Controversial contracts signed by the Corporation of Hamilton will be scrutinised by MPs in the House of Assembly today.

The municipality signed a 262-year lease with developers in October 2012 to rebuild the city’s waterfront. But details of the deal were only made public at the start of this year, and Government subsequently passed legislation requiring any Corporation lease agreements of more than 21 years to be approved by Parliament before they can go ahead. The law, applied retroactively to any leases signed since the start of 2012, was approved in the Senate in October and the Corporation then had 14 days to submit to Government all land leases for more than 21 years, as well as outright land sales, for review.

The lease arrangement for the development of the waterfront between the Corporation and Allied Development Partners, along with the lease for a proposed hotel on the site of the Par-la-Ville car park, will be presented for “consideration’ by MPs today.

A slew of other items are listed in the Orders paper, including a second reading of the national Drug Control Act 2013. The legislation, promised in February’s Throne Speech, will clarify the role of the Department of National Drug Control, including a five-year drug control plan.

The Liquor Licence Amendment Act 2013 — allowing shoppers to buy alcohol on Sundays will also get its second reading, as will the Pharmacy and Poisons Amendment Act 2013, and the Customs Tariff Amendment (No. 3) Act 2013. The Public Holidays Amendment Act 2013, which relaxes restrictions on public holiday opening hour for retailers will also be tabled

Last up on today’s Order paper is a second reading of the Gaming Referendum Act 2013. Government pledged in its Throne Speech that a referendum on whether casinos should be allowed to operate on the Island will be held by the end of March 2014.