Mr. President and Members of the Senate, Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly, Through the Department of Airport Operations the Ministry of Transport is well on the way to making the airport a commercially viable and comfortable facility. Compliments from visitors and locals alike have greeted physical improvements and the introduction of expanded duty free shopping. Additional retail opportunities for Bermudians at the airport will result from the introduction of a new Retail Development Scheme.

The Ministries of Transport and the Environment will cooperate in the preparation of new legislation to set emission standards for all vehicles in Bermuda. In conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Transport is pursuing additional air links for Bermuda in negotiations with the UK Government.

Government's commitment to maintain the public transportation system in a high state of readiness will see the replacement of five buses with new vehicles by June 2000. In addition, the Public Transportation Board will install new, modern bus washing and cleaning equipment. Sandys residents will benefit from plans to license a mini-bus service in that area.

The Department of Marine and Ports Services is finalising plans to upgrade current ferries with new fast ferries by the year 2001. In the interim, ferry schedules will be adjusted with a view to increasing commuter use with more convenient times.

Mr. President and Members of the Senate, Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly, In keeping with Government's emphasis on literacy, the Department of Cultural Affairs will launch a Literacy Awards Programme in February 2000. This programme is designed to encourage and promote excellence in writing.

Students of the visual and performing arts will be introduced to international artists in their fields through the Department's "Artist in Residence'' project. Meanwhile, local visual, performing and culinary arts will be on display with Bermuda's participation in "Carifesta VII'' in August 2000 in St. Kitts.

In its first Throne Speech, Government affirmed its commitment to eliminate racism in the workplace and, in keeping with this commitment, an amendment to the Commission for Unity and Racial Equality Act 1994 will be tabled. In addition, through its Code of Practice, CURE will advise and encourage employers to adopt equal opportunity practices and to use special programmes included in the legislation.

The National Training Board will soon receive a licence from "Investors In People UK'' which will enable them to promote this internationally recognised Quality Standard through an "Investing In People (Bermuda)'' programme.

Affirming Bermuda's commitment to international human rights standards, the Criminal Code will be amended to abolish capital and judicial corporal punishment. To ensure that all people lawfully residing in Bermuda are afforded equal and inalienable rights, amendments will be made to The Human Rights Act. The Consumer Affairs Board is set to become more proactive in the protection of consumers with amendments to give them statutory powers to investigate and redress specific complaints.

Mr. President and Members of the Senate, Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly, The Ministry of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety is adopting a comprehensive approach to dealing with offenders through a continuum of care programme that provides for substance abuse treatment to be a sentencing option in the courts and for a system of alternatives to incarceration. In addition, steps already taken to detect and prevent the use of drugs in prison will be continued with the assistance of the Police, detection dogs and ionscan technology.

Revised legislation dealing with sexual offenders will be brought before Parliament during this session. During the forthcoming year, a Halfway House to help the reintegration of inmates into society will become a reality at the former HMS Malabar. Among the many changes planned to modernise the judiciary, legislation to enable video appearances in court by persons on remand will be introduced.

In the Department of Immigration, priority will be given to the consistency and timeliness of processing work permits. Policies on work permits will be revised both to safeguard employment opportunities for Bermudians and to ensure transparency in the process. The Department of Immigration will also create a strategic section that will link immigration policy to workplace needs and training requirements. Policy and procedure manuals on all changes will be made available to the public. Government is pleased to report that one employer has already made a tangible commitment to actively pursue multiple exchange programme work secondment/placements overseas for Bermudians.

As promised, Government will bring forward its Green Paper on the matter of long-term residents during this Parliamentary Session. In addition, consideration will be given to legislation designed to bring Bermuda to the international forefront in the area of protection for intellectual property.

Mr. President and Members of the Senate, Mr. Speaker and Members of the Honourable House of Assembly, The Bermuda Police Service will continue with the community policing and crime management strategies, the human resource initiatives and job realignment resulting from its core functions review. In the area of administration of justice, the Police will begin the taping of interviews with suspects; and the adequacy of legislation dealing with the conduct of identity parades will be examined with a view to establishing proper protection for all parties.

In a move designed to eliminate long line-ups for traffic court, legislation to allow for the automatic payment of fines for speeding offences up to 62 kph will be introduced.

Meeting and greeting: Governor Thorold Masefield meets Spice Valley Middle School students on the grounds of the Cabinet Office after delivering the Throne Speech.