FIFTH SESSION (2006/2007), EIGHTH PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

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1 FIFTH SESSION (2006/2007), EIGHTH PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO REPORT OF THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE: DATE LAID:

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE MEETINGS METHODOLOGY... 2 Tour of Building housing the Parliament... 3 Presentation by the Clerk of the House FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSION... 5 APPENDIX I: MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS... 7 APPENDIX II: SENATE PAPER NO. 4 OF i

5 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 At a sitting of the Senate held on November 28, 2006, Senator Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie moved the following motion: BE IT RESOLVED that this House appoint a Committee to sit jointly with a Committee of the House of Representatives to assess the adequacy of the Building that houses the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a view to planning for the long-term accommodation of Parliament and report its recommendations to this House within six months: AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joint Select Committee be empowered to send for persons, papers and records and sit from place to place. 1.2 Debate on the Motion continued on January 30, 2007 and an amendment to the Motion proposed by Senator Danny Montano was accepted. The Motion, as amended, and approved by the Senate reads as follows: BE IT RESOLVED that this House appoint a Committee to assess the adequacy of the building that houses the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a view to planning for the long-term accommodation of Parliament and report its recommendations to this House within six months. 2. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE 2.1 The s appointed to serve on the Special Select Committee were: Mr. Danny Montano - Chairman Mrs. Hazel Manning Mr. Satish Ramroop Dr. Jennifer Kernahan Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie 3. TERMS OF REFERENCE The Committee s mandate was to assess the adequacy of the building that houses the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a view to planning for the 1

6 long-term accommodation of Parliament and report its recommendations to this House within six months. 4. MEETINGS 4.1 Your Committee held five (5) meetings on: March 13, 2007 March 20, 2007 April 3, 2007 April 17, 2007 July 6, The meetings were held in private in accordance with Standing Order 73(9) of the Senate. The Minutes of these meetings are at Appendix I. 5. METHODOLOGY 5.1 In order to assist it in its deliberations, the Committee: (i) reviewed the following documents: Celebrating the past, embracing the future: Development of the Parliament Building: Vision and requirements, Trinidad and Tobago March 2005 Report of a House Committee of the Senate laid in the Senate on June 24, 1969 (Senate Paper No. 4 of 1969) in which the inadequacy of the space occupied by Parliament at the time was highlighted; (ii) (iii) (iv) undertook a tour of the building housing the Parliament received an oral presentation from the Clerk of the House on the historical background; studied best practice as it relates to parliament buildings in other Commonwealth jurisdictions; (v) viewed footage of interviews about the Red House on Channel 11. 2

7 Tour of Building housing the Parliament 5.2 As stated earlier, s undertook a guided tour of the building which houses Parliament to ascertain its condition and the suitability of the space for which it was being used. The tour was conducted by the Marshal of the Parliament, Mr. Brian Caesar, and lasted one hour and twenty-five minutes. The tour provided s with first hand vital information which assisted them in formulating their recommendations. Although s were impressed at the manner in which the limited space was utilized by members of staff, they were concerned that the architectural beauty and historical aspects of the building were being destroyed in the process. 5.3 The Committee also noted that the southern wing of the building was not in use as it was under renovation. Presentation by the Clerk of the House 5.4 The Clerk of the House, Ms. Jacqueline Sampson, made an oral presentation to the Committee in which she provided valuable information on the numerous attempts made, from as far back as 1969, to address the burning issue of accommodation for the Parliament and the staff providing support services. Some of the issues emanating from that presentation are listed hereunder: i. A Senate House Committee Report Senate Paper No. 4 of 1969 recommended that the Red House was unsuitable for Parliamentary purposes. At that time the building was shared with other departments. (See Appendix II). ii. iii. iv. A decision was taken by a House Committee in 2001 that a new Parliament building should be constructed for permanently housing the Parliament. It also recommended that the Office of the Parliament should continue to occupy the Red House until the completion of the new building. Until then, it proposed the restoration and adaptation of the building for modern usage. Efforts made to locate appropriate alternative locations within Port-of Spain, proved futile, as no adequate building could be identified. An architectural survey and historical research were undertaken by Canadian engineers to ascertain the suitability of the building for longterm accommodation. Their recommendation called for the location of a new site and the construction of a new building to house the Parliament. v. Technological advancements are challenging the current structure of the building and the Parliament Chamber cannot accommodate an increase in the numbers of the s of Parliament. 3

8 vi. The building, as inadequate as it may be, is the only suitable building available for parliamentary purposes. 6. FINDINGS 6.1 Consequent upon the information obtained from the perusal of documents, observations from the tour and even personal experience garnered from visits to other Commonwealth Parliaments the Committee came to the conclusion that: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) the building was in dire need of restoration as a historic building, since the remedial work performed to date has been inadequate; while the comfort of staff was ensured, safety and security risks existed and expansion of the building as it exists is impossible; a major challenge is foreseen in restoring the building while preserving its current use; there is no room for the Chamber to be expanded; the steps leading to the press gallery is dangerous, the visitors gallery is primitive and not in conformity with developed nation status and the Chamber is inaccessible to the disabled; attempts to modernize the building have damaged some of its historical aspects and architectural beauty; the limited floor space available for the Parliament and its service providers has resulted in overcrowding. 7. RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 Based on the foregoing your Committee recommends that: i. an appropriate site should be located as soon as possible to construct a new Parliament building in keeping with international standards; ii. iii. iv. the Parliament should remain at the Red House until the new Parliament building is constructed. It is desirable that the support services be kept in the proximity of the Chamber; the building should be constructed with a view to the long-term accommodation and expansion probably over the next 150 years; the building should be preserved in its original form, structure and design. 4

9 8. CONCLUSION 8.1 Your Committee notes that from as far back as thirty-seven years ago to the present, House Committees of both Houses have been grappling with the issue of accommodation for the Parliament and its ancillary services. In view of Government s thrust toward developed nation status and its corresponding vision for the future, the Committee is optimistic that the recommendations contained at paragraph (7) above will be considered and implemented with alacrity. A new Parliament building will ensure the provision of necessary infrastructure for the s of Parliament and the Parliamentary Staff. It would also ensure proper accessibility and service to the people and thus encourage public participation. The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago would consequently be comparable with other Parliaments of the developed world in efficiency and stature. Respectfully Submitted Sgd. Mr. Danny Montano Chairman Sgd. Mrs. Hazel Manning Sgd. Mr. Satish Ramroop Dr. Jennifer Kernahan Sgd. Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie 5

11 Appendix I REPORT OF THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

13 THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 3, RED HOUSE, ABERCROMBY STREET, PORT OF SPAIN, ON TUESDAY MARCH 13, 2007 AT A.M. Mr. Danny Montano Mrs. Hazel Manning Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie PRESENT Chairman Ms. Jean Sandy Secretary Mr. Satish Ramroop Dr. Jennifer Kernahan ABSENT (Excused) (Excused) INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Chairman called the meeting to order at a.m. CONSIDERATION OF TERMS OF REFERENCE 2.1 The Chairman directed the s to the terms of reference of the Committee: To assess the adequacy of the building that houses the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a view to planning for the long-term accommodation of Parliament and report its recommendation to the Senate within six months. 2.2 The Committee decided that the Clerk of the House should be written to requesting any relevant documentation on the matter, for distribution to the Committee. 2.3 It was determined that more research was needed concerning the current and future use of the Parliament building with a view to the proposal of specific recommendations to the Parliament. 7

14 2.4 The Committee agreed that the preservation of the current historic Parliament building was essential. It was also suggested that it should be identified as a heritage building and international technology and technical assistance employed in its conservation. 2.5 It was established that a tour of the Parliament Building should be undertaken on March 20, 2007 to ascertain the current problems and limitations. Also, discussions can be held with users of the building. 2.6 There was consensus that a presentation with recommendations should be made on the issue before the Committee by the Clerk of the House on April 3, ADJOURNMENT 3.1 The adjournment was taken at a.m. Sgd. CHAIRMAN Sgd. SECRETARY 8

15 THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF THE SECOND MEETING HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 3, RED HOUSE, ABERCROMBY STREET, PORT OF SPAIN, ON TUESDAY MARCH 20, 2007 AT A.M. Mr. Danny Montano Mrs. Hazel Manning Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie PRESENT Chairman Ms. Jean Sandy Ms. Risha Pragg Secretary Asst. Secretary Mr. Satish Ramroop Dr. Jennifer Kernahan ABSENT (Excused) (Excused) INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Chairman called the meeting to order at a.m. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE FIRST MEETING 2.1 The Minutes of the first meeting held on March 13, 2007 were confirmed on a Motion moved by Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie and seconded by Mrs. Hazel Manning. MATTERS ARISING 3.1 The Committee was informed that the tour of the building would be conducted by the Marshal of the Parliament. 3.2 The Chairman requested copies of the floor plan and also the usable square footage of area utilised by the Parliament. TOUR OF THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING 4.1 The meeting was suspended at a.m. for the s of the Committee to conduct a tour of the Parliament building. 9

16 4.2 The Marshal of the Parliament led the Committee on a tour of the departments commencing with those on the second floor, including the Office of the President of the Senate, the Office of the Speaker and the Office of the Committees section where the offices of three Committee Chairmen are located. This was followed by a tour of the departments on the ground floor. The tour lasted one hour and twenty-five minutes. 4.3 s agreed that: [The meeting resumed at noon] (a) (b) (c) (d) the building was in dire need of restoration as a historic building, since the work performed to date has been inadequate; while the comfort of staff was ensured, other serious issues exist such as improper storage areas, safety, security risk in terms of exiting the building since corridors have been utilised as storage areas; electrical issues resulting from the increased usage of modern technological equipment within the building. Also, there is no further room for expansion. a major challenge envisaged is that of restoring the building while preserving its current use. prompt identification of a site is necessary for the design and construction of a new Parliament building. ADJOURNMENT 5.1 The meeting was adjourned to April 3, 2007 at a.m. The Clerk of the House will be required to make a presentation with recommendations to the Committee. 5.2 The adjournment was taken at p.m. Sgd. CHAIRMAN Sgd. SECRETARY 10

17 THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF THE THIRD MEETING HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 3, RED HOUSE, ABERCROMBY STREET, PORT OF SPAIN, ON TUESDAY APRIL 03, 2007 AT A.M. Mr. Danny Montano Mrs. Hazel Manning Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie Mr. Satish Ramroop PRESENT Chairman Ms. Risha Pragg Ms. Jacqui Sampson ALSO PRESENT Assistant Secretary Clerk of the House Dr. Jennifer Kernahan ABSENT (Excused) INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Chairman called the meeting to order at a.m. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE SECOND MEETING 2.2 The Minutes of the second meeting held on March 20, 2007 were confirmed on a motion moved by Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie and seconded by Mr. Danny Montano. MATTERS ARISING 3.1 As agreed to by the Committee at a meeting held on March 20, 2007, the Clerk of the House made a presentation to the Committee which entailed several key issues including the following: vii. The identification of a Senate Committee report, Senate Paper No. 4 of 1969 where the Committee agreed that the Red House was unsuitable for Parliamentary purposes. 11

18 viii. ix. Circa 1999 to 2000, a House Committee equivalent to the House Committee of the Senate in 1969, decided that the Parliament should solely occupy the building due to an expansion of services. At the time other occupants were required to vacate the premises. The project was called a restoration and adaptive reuse project because the architects recognized that the building could not only be historically restored but should be adapted for modern use. As a result, in the interim the Red House has to be continuously adjusted for comfortable use until it can be vacated for proper restoration and adaptation and for its historic status to be properly celebrated. x. The House Committee of the House of Representatives met frequently on this issue and decided that there should be a new Parliament building. First, the Committee considered de-linking the Chamber from its support services; this was eventually viewed as impractical as Parliament s work is directly linked to the Chamber. It was subsequently decided that Parliament should continue to occupy the Red House until the new building is built. While a move of Parliament is critical, the proposed building should be designed with a view to long term accommodation. xi. xii. xiii. xiv. xv. Buildings that were considered for housing Parliament included the Cyril Duprey Building which was to be refurbished at approximately $120 million. Another was the new building on Cipriani Boulevard which is currently occupied by the Service Commissions Department and has low ceilings. Proper international Parliamentary standards require tall ceilings conducive to meetings and deliberations. The Red House is thus the only current building in Port-of Spain conforming to these standards and suitable for Parliamentary purposes at the moment. The concern of the Staff at the Parliament was the request made for different units of the Office of the Parliament to be located throughout Port of Spain while keeping the Chamber at the Red House. This could restrict Parliamentary functioning as it could eventually result in a permanent situation. Several consultations were held with the Canadian engineers. They did historical research and an architectural survey to determine the space required and whether the building was suited for long-term use. A recommendation of twenty (20) acres was given for long term and future growth. It was felt that in the next fifty (50) years if more space is needed, for example for adjustments made to the form of state or constitutional changes, expansion would be essential and twenty acres would be sufficient to accommodate unlimited development. A suggestion was made that a meeting should be held with the historical architect from the House of Commons in Canada. The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago has had to keep pace with other Parliaments of the world by advancing their technology at a faster pace than other 12

19 Government Ministries within the country. This has proved to be difficult within the confines of the building. xvi. xvii. The Parliament Chamber cannot accommodate an increase in the numbers of the s of Parliament. In 1987, Australia built a new building for their Parliament while keeping the old building and Chamber for historical purposes and a similar situation occurred in the Isle of Man. 3.2 The Committee indicated that the misconceptions in the public domain should be clarified. A film focused on interviews with the s of Parliament and members of staff should be produced and aired on Channel 11. A suggestion was that the film be put on a DVD with narration so it could form part of the Committee s report to the Senate. 3.3 A further major concern was the use of electricity, in terms of the support for ICT unit. 3.4 At the next meeting of the Committee there would be final recommendations. ADJOURNMENT 4.1 The Chairman thanked the s and the Clerk of the House for attending and adjourned the meeting to Tuesday April 17, 2007 at a.m. 4.2 The adjournment was taken at a.m. Sgd. CHAIRMAN Sgd. SECRETARY 13

21 THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF THE FOURTH MEETING HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 2, RED HOUSE, ABERCROMBY STREET, PORT OF SPAIN, ON TUESDAY APRIL 17, 2007 AT 11:00A.M. Mr. Danny Montano Mr. Satish Ramroop Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie PRESENT Chairman Ms. Jean Sandy Ms. Risha Pragg Mrs. Hazel Manning Dr. Jennifer Kernahan ABSENT Secretary Assistant Secretary INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Chairman called the meeting to order at 11:15 a.m. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE THIRD MEETING 2.3 The following amendments were made to the Minutes of the Third meeting held on April 3, 2007: At paragraph 3.4, delete the phrase conclusive recommendations with respect to the use of the Parliament building and insert the word final. 2.4 The Minutes of the Third meeting held on April 3, 2007 were confirmed on a motion moved by Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie and seconded by Mr. Satish Ramroop. MATTERS ARISING 3.1 Senate Paper No. 4 of 1969 where a Senate Committee agreed that the Red House was unsuitable for Parliamentary purposes was circulated to s of the Committee. 15

22 CONSIDERATION OF THE TERMS OF REFERENCE 4.1 The Committee agreed that the Chairman should be provided with a Draft Report for his approval before circulation to other members. 4.2 The Committee identified the Methodology that should be included in the Report: i. Meetings held ii. iii. iv. Review of literature pertaining to previous efforts with respect to Parliament, studied by the Committee The tour of the Parliament building undertaken by the Committee and led by the Marshal of the Parliament A presentation made to the Committee by the Clerk of the House v. Consideration of interviews from Parliament s Channel 11 vi. vii. viii. Review of a document entitled, Celebrating the past, embracing the future: Development of the Parliament Building Vision and requirements, Trinidad and Tobago March 2005 Consideration of best practice as it relates to the Parliament buildings in other Commonwealth countries The observations made by the Committee during its tour of the building on March 20, Some deficiencies observed during the tour of the building include: i. cramped spaces; ii. iii. iv. inadequate space in some offices such as the Library, Broadcasting and Accounting Units; machinery and equipment lodged in corridors; inappropriately placed offices; v. electrical danger in the IT Unit; vi. vii. viii. ix. insufficient space to facilitate new technology; obsolete electrical and plumbing infrastructure; destruction of the architectural integrity caused by efforts to adapt the building for modern usage; exposed wiring and damaged woodwork; x. Parliament Chamber unsuitable as there was no room for expansion; inaccessible to the disabled; the press gallery area is dangerous, visitors gallery is primitive and does not conform with developed nation status. 16

23 4.4 The Committee agreed that the following recommendations should be included in the Report: v. the building is inadequate and therefore a new parliament building should be constructed in keeping with International Standards, as soon as possible; vi. vii. viii. urgent consideration should be given to the location of an adequate site and construction of the new Parliament building; the Parliament should remain in the Red House until the new Parliament building has been constructed. It is desirable that other offices of the Parliament remain in the Red House; in the event that the staff has to be moved to free up additional space, it would be desirable to keep them in the proximity to the Chamber. ADJOURNMENT 5.1 The Chairman thanked the s for attending. 5.2 The adjournment was taken at 11:35 a.m. Sgd. CHAIRMAN Sgd. SECRETARY 17

25 THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT MINUTES OF THE FIFTH MEETING HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM NO. 1, RED HOUSE, ABERCROMBY STREET, PORT OF SPAIN, ON FRIDAY JULY 06, 2007 AT 11:00 A.M. Mr. Danny Montano Mrs. Hazel Manning Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie Dr. Jennifer Kernahan PRESENT Chairman Ms. Ann Belmontes Mr. Satish Ramroop ABSENT Assistant Secretary INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Chairman called the meeting to order at 11:40 a.m. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE FOURTH MEETING 2.5 The following amendments were made to the Minutes of the Fourth meeting held on Tuesday April 17, 2007: On page 2 at sub-paragraph 4.2 (ii) line 5, insert the words with respect to before the word Parliament. 2.6 The Minutes of the Fourth meeting held on April 17, 2007 were confirmed on a motion moved by Dr. Eastlyn Mc Kenzie and seconded by Mr. Danny Montano. CONSIDERATION OF THE DRAFT REPORT 3.1 The Committee agreed that the following amendments should be made to the Draft Report: (i) On page 5 at sub-paragraph 5.2 line 1, delete the word buildings and substitute with the word building. 19

26 (ii) On page 7 at sub-paragraph 8.1: At line 8, delete the phrase in the administration of their duties to the nation and substitute the phrase and the Parliamentary Staff. At line 8, insert the phrase It would also ensure proper accessibility and service to the people and thus encourage public participation before the words The Parliament. At line 9, delete the words able to compare and substitute the word comparable. At line 10, insert the word developed before the word world. 3.2 The Committee agreed that the Senate Paper No. 4 of 1969 should be included as an Appendix in the Report. 3.3 The Chairman indicated that the Committee s Report would be circulated to members on Tuesday July 10, 2007 and will be laid at the next sitting of the Senate. ADJOURNMENT 4.1 The Chairman thanked the s for attending. 4.2 The adjournment was taken at 12:04 p.m. Sgd. CHAIRMAN Sgd. SECRETARY 20

27 Appendix II REPORT OF THE SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER AND REPORT ON THE ADEQUACY OF THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WITH A VIEW TO PLANNING FOR THE LONG-TERM ACCOMMODATION OF PARLIAMENT SENATE PAPER NO. 4 OF 1969

PARLIAMENT REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

PARLIAMENT REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FIRST SESSION OF THE TENTH PARLIAMENT (2010/2011) FIRST REPORT OF THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON PARLIAMENTARY ACCOMMODATION Paper No: Date laid in the H.O.R.:.