The latest Scientific and Hazards Assessment has now been released. It is a second addendum to the full report of September 2002. To view the latest Assessment Click Here

Christmas is here again, and I am grateful for this opportunity to address Montserratians during the festive season. In Montserrat, Christmas is also Festival season and this year, of course, it is a special 40th Anniversary occasion. The fact that the Montserrat Festival tradition has continued throughout the difficult years of crisis is a tribute not only to the level of local talent still available on this island, but also to the work of those dedicated people who, year after year, have given their time to making the Festival the successful and memorable occasion it always is. Let me therefore take the opportunity of this anniversary to thank them all and wish them every success, not only with this year but also future years. And let me also record my appreciation of all those Montserratians and others who have shown their confidence in this island by returning in large numbers for the Christmas season despite the misreporting which sometimes circulates in the international press about the Soufriere Hills volcano.

In some ways, this was a difficult year for Montserrat. It was a year, for example, when the words evacuation and shelters returned to the vocabulary. The decision in October to evacuate areas surrounding the Belham Valley was difficult for everyone involved. We well understood the problems it would cause residents, and the damage it might do to the economy and to confidence in Montserrat's future. I hope that, despite the problems, all those evacuated manage to have an enjoyable Christmas. And be sure, I share everyone's wish that the volcano allows everyone back to your homes early in the New Year. Can I also, at this point, offer sincere thanks to the Scientists and staff of the MVO and to the police and other emergency workers, for whom this latest crisis has meant more long hours and extra work.

On the brighter side, this year was also the year of Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee. What I particularly remember, apart from the enormous crowds that visited Government House for the Family Fete, is the special Birthday Parade when the Antigua Police Band joined our Defence and Police Forces and others and everyone concerned put on a wonderful spectacle. My thanks to all who put work into making this Jubilee occasion on Montserrat such a success.

This was also the year when Montserratians, like other citizens of Overseas Territories, were offered the opportunity to get British passports which, among other things, permit visa free travel to countries of the European and the United States. The introduction of the new arrangements has gone very smoothly, although many complicated issues arose, and already almost 500 Montserratians have applied for the new EU passports. This is a tribute to the hard work and careful planning of officials in the Government of Montserrat and the Governor's Office.

We have also seen this year the completion of a number of new and important construction projects funded by DFID - in particular, the Police Station, Fire Station and - my particular favourite - the Sheltered Housing and Community Centre at Lookout. It was for me one of the most heartening moments of the year to see relations developing between our senior citizens at the Sheltered Housing and the junior citizens across the road in Lookout Primary School. They both have such a lot to give each other and as Christmas is a time for giving I urge all of you to think of those less fortunate than yourselves, to whom you may be able to offer a helping hand. In this way, amidst the jollity and the food, we can keep in our minds some of the real meaning of Christmas.

The new Police and Fire Stations are also important as they will enable both these loyal groups of Public Servants to give an even higher level of service to the community. In this context, I should also mention the opening this year of the Family Centre in Cudjoe Head which is enabling the Police and others to pursue their attempts to reduce domestic violence and child abuse. This is rightly an important issue for Montserrat society, and again I urge everyone to give them wholehearted support.

We are also seeing a steady improvement in the medical facilities available in Montserrat. For example, there are now refurbished clinics at St John's and Cudjoe Head and work on the clinic in St Peter's is well advanced - as is the new Operating Theatre, and I would like to take this opportunity to record my thanks again for the nurses and doctors and all the carers whose dedicated work in the hospital and homes for the elderly is so vital but so often taken for granted.

Can I also congratulate Radio Montserrat on its 50 years of service to the community here. Until I came to Montserrat, I had never realised what a vital part of daily life a radio station could become.

We have had a number of international gatherings on Montserrat this year. In March we had the meeting of all the Attorneys General from the Overseas Territories, including the UK Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith; we have also more recently had the highly successful UWI Country Conference and the meeting of Disaster Managers from the Overseas Territories. And we have some more international events planned for next year. As I never tire of saying, these international gatherings are important for Montserrat as they help spread the word that, despite the volcano, this island is able to welcome visitors and treat them very well.

Another even more notable international occasion was the visit of the Montserrat Football team to Bhutan. The result was not perhaps the one we wanted, but the occasion certainly served to put Montserrat on the map, and I congratulate all involved in being such good Ambassadors for their country. Now they have their excellent new football pitch, we expect to see them start moving up the FIFA league table.

There have been a number of significant appointments and retirements over the year. I cannot mention them all, but would like to draw particular attention to the appointments of John Douglas as Commissioner of Police and Esco Henry-Greer as Attorney General. It is good to see we can find Montserratians well capable of filling key posts such as this. I must also briefly mention the retirement, after many years of loyal service, of Claudia Roach without whose wise counsel my first year here would have been much more difficult. On an even sadder note, I cannot pass mentioning the violent death of Simeon Sealy. I am sure we all will be thinking of his wife and family during this Christmas season.

Looking forward to the future, this island's progress is still going to remain very dependent on the volcano. But I hope that nevertheless 2003 will be the year when we really start to get economic growth, particularly in the private sector. A lot of work is going into this - from the Chamber of Commerce and others. We now have up and running a Financial Services Commission to regulate offshore financial services and I know that this is an area where the Government and the Chamber are looking to make progress. There has also been a lot of work looking at ways to develop the tourist sector further, and several good ideas put forward which I hope the Tourist Board and others will carry to fruition next year. This is the obvious area to which we have to look for improved growth.

And last, but certainly not least, we have the new airport where serious work will be getting underway. This will be the key project for the year. We will also have the new MVO building where the team will be moving in over this Christmas period. This will be an important new asset both for Montserrat and for volcano sciences - as well as being the ideal site for amateur volcano watchers. On a lesser scale, but also very important, work is just beginning on extending the Remand Centre into a proper Prison which, when completed, will enable the Government to save the large amount of money it currently pays other Territories for keeping Montserratian prisoners.

I have thanked various groups for their service over the year. It is always invidious to single people out. So let me therefore thank sincerely all those who continue to give loyal and conscientious service to their country in the schools, the health service, the prison warders, and indeed all in the Public Service, including last, but not least, the Governor's Office staff. I also cannot forget the work of all those who give voluntary service to the community including the Royal Montserrat Defence Force, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and other Church/cultural groups and all non-governmental organisations. A healthy society cannot function without these groups of people who give of their time for the benefit of others. They too have my heartfelt thanks.

Finally, on a personal note, can I say that during the last 12 months Jane and I have continued to find Montserrat a wonderful place to work and Montserratians wonderful people to work with. I know this has not been an easy year for many people. But next year I hope we can all work together to make this island an even better and easier place to live.

With that, Jane joins me in wishing everyone a happy and ever prosperous New Year.

Thank you.

Tony Longrigg

On Thursday 14, November there was an Investiture Ceremony at Government House which saw Mr Kingsley Howe receive his MBE awarded in Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2002.

Mr Howe received his award for his dedicated years of service in the Civil Service especially in the Ministry of Finance where he served up until his retirement earlier this year. Since then, Mr Howe has returned to the Ministry of Finance on contract and continues his excellent work there.

On the same evening, Mrs Eileen Edwards received the Montserrat Certificate & Badge of Honour which was awarded earlier this year for her services to education as Principal of the St Augustine RC Primary School.

Both awards were invested by H.E. the Governor, Mr Anthony J. Longrigg.

The Volcano Risk Assessment Panel have published an addendum to their last full Scientific Assessment. This revises the hazard and risk estimates in the light of increased threat to those living in and near the Belham River area. The report updates the September 2002 assessment. The report can be accessed here Addendum Report.

Thursday 5, December 2002 was celebrated as World Volunteers Day.

To mark this important day the Montserrat branch of Partners of the Americas announced that its President, Miss Elizabeth Piper Wade of Olveston has been named as Volunteer of the Year 2002 by Partners of the Americas Headquarters in Washington DC.

Partners of the Americas was founded in 1964 by then President of the USA, John F. Kennedy. Since then it has grown to become the largest volunteer based organisation in the Western hemisphere engaged in social, economic, and cultural development.

Elizabeth was honoured as a dedicated international volunteer and was chosen from over half a million volunteers from throughout the Americas. She received the award in Quito, Ecuador at the recently concluded Partners of the Americas International Convention and became the first Caribbean person to receive the award.

The citation read at the awards ceremony in Quito said :-

"Elizabeth many times has had to develop and fulfil Partners projects on her own during the volcanic crisis. She has worked to raise funds through the British Government (The DfID Small Grants Scheme administered by the Governor's Office) to support projects including a Say No to Drugs campaign for children, the DARE programme, and training workshops for NGO's.

Outside of Partners activities, Elizabeth is a committed volunteer for Red Cross, her church and in the cultural community. Her humble and unselfish nature garners extensive affinity from her peers. Elizabeth Piper Wade's actions serve as an exemplary model to all volunteers who have perpetuated the ideals Partners embodies."

The Dumond Peck Hill award for the Partners of the Americas International Volunteer of the Year is presented every November.

His Excellency the Governor, Mr Anthony J. Longrigg hosted a celebratory dinner at Government house during International Volunteers Day for Miss Piper Wade & other international volunteers working in Montserrat.

Since early November Montserrat's new EC$4.5 million Police Headquarters (PHQ) at Brades has been fully operational.

The building, which replaces the old Plymouth based PHQ, was opened at the end of October and was funded by DfID.

Since the evacuation of Plymouth and the subsequent closure of PHQ there the Royal Montserrat Police Force (RMPF) has moved six times according to Commissioner of Police Mr John Douglas.

Police Heaquarters, the Remand Centre (soon to be upgraded to a Prison), and the Fire Station are now all on adjacent sites at Brades. This affords better operational management for the RMPF and a more efficient service to the general public.

The new police headquarters was built by Galloway's Construction Ltd from local designs and took some 15 months to build. It is a state of the art facility and is a tangible example of restoration of the infrastructure on the island.

Salem Police Station remains opened and manned 24 hours per day as is the new station. The phone numbers for the two Police Stations are 491 2555 (Brades) and 491 5255 (Salem). In the event of an emergency the general public can call 999.

Britain's Pet Travel Scheme which allows dogs and cats meeting certain conditions to enter the UK without quarantine, has been extended to Montserrat. This has come about because Montserrat has been declared rabies-free.

The scheme, which started in February 2000, originally extended only to countries in Europe but since then several other countries have been included.

Within the Caribbean region, only Barbados, Bermuda and Montserrat have been included in the scheme.

Travellers wishing to take their dogs and cats into the UK must satisfy the requirements of having their animals 'chipped' (an identity tag placed under the skin), arranging for their animals to get a rabies jab and organising a sample of the animal's blood to be sent to a laboratory in the UK for testing.

The entire process takes six months to complete so travellers must plan in advance if they wish to travel with their pets. Vets in Montserrat can carry out the procedure and have already done so on several occasions.

The scheme has been warmly welcomed by animal lovers and since its introduction thousands of dogs and cats have entered the UK using it. There are enormous benefits for both pets and their owners in avoiding the lengthy and costly quarantine that was required before the scheme was introduced.

For further information on the Pet Travel Scheme, visit this website.

In early December H.E. the Governor, Mr Anthony J Longrigg attended several overseas meetings.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico he attended the Caribbean Overseas Territories (COT's) Governor's Conference which brought together the Governors of the five COT's and Bermuda to look at issues relevant to them all together with key Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials. This meeting was held on 2 / 3 December.

En route back to Montserrat, Mr Longrigg joined Mr Alan Mathews of DfID and Mr Horatio Tuitt, the Director of the Emergency Department for discussions with Senior Government Officials there.

During the absence of Mr Longrigg, Professor Sir Howard Fergus acted as Governor.

The University of the West Indies hosted a conference on Montserrat in mid November called Beyond Walls: Multi Disciplinary Perspective. The Conference was held at the new Police Station Training Room and featured the presentation of a variety of papers about the island and its peoples.

Mr Geoge Goodwin Jr. the Acting Director General of the OECS presented the feature address at the opening ceremony which was attended by H.E. the Governor, the Chief Minister, Ministers of Government, Members of LEGCO, and a host of distinguished guests.

A number of papers were presented over the two day period by such local speakers as Professor Sir Howard Fergus, Mrs Margaret 'Annie' Dyer Howe - the Minister of Agriculture, Members of LEGCO, Mrs Roselyn Cassel - Sealy and Claude Hogan, The Director of Development, Angela Greenaway and Chief Training Officer Mrs Daphne Cassell amongst others.

Overseas speakers included Dr Lennox Honeychurch of Dominica, who illustrated the impact Montserratians have had in Dominica from earlier periods of migration. There were also a number of scientific presentations about the volcano plus one on Montserrat's tourism potential from Dr Lydia Pulsipher of the Unniversity of Tennessee.

The Pro Vice Chancellor for None Campus Territories and Distance Education at the University of the West Indies, Professor Lawrence Carrington represented the University at the meeting and spoke at the opening ceremony.

As a prelude to the National Emergency Managers of the Overseas Territories (NEMOT) Workshop which was held in Montserrrat during the last week of November, the Emergency Department held a simulation exercise in the early part of the week.

The exercise, which simulated an increase in volcanic activity in the Belham Valley area leading to large ashfalls in the Salem area, saw the response of key agencies being tested. The scenario included road accidents as part of an evacuation exercise.

Agencies included in the simulation included Health, Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, EOC, Utility Companies, the Red Cross and a host of others. The exercise was watched and critiqued by CDERA officials and the National Disaster Managers of other OT's.

On completion of the exercise this afternoon, His Excellency the Governor Mr Anthony J. Longrigg, who chaired proceedings at the EOC during the simulation said that it is important that exercises such as this are carried out on a regular basis so that the strengths & weaknesses of Montserrat's emergency response agencies can be determined.

The opening ceremony for the NEMOT workshop was attended by His Excellency the Governor Mr Anthony J Longrigg,, who delivered the keynote address, and Acting Chief Minister Dr Lowell Lewis. The workshop brought together Disaster Managers from all of the Caribbean Overseas Territories (with the exception of Bermuda) plus representatives from Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and St Helena. International agencies represented included the Red Cross, CDERA, and The Commonwealth Disaster Unit.

The Governor's Office has donated EC$5000 to support organisations and individuals who are mounting shows and activities as part of the 40th anniversary of Christmas Festival in Montserrat.

The funds in part come from a grant from the DfID funded Small Grants Scheme administered by the Governor's Office.

Receiving the donation from H.E. the Governor, Mr Anthony J. Longrigg at a short ceremony held in the meeting room at Lancaster House, the Governor's Office, was the Director of Culture Mr Herman Francis and representatives of the Christmas Festival Committee. The monies will be used to fund small cash grants for those who are organising shows and activities over the next few weeks.

In related news, musician Mr Cecil Lake also received a cheque presented by the Governor, on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth's Office (FCO) Sports & Culture Fund in the United Kingdom. Mr Lake had earlier in the year presented a proposal to the fund to allow Montserrat's calypsos to be recorded during Christmas 2002 and produced as a CD for distribution to the general public over the festive season.

A new Staff Officer, Mr James Hudson, has been appointed to the Governor's Officer from 6, December 2002. Mr Hudson, who is married (to Daphne), is serving a two year tour of duty and comes to Montserrat from St Petersburg in Russia. He has also worked in Cuba and Albania.

Mr Hudson is replacing Mr Geoff Patton who is returning to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London on promotion after serving 28 months in Montserrat.

For recent press releases including those related to Entry into the Evacuation Zone and the Increase in UK Passport Fees, please go to the Press Releases Page.

There is an updated list of links relevant to Montserrat on this website. To check out the new information click 'Links' at the top of this page or Here