Government tabled over $3 million worth of supplementary budget estimates last Friday as it scrambled to cover expenditure unforeseen in last year's financial planning.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox tabled the fourth statement of Supplementary Estimates for the 2000/01 financial year during Friday's sitting of Parliament.

Government is seeking an additional $2.6 million in current account spending and $437,761 for the capital account.

Under Parliamentary rules all supplementary estimates for items on the capital account can be debated in the House while items on current account must exceed the original budget estimate by ten percent or $250,000 in order to be debated after they are tabled. Those items will be debated in Parliament in two weeks. The capital account supplements Government is seeking cover capital development at Tynes Bay Waste Facility ($61,549) and the Prospect area sewers ($181,407) and minor works in the Education department ($150,274), Prisons ($3,665) and Works and Engineering ($40,866). The largest single item among the supplementary estimates is an $1,109,290 request for the Hospital for grants and contributions. Hospital executive director Stephanie Reid told The Royal Gazette this week that the additional money sought is to cover Government subsidised treatment the hospital provides for the elderly, children and the indigent.

“The supplementary estimate reflects the increase in the number of patients we've seen in these categories and services offered to them,” said Mrs. Reid.

An additional $585,542 is required by the Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety with unforeseen Police wages accounting for $429,638 of that amount and materials and supplies for Immigration costing $79,366.

The Ministry of Transport is asking for an additional $441,360 with $242,516 slotted for wages and energy costs at Public Transportation and $136,968 for materials and supplies at Marine and Ports.

The Ministry of Finance requires an additional $406,164 with the only debatable item being a $101,071 allotment for the Small Business Development Corporation for wages, professional services and repair and maintenance.

Allotments are also requested to cover expenditure in Defence, Agriculture and Fisheries, Cultural Affairs, Customs and the Registrar of Companies.

These supplemental estimates do not fall under the criteria for Parliamentary debate.