Government passed supplementary estimates totalling $7.8 million in overspending from the 2000/01 and 2001/2002 fiscal years.

Members of Parliament debated $3.1 million in overspending from the 2000/01 fiscal year and $4.7 million from the 2001/2002 fiscal year.

For the 2000/2001 fiscal year seven ministries overspent their original estimates of that year with the largest shortfall of $1.1 million occurring in the Health Ministry, while the Prison Service - part of the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs and Public Safety - came in at $1.56 million for the 200002 year. Home Affairs Minister Terry Lister admitted that some $900,000 went to overtime payments.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome said the extra funds covered Government support of hospital services for young people, the elderly and the indigent.

But Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley questioned why exactly the additional funds were needed. Mr. Bascome said a policy decision was made that year to try and reduce the number of in-hospital bed-nights for patients by increasing outpatient services. As a result the overspending of $1.1 million fell on outpatient services budget, he said.

In Home Affairs, Police wages resulted in a $429,638 shortfall.

Mr. Terry Lister said the additional money was needed to cover added staff including a human resources assistant and a cleaner to cover vacation and sick leaves, a secretary for Police Prosecutions and four data input personnel who were used to update the Police computer files.

Mr. Lister also explained a $79,366 shortfall in the Immigration Department budget saying Government had to order 1,000 more passports in 2000 than in previous years because the UK Government scrapped family passports and required children to travel on separate passports. He also said extra costs were incurred due to discussions held surrounding new work permit regulations that year, changing the meeting schedule of the Immigration Board to twice a week from once a week, and, adding a modular filing system for the department.

Opposition Shadow Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said the costs for family passports could not have been foreseen but questioned why Immigration was allowing members of Government to have free passports.

Mr. Lister said he would take her comment under advisement.

A shortfall in Marine & Ports budget was attributed to the decision to keep a third tug boat operating and various building projects at Government schools accounted for a $150,000 shortfall in the Education budget.

Under Works and Engineering an additional $181,407 was required to repair problems with Prospect area sewers, Minister Alex Scott said.

Shadow Erwin Adderley challenged Mr. Scott on why the job was not completed the first time, saying: "The fact is that somebody messed up and the project ended up costing three times the original cost."

The Works and Engineering Ministry also overspent in order to improve working conditions at the Tynes Bay Septage plant ($61,549) and for various minor works ($61,549).

Under Parliamentary rules supplementary expenditures are only open to debate if they exceed the original head estimate by ten percent or $250,000 or fall under capital account expenditure. For the 200002 budget, there was an additional $1.56 million spent for Prisons. Minister Lister said the additional funding was required for food and lighting expenses at the Transitional Living Centre, for overtime for prison officers and for the Southside Civil Detention Centre.

Mr. Lister said on the amount of for prison officers overtime, in the supplementary estimate: "We have incurred very high overtime expense. It is a large figure and we are not in the least bit happy about it, but we are doing something about it."

Mr. Lister said $600,000 had been budgeted for overtime but the actual amount incurred was $1.5 million - a $900,000 shortfall from the budget estimate.

But Mr. Lister said the number of prison staff has now been increased which should significantly cut down on overtime going forward. Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin raised concerns on the wide margin between the budget and actual amounts and called for a budget according to real expenses.

Speaking to the Southside Civil Detention Centre - which is intended for the incarceration of parents who are found guilty of defaulting on child support payments - Mr. Lister said: "This is something the Government has moved on. But we did not budget even one cent for this as it is something we thought of along the way."

The total supplemental amount for the facility is $461,000 and Mr. Lister said the incarcerated parents are on a work-release programme with earnings going towards support of their children.