News

A total of 375 Argentine next of kin will visit the Falkland Islands in two groups on 3 and 10 October to attend the official inauguration of the Argentine Memorial at the Cemetery at Darwin, East Falklands.

The Falkland Islands Government welcomes this humanitarian visit and has worked with the Argentine Families Commission to ensure that the relatives are able to pay their respects with dignity.

Although next of kin visits have been taking place since 1991, the visits scheduled for 3 and 10 October are the largest to date and have involved considerable logistical planning. The Falkland Islands Government is grateful to the Chilean airline, LAN, for providing extra capacity on its scheduled services in order to accommodate the many families who wish to attend.

The Memorial was commissioned and completed in 2004 but has not, to date, been officially inaugurated.

Press Contacts
Photography of the cemetery, including the Memorial, is available before the event and photography of the inauguration ceremony will be available after the event from the press contact below.

A representative of the Falkland Islands Government is available for comment and interview before and after the event.

Simon Quarendon, Keene Public Affairs Consultants
Telephone: 020 7839 2140 or 07850 618418 (out of office hours and weekends)
Email: simon@keenepa.co.uk

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) will be represented at the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences again this year, confirming its place as one of the longest standing exhibitors.  2009 marks the 22^nd consecutive year that FIG has exhibited at the Conferences. Click here to read the press release in full.

The following Executive Council papers considered at the meeting of Executive Council held on 17 September 2009 are available to download:

162/09: Review of Partnering with Morrisons
200/09: Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2009/2010
201/09: Review of Environmental Impact Statements produced by Rockhopper Exploration PLC for offshore drilling
202/09: Review of Employment Law – Terms of Reference
203/09: Business Continuity Planning
204/09: Application for permission to visit Beauchene Island for shallow marine & coastal research
207/09: Stanley Diary:  Confirmation of utilisation of financial assistance provided by FIDC
208/09: FIMCo Additional Funding Request
210/09: Budgetary Procedures 2010/11 onwards
212/09: Public Accounts Committee Bill 2009
213/09: Delegated power to the Lands Committee to determine applications under the Land (Non-Residents) Ordinance
214/09: Progress report on the implementation of the Review of Government
215/09: Change of Firearms Policy
218/09: Report of the Independent Panel on Members’ Remuneration

Two Typhoon aircraft have landed in the Falklands and will be taking over air defence duties from the F3 Tornados, which are being removed from service after 17 years in the Islands.  Powered by twin turbojets, the Typhoons can fly at twice the speed of sound.  They are equipped with air-to-air missiles and a radar capable of tracking multiple long-range targets.  More of the aircraft will arrive in the next few weeks.

Rockhopper Petroleum has agreed terms with a third party energy company for a farm-in to one of its licences.  The agreement covers the costs of drilling one well on the licence and also certain back costs.  A Letter of Intent to farm-in has been signed and discussions continue to progress the agreement into a binding joint venture.

Bluff Cove Lagoon Tour, one of the Falkland Islands’ most popular excursions for cruise passengers, won the Innovative Shorex Award at the Seatrade Insider Award Ceremony in Hamburg on 15 September.  Bluff Cove has a large lagoon and long sandy beach where over 3,000 gentoo penguins and a growing colony of breeding king penguins reside. On the tour, guests can see the Falklands’ stunning natural wilderness with an off-road driving adventure, a view of typical sheep farm country and delicious home-baked treats at the Sea Cabbage Café.  New for the 2009/2010 cruise season, the Bluff Cove Museum gives guests a fascinating insight into Falklands heritage.

The Falklands are on the route for the 2010 Commonwealth Games baton relay, one of the longest in history.  The Queen will launch the relay on 29 October at Buckingham Palace, before the baton begins its journey to every Commonwealth nation and territory.  The baton is due to arrive in the Falklands on 15 February 2010.

Desire Petroleum has exchanged a letter of intent with Diamond Offshore Drilling for a rig to undertake a drilling campaign in the North Falkland Basin.  The rig is expected to arrive in February 2010.  For more information visit www.falklands-oil.com.

The Public Accounts Committee Bill 2009 was published today and will be considered by the Legislative Assembly at its meeting of 18 September. The Bill makes provision as to the functions and proceedings of the Public Accounts Committee in accordance with section 81 of the Constitution.

Members of the Legislative Assembly would like the Bill to be considered as soon as possible, and have sought to avoid that being delayed. Therefore publication of the Bill has proceeded even though there continues to be some further work carried out on the detail of the proposals contained in the Bill. For this reason, it is likely that proposals will be made during the meeting of the Legislative Assembly for the Bill to be amended from its published form.

The likely proposed amendments arise from the fact that Members of the Legislative Assembly would like the Public Accounts Committee to have a slightly wider function. That wider function would enable the Committee to examine and report on the accounts of some additional bodies, notably any company in which the Falkland Islands Government or a statutory corporation has a shareholding, and any body in receipt of public funding.

Members of the public are invited to pass any comments on the Bill to the Legislative Assembly Office, who can provide a copy of the Bill on request. Phone 00 500 27451 or email: cclifford@sec.gov.fk.