Roadtown, Tortola - Mr. Speaker, I ask permission of this Honourable House to inform Members that a Constituency Boundaries Commission will convene in the Territory during the month of October 2009.

Honourable Members are aware it is the policy of this Government to bring about an increase in the number of elected members in the House of Assembly from thirteen (13) to fifteen (15) and that the additional two members should come from an increase in the number of electoral districts from nine (9) to eleven (11). This I might add is in keeping with this Administration’s Manifesto.

Mr. Speaker, Cabinet has approved the appointment of the Boundaries Commissioner who is Retired High Court Justice, Miss Monica Joseph.  Some Honourable Members may recall that Miss Joseph also carried out the last Boundaries exercise which was held in 1998.  At that time, she was commissioned to redefine the boundaries of the nine electoral districts of the Territory based on the Constitutional Commission’s recommendations of 1993.

The Boundaries Commission will be executed in a two-phase process.  Mr. Speaker, the first phase involves conducting public consultations on the principle of an increase in the number of electoral districts.  At the conclusion of this phase, which is expected to be completed in one month, a report will then be sent to Cabinet for review.  With Cabinet’s permission, the second phase should begin in early 2010 when a full Boundaries exercise will be conducted, thereby producing recommendations for the definition of new boundaries.

Mr. Speaker, I have been informed that in preparation for the Boundaries exercise, departments which will play significant roles have been contacted.  Mister Speaker, it must also be noted that there will be regular news releases and bulletins issued to keep the public informed, as well as the scheduling of public meetings and radio and television programmes.