The public’s right to know took a step closer yesterday after Craig Cannonier told MPs the recruitment process for a Commissioner to oversee freedom of information requests will start this spring.

And the Premier added that further legislation on public access to information (PATI) setting fees and the organisation and maintenance of public records would be introduced in the summer session of Parliament.

Mr Cannonier was speaking as he opened the debate on the Budget allocation for Cabinet Office — his personal office, which also includes Bermuda’s overseas offices in London and Washington, as well as the corporate HQ of the Civil Service.

Mr Cannonier told MPs that the Budget for the London office would be $1.03 million this year — down by $128,000, while spending on the Washington office would go up by $40,000 to $1.67 million.

He added that Government had to “re-energise” its overseas representation — and look outside the traditional areas of Europe and North America to the emerging economies of South America and the Middle East to drum up new business.

“If we are to remain competitive, remain in our lines of business and, indeed, if we wish to create new lines of business, we must aggressively market ourselves,” Mr Cannonier said.

The total budget for Cabinet Office for the coming year is $6.99 million — down by $99,000, equivalent to a one percent drop in expenditure.

Mr Cannonier said around $48,000 had been saved through Civil Service furlough days, while the secondment of a Bermuda Regiment soldier as official driver instead of a civilian employee had cut a further $61,000 from the total cost of Cabinet Office.

He added that the current intern programme, which cost more than $200,000 a year, would be revamped, with the Central Policy Unit looking at how graduates of the scheme could be transferred into roles where there is a shortage of skilled Bermudian staff.

Mr Cannonier also revealed that Cabinet Office travel and professional development would cost $200,000 in the current year, down $35,000 on the previous year.

He added that his personal travel was a “major component” in Government’s bid to generate new jobs for Bermuda and included trips for Overseas Territories conferences and other events where Bermudian participation was vital to promoting the island.

Mr Cannonier said that a Cabinet subcommittee to look at extending 2010 UK legislation to crack down on corruption would also be set up.

But he added that, although the UK Bribery Act “was considered one of the most stringent measures in the world”, Bermuda had comparable legislation already on its books, with the exceptions of legislation designed to outlaw bribery of overseas officials and specific laws to deal with the failure of commercial entities to prevent bribery.