked like what it was." The materials comprising the shelter are for the most part recycled or can be re-used once it is taken down. White geotextile (road fabric) is to be stretched over the outer face of the frame nearer June 14 which will create a tented effect but still allow light to diffuse through, Mr Keenleyside said. He commented, "Evidently we are still to a great extent at the mercy of the weather, in that if there is a southerly wind and snow on the 14th, nothing other than a full blown building would offer much protection, but the height is in part to increase the amount of overhang and therefore protection to those who will be seated on the stand." Continued on page 3 New plans for ferry havenTHE terminal at Newhaven should be open for business by the time the new coastal shipping vessel arrives towards the end of the year. Last month the Transport Advisory Committee discussed the need to construct a temporary ferry terminal at Port San Carlos while the permanent terminal at Newhaven was built, work which was estimated to take the whole of next summer. However, this week Councillor Mike Rendell announced that the Public Works Department had come up with a new construction method which means there will be no need for a temporary terminal at Port San Carlos. He said the method involves excavating into the foreshore and forming ferry-heads surrounded on three sides by land, rather than the current design with finger jetties and ramps being pushed out well below the low water line. This new method, he said, should result in significant cost reductions. The other bonus, he said, is that the Newhaven terminal should be completed by the time the new vessel arrives. Because issues relating to the changed operational scenario are now being resolved with the ferry operators, Workboat Services Limited, Mr Rendell declined to go into further detail, but commented, "...those in PWD directly involved must be congratulated for thinking 'outside the box'." Budget deliberationsLegislative Council's annual budget session takes place next week, on Thursday, May 24. His Excellency the Governor will deliver his annual Address to the Nation before the Financial Secretary announces the proposed budget measures for the 2007/8 financial year. The Budget Select Committee will then meet. The following day, Legislative Council will reconvene and the Financial Secretary will announce the Select Committee's final budget decision. Seven stand for tourismSEVEN members of the Tourist Board (FITB) are standing for election to the board of directors. Phil Middleton, Hattie Kilmartin, Adie Lowe, Marilyn Grimmer, Roger Spink, Eric Goss and Sam Miller are all standing. They are competing for five positions on the board. The election will take place at FITB's annual general meeting on Monday.