ARRANGEMENTS FOR NEW BRITISH PASSPORTS

The commencement of the nationality section of the Overseas territories Act on 21 May 2002 allowed Montserratians, along with citizens of other U.K. Overseas Territories, to apply for British Citizen passports.

Montserratians who already hold a BDTC (Montserrat) passport may continue to hold their original passport in addition to applying for their full British one.

The process for applying for BDTC passports (renamed BOTC passports) remains the same. However, those wishing to apply for the new British Citizen (BC)passport in Montserrat will need to follow these steps:
Obtain the new passport form which is available at the Department of Administration, the Labour Office and the Governor's Office.
Fill in all the relevant sections of the form
Take the form to the Department of Administration with the BDTC / BOTC passport, their birth certificate (both will be returned with the new passport), two high definition passport sized photographs and the relevant fee in the form of a bank draft or postal order. The fees are diplayed at the Department of Administration who will also collect a EC$20 handling fee.
The Department of Administration will check through the completed form and then will send it on to the Governor's
Office for onward shipment to the Passport Office in Liverpool UK. The entire process should take from 6 to 8 weeks and therefore everyone is asked to plan their travel dates accordingly.

In exceptional circumstances, it is possible to submit a copy of the relevant pages of a BDTC / BOTC passport as evidence of nationality. However, the copy must be signed by a member of the FCO staff at the Governor's Office.

Montserratians in Antigua who wish to apply for their BC passports should initially contact the British High Commission in St John's. Those Montserratians in Britain can apply through their local post office or direct to their nearest passport office. It is recommended that Montserratians in Britain also retain their BDTC / BOTC passports and present them when required to prove their eligibility for benefits, housing, etc.

It has been confirmed that for 12 months from 21 May 2002 holders of BDTC / BOTC passports will be allowed to use these passports as evidence of right of abode in the UK prior to obtaining their BC passports. In addition they may use the European Union immigration channel along with all British and EU citizens when entering the UK.

It is recommended however, that those Montserratians who wish to exercise their right of free movement within Europe, obtain and travel on a BC passport to prevent problems in establishing their status.

In related news, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalisation Service have confirmed that British Overseas Territories Citizens who, from 21 May 2002, obtain a British passport under the new act will qualify for the US Visa Waiver Programme and as such will not need a visa prior to travel to the United States.

GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS UPCOMING

Montserrat will, along with other Commonwealth countries, hold celebrations shortly in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee.

Queen Elizabeth 11 ascended to the throne in 1952 on the death of her father King George V1 with the official Coronation ceremony being held in June of that year. She has paid one official visit to Montserrat during her reign.

The local activites have been planned by a 15 person committee and include cultural & sporting events, special events for children and the elderly, a creative writing competition, a parade of uniformed bodies and a visit by the Antiguan Police Band.

The week long activities kicked off on Wednesday 29 May with the opening of a Golden Jubilee Exhibition at the Montserrat National Trust on the Salem Main Road, the exhibition runs until 5, June.

In related news, Montserrat will be represented at the Golden Jubilee Citizenship Project & Commonwealth Youth Summit to be held in England from mid June. Mr Jevon West and Miss Julie Chalmers will be Montserrat's delegates to this unique international youth project which is a contribution to Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. The three week event is being organised by the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council which is supported by the FCO, the British Council and the Commonwelth Secretariat.

A full list of activities for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Montserrat are shown below.

FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMISSION UP & RUNNING

Mr John Lawrence, Financial Services Advisor and Montserrat's Financial Services Commissioner has reported that the island's Financial Services Commission (FSC) is up and running and is now into its fourth month of operation.

At a reception on Friday 24 May at his office in Brades Mr Lawrence welcomed the new member of the Commission Board, Dr Robertine Chaderton who has a financial services / accounting background.

Mr Lawrence reported that it is to the future that Montserrat must look if the island is to survive being a player in the world of financial services.He said "This world is changing fast and the emphasis is more and more on supervision, exchange of information, regulatory reviews, on site examination and transparency amongst others".

The list of international organisations with a finger in the regulatory pie, explained Mr Lawrence, include OECD, CFATT, FSB, IMF, EU, the UN, and the US and UK treasuries. "For a small jurisdiction such as Montserrat the challenge is daunting just on the regulations side" he added.

Listening with keen interest, the assembled guests including H.E. the Governor and the Chairman of the Montserrat Chamber of Commercer and Industry Mr Kenny Cassell, heard Mr Lawrence explain that three of the offshore banks in Montserrat have opted to establish a physical presence on the island in line with recent US legislation.

"While the Commission is the regulatory authority, we must not as a jurisdiction ignore the development side" said Mr Lawrence, "Indeed if there is no development, there shall be nothing to regulate" he added.

The local Financial Services Commission (FSC) is made up of Mr Lawrence himself, along with Mr Kenneth Allen QC, Mr C.T. John and Dr Chaderton. The FSC believe that the development of the financial services sector must be spearheaded by the private sector with assistance from the Government and the Commission. Within the next few months it is hoped to hold a forum to develop a strategy to move Montserrat forward in this area.

PASSPORT ARRANGEMENTS FOR MONTSERRATIANS IN BRITAIN

Montserratians living in Britain may apply for their new British Citizen passport at any UK Passport Service (UKPS) Office.

Passport forms are available at any UKPS office and are also available from local post offices and Worldchoice Travel Agents.

The documentation required is the same as for those applying in Montserrat, i.e. a completed application form, their old Montserrat passport and birth certificate (both will be returned), two high definition passport photographs and the relevant fee.

Montserratians may hold both a British Citizen and BDTC / BOTC (Montserrat) passport simultaneously.

Montserratians in Britain will, after 21 May 2002, no longer be granted 'Indefinite Leave to Remain' (ILR) as they will have the right of abode as British Citizens.

It is recommended that Montserratians retain their BDTC / BOTC (Montserrat) passport and present them when required to prove their eligibility for benefits / housing etc.

THE MONTSERRAT CERTIFICATE & BADGE OF HONOUR AWARDED

His Excellency the Governor, Mr Anthony J. Longrigg is pleased to announce that the Montserrat Certificate & Badge of Honour has been awarded to Mrs Carol King the Co-ordinator of the Leicester Montserrat Association in the U.K.

Mrs King, who has lived in the U.K. for many years, unselfishly took on the task of assisting those persons from Montserrat who relocated to Leicester because of the volcanic crisis, ensuring that they were quickly and comfortably settled.

In related news, Buckingham Palace has announced that Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Honours will be announced on 15, June The Queen's Official Birthday and not on the Jubilee weekend.

Currently, nominations for awards are being accepted for Her Majesty The Queen's New Year's Honours 2003. Members of the public can nominate individuals for awards and forms for this purpose are available at the Governor's Office.

NO ENTRY TO PLYMOUTH & THE EXCLUSION ZONE

It has been reported to the Volcano Executive Group (VEG) that members of the public have been seen on foot in Plymouth and in the Lovers Lane area in the vicinity of the former Rice Mill.

Both these areas are extremely dangerous and are situated in the Exclusion Zone, anyone who is found in these areas is liable to arrest and subsequent fines.

It has also been reported that old rice is being taken out of the silos at the Rice Mill. This rice has been condemned as unfit for both human and animal consumption and as such must not be used. Any meat produced from animals fed with this rice should not be consumed.

In addition, taxi drivers who are desirous of taking visitors into the Day Time Entry Zone (DTEZ) are reminded that they must register their intention of visiting the DTEZ at the Salem Police Station before entering the zone.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE
22 May 2002.

CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIPS

Montserrat will have two Chevening Scholarships for the academic year beginning in September 2002.

The recipients of the prestigious awards are Mr. David Silcott of the MVO, who will study for a MSc in Computer Networks at Middlesex University in the south of England
and Mr. Glen Francis the Vice Principal of the Montserrat Secondary School. Mr Francis will study for the Diploma / MSc in Management in Education at Strathclyde University in Scotland.

During the 2001 / 2002 academic year there were three Montserratians in Britain on Chevening Scholarships, these were Mrs Lindorna Brade, Mr Colin Meade and Mr Levar Cabey.

The prestigious Chevening Scholarships are provided through a joint British Government / Private Sector initiative with the FCO and major British companies such as Cable & Wireless Ltd, providing the funding. The scholarships are for post - graduate courses of study.

H.M. THE QUEEN'S GOLDEN JUBILEE MESSAGE TO THE OVERSEAS TERRITORIES.

Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth 11 has sent the following Golden Jubilee message to Governors and the people of the Overseas Territories:

"Prince Philip and I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the loyalty and support which we have received from the people of the Overseas Territories since I came to the throne in 1952.

We greatly value the long long standing ties between Britain and the Overseas Territories and we look forward to a continuing partnership".

ELIZABETH R.

GOVERNOR OPENS JUBILEE EXHIBITION



His Excellency the Governor, Mr Anthony J Longrigg opened the Jubilee Exhibition at the Montserrat National Trust on 29, May 2002.

He told those assembled "The Jubilee Celebrations mark the Queen's 50th anniversary of her ascension to the throne following the tragic early death of her father King George V1. Princess Elizabeth, as she was then, and her husband Prince Philip were in Kenya at the time of her father's death.

Jubilees, like all important anniversaries, are inevitably a time for looking back - on both good and bad times. It is perhaps worth thinking about how much has changed since the Queen came to the throne.

1952 saw Churchill and Stalin still in office in Europe and locally William Bramble was elected to LEGCO under a new Constitution giving first time adult suffrage to Montserratians. Nine years later, he became the island's first Chief Minister.

It was about this time that Montserrat last won the Leeward Islands Cricket Competition and the economy of the island was purely an agricultural based one. Now the island's economy has advanced to tourism, light industries and Financial Services. It was about this time that mass emigration from Montserrat started, something that is still with us today. It is estimated by some that there are 10 times as many Montserratians outside of the island then are in it.

In 1952, the British Empire with the exception of the Indian Continent was still intact but the independence movements elsewhere were beginning. Today almost all of the Empire have become independent States within the Commonwealth. This includes those in the Caribbean, after the break-up of the West Indies Federation. Of the Empire, there are now only ten tiny Overseas Territories left and five of these are in the Caribbean. They too, can be independent any time they wish or when circumstances are appropriate as some would say.

On the subject of looking back; a message for today's youth. Everyone will tell you that the good old days were better; football & cricket teams performed better, food was better, children's behaviour was better, youth were more respective and the list goes on. But you have to remember, that those saying this had exactly the same thing said to them when they were growing up. So you can be a little sceptical and remember youth always do things a little differently.

The Queen's Jubilee Message earlier this year stressed that the Jubilee is not only a time for looking back and nostalgia but it is also a time for looking forward. I believe she said that young and old have much to look forward to with confidence and hope as we do look back on with pride.

Its worth taking a moment to think about the relevance of these words for Montserrat. If we are going to complete a successful recovery it is vital, despite all of Montserrat's problems, to avoid defeatism. We must all try to look forward with confidence and not just to reminisce about the good old days in pre volcano times. God helps those who help themselves. This might be easy to say for someone who has only been here for a year having, not lived through the worst of times in Montserrat and having life ruined by the volcano.

Lets take tourism as an example; Montserrat now has a unique tourism product very different from other parts of the Caribbean. The Government of Montserrat has rightly set expansion of the tourism industry as a key priority. We can't go back to what was before the volcano and if we try to reinvent the past it wont work. But we can have a thriving tourism industry again with beautiful scenery, flora and fauna and, in addition, one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. There are many thousands of people who would visit Montserrat if they just knew about it. We have a fine tourism product so lets get on the market and tell them about it, lets not wait for someone else to help - we can do it ourselves. The motto should be 'lets do it' just believing it can be done shows confidence and is half the battle.

At this Jubilee time we should recognise all those who spend time helping others in the community. Not just those who are paid to do so, but all those who in NGO's or churches or similar who work to help others in the community. There are many in our community who see a problem or someone needing help and simply get on with it and do it! We should all take this Jubilee opportunity to thank them and perhaps resolve to do a little more ourselves.

Finally, I would like to thank all those who have helped with these Jubilee celebrations. They come from all walks of life and worked hard to mark this occasion. A lot of time has been put in on the planning of Jubilee activities, I'm sure that you will conclude it has been worth it.

D.A.R.E. STUDENTS GRADUATE

On Thursday 30, May a number of students graduated from the D.A.R.E. programme at the Brades Primary School. The feature address was given by Richard Aspin, he said "DARE graduates, boys & girls, teachers, parents, police officers and distinguished guests. It is with great pleasure that I stand before you today to tell you a little of the origins of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education, better known as DARE, programme.

DARE was the brainchild of a Californian policeman nearly 40 years
ago. He persuaded the Los Angeles Police Department to adopt it as
part of their Community Policing activities. They in turn persuaded
education authorities to make it part of the school curriculum.
It quickly spread nation wide and by the mid 1970's was in every state
of the United States. In addition, there were 6 DARE training centres
across the U.S.A. where DARE officers received their training.
It remained a purely American programme up to the late 1980's
until a visit to Oswego, New York (twinned to Montserrat under the
Partners of the Americas programme) by the present Acting
Commissioner of Police, Simon Morson and myself. We were both very
impressed by what we saw happening in that small north American
town.

In Montserrat we discussed it with the Community Services
Department and one of their staff, Rupert White himself an ex police
officer, took an immediate interest in getting the programme established
here. The major stumbling block was that DARE had become an established
trademark in the USA and was stilled viewed as an all American
programme. After months of negotiations with DARE officials in
California it was decided that the Montserrat programme could be run
under the auspices of the Oswego programme, in other words as an off
shoot of theirs.

Then started the business of finding a suitable police officer to teach the
programme in Montserrat. After some months Sgt. John Mathews
volunteered and he was sent off to Oswego by Partners of the Americas
to see at first hand the programme there followed by a stint at the
DARE Training Centre in Albany New York. He became the very first
overseas DARE trainer on completion of his course. After coming
back enthralled and full of commitment he threw himself into the
preparations for the programme on his return.

At about the same time the Drugs Council had been formed in Montserrat and they quickly threw their weight behind the programme. They helped Sgt Mathews completely re-write the DARE training manual into Caribbean terms and arranged for the first programme to start just about 10 years ago. Therefore Montserrat became only the second nation on earth to have the DARE programme. A visiting English policeman became so impressed with the programme that he took it back with him to the UK and started the programme there. Other Caribbean nations also impressed by the Montserrat programme
started it in their countries. This is when DARE became a truly international programme.

If you go onto the official DARE website you will see today that it is
taught in over 60 nations but remember the internationalisation of the programme started right here in Montserrat.Today we have two DARE officers in Miss Tuitt and Mr Kelly and they are carrying on the good work started by Sgt Mathews.

Now a message to the children graduating; you have learned a lot
over the past few months. Today you sit proudly before us with the
knowledge that will make you better people as you face the challenges of
life. By now you know how to support each other, how to discuss
instead of argue and how to offer advice to others. I hope that you use
this knowledge wisely and it makes you better students. I intend to ask your teachers if you live up to the principles of DARE in the classroom.

To the police officers present; being a DARE officer is not simply
walking into a classroom to teach. At least 25 % of your working time
must be given to the DARE programme and you become part of school
life attending PTA meetings, school assemblies, sports and cultural
occasions, speech days etc. It is not an easy task but you must become an
extra parent to these students.

To the parents themselves a message; keep your children away from
the temptations of life! We are blessed in Montserrat because we do not
have a serious drug problem - lets keep it that way. However, alcohol is
a gateway drug. I wonder how many youths will be drinking beer and
Guinness at the cricket match at Salem this weekend? I wonder how
many of your children will see you, as parents, drinking? I wonder how
many children will be serving behind bars in rum shops this weekend.
All these can lead to harder drugs once the 'buzz' of alcohol wears off!
Keep temptations away from our children.

Finally to the officials gathered here. Montserrat is missing out from
receiving funding for drug projects from international agencies because we do not employ a Drug Education Officer. This position is vitally important if we are to keep Montserrat relatively drugs free. We had one before the volcanic crisis, why not one now - even if it is someone employed part time or it is given to someone in Health or Community Services as an addition to their current duties.

Similarly the Montserrat Drugs Council needs a chairman! There is a
keen group of people who form the Council waiting in the wings but
Government needs to appoint the chairman or women. The position has
been vacant for some time - How long does it take to write a letter of
appointment?

If we are serious in our quest to make Montserrat drugs free, we can not
leave it to a few DARE officers or DARE graduates - we all have a part
to play! These DARE officers need a support mechanism - there should
be a nationwide DARE committee to support them in their work and to
help them raise funds to continue their work.

My challenge to you all today is to volunteer to be on the Montserrat
DARE community committee and lets DARE to keep Montserrat drug
free.

ACTING CHIEF MINISTER SPEAKS AT OPENING CEREMONY

The Acting Chief Minister, Hon. Dr Lowell Lewis spoke at the opening of the Jubilee week of activities at the Montserrat National Trust.

Your Excellency Governor Longrigg and Mrs Longrigg , Lady Fergus, Permanent Secretaries, Members of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second visited Montserrat in 1966. I was a cute Boy Scout, standing stiff to attention, with fright, as she was shown around an agricultural exhibition at Harris'.

What I remember most was the white gloves on the hands of the late Chief Minister Rt Hon. William Bramble. Remembered because I have been reminded by photographs of the occasion in this museum.

I congratulate the Montserrat National Trust for continuing to show us glimpses of our past, for showing our visitors snapshots of where we came from. Missing from this collection, are photos of the May 24 Queen's Birthday Parades, when children marched to Foxes Bay and Sturge Park, singing "Rule Britannia" and to be rewarded by lemonade and bun.

This week's celebrations, are another expression of how an island community, has quietly taken its place in the Empire and become devoted and loyal to a figurehead, known only to many by pictures on stamps and money, photographs in official places and a voice once a year with a Christmas message.

To hold an empire together for 50 years is a tremendous feat, worthy of commemoration. It is true that progress could have been faster and more equitable, but overall Her Majesty has been Chief Steward of a Commonwealth, whose member countries have gradually matured to nationhood and self-determination, in an atmosphere of peace and democracy.

Our links with Africa, Britain and Ireland are well known, but one thing I hope, is that this week's activities and this exhibition teaches us the need for an appreciation of our own history and our own figureheads.

Our government recently directed that the Director of Culture collaborate with the National Trust, to create and maintain a list of Heritage Features, such as the water tanks and special old buildings.

We also expect this team to identify landmarks that would bear the names of people, whose memory and contributions we want to remember.

Once again, on behalf of the government, I want to thank the National Trust for their hard work and encourage them to continue improving, what is one of the most exciting Day Tour stops for visitors. I encourage everyone in Montserrat to come and see this exhibition to learn more about our history.