Road Town, Tortola - Mr. Speaker I am grateful for this opportunity to inform this Honourable House of a significant project that is ongoing under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Social Development. This, Mr. Speaker, is a project to identify and mark all unmarked graves in our public cemeteries.

We all know the importance of cemeteries, and we all recognize that it is important that family members, relatives, friends of the deceased, and visitors in general are able to know the identities of persons who have been laid to rest in our public cemeteries. This also, of course Mr. Speaker, serves as an appropriate tribute to the deceased, and of course is an important part of history.

There are many graves in each of our public cemeteries that are unidentified and unmarked, and the Ministry of Health and Social Development is now embarked on a programme to address this.

We took the firm decision that cemeteries in the Virgin Islands are to be regarded and respected as protected and special places to maintain the sanctity of the final resting places of the deceased, and also as places of historical importance.
As such, the Ministry of Health and Social Development has embarked on a programme to upgrade and beautify all public cemeteries in consultation, and with the involvement of the people of this country. Particular attention is being paid to proper fencing, footpaths, lighting and other amenities, the layout and marking of graves, and general landscaping.

We have begun this process of identifying and marking unmarked graves at the Greenland Cemetery; a cemetery which serves the communities of East End-Long Look and environs. I am pleased to report, Mr. Speaker, that a small committee will assist us with this very essential task.

And also the involvement and assistance of the entire community is invited and encouraged in this exercise. The Burial Ground Managers and the Registers maintained by them will also be relied on.

This is a process that of necessity will require time, patience, and diligence as it must be done as accurately as possible.
As a consequence, Mr. Speaker, the decision has been taken to proceed with this project initially, one cemetery at a time until the exercise is completed to a high degree of accuracy. Once the process at the Greenland Cemetery has been completed, the focus is intended to be shifted to the public cemetery at Cane Garden Bay.

Mr. Speaker, there are currently 11 public cemeteries in the country. Seven of them are on Tortola (at Cappoon’s Bay, West End, Johnson’s Ghut, Cane Garden Bay, Sea Cows Bay, Doty Estate, and East End/Long Look). There are two public cemeteries on Virgin Gorda (one in the Valley and the other in North Sound). The islands of Jost Van Dyke and Anegada each have one public cemetery.

Given that, Mr. Speaker, it is reasonable to anticipate that the process of identifying and marking as many of the currently unmarked graves in these cemeteries is likely to be a lengthy process. However, we give the assurance that the Ministry approaches this undertaking with a strong sense of diligence and purpose; and we again invite and encourage the participation of the people of this Territory in what we believe is a very important exercise.

Mr. Speaker finally I say to this Honourable House that a Discussion Paper will soon be made available for public discussion and input in relation to a Review of the Cemeteries Act (Cap 177) and the Burial Grounds Regulations, which were made in 1978. Mr. Speaker I thank you.