By Robert Hart, Parliamentary ReporterLOCAL GOVERNMENT Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced yesterday that the Government will likely increase its 2004/2005 budgetary allocation to the Jamaica Fire Brigade.
Mrs. Simpson Miller, who was making her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, indicated that Cabinet had received a report from a group of officials which met to examine the brigade's $1.6 billion budget. The group was made up of officials from the Ministries of Finance and Planning and Local Government.
"The results of that exercise will be reflected in the Supplementary Estimates to be brought before this House," Mrs. Simpson Miller told members on both sides of the aisle. Her disclosure was greeted with emphatic desk-thumping from Opposition members who have been at odds with the Government over the allocation to the fire service in this year's Budget.
During a meeting of Parliament's Standing Finance Committee in April, the Local Government Minister warned that the Fire Department could see job cuts and the closure of fire stations, resulting from what she said was a more than $600 million shortfall in her Ministry's budgetary allocation.
ABSTAINED
Mrs. Simpson Miller, who was answering questions on the Local Government Ministry's budgetary allocation during the Standing Finance Committee sitting, subsequently surprised many of her Government colleagues when she abstained from voting on an Opposition motion put forward in response to her revelation.
The controversial abstention set off a firestorm of praise and criticism of Mrs. Simpson Miller, punctuated by public demonstrations of anger from Government Ministers Maxine Henry-Wilson, K.D. Knight and Dr. Wykeham McNeill.
But yesterday, Mrs. Simpson Miller noted that the allocation was re-examined by the officials on the request of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and under the guidance of Cabinet Secretary Dr. Carlton Davis.
"Special attention will be given to the servicing of fire hydrants, the provision of uniforms and protective gear for the men and women of the fire services, on a phased basis," the Local Government Minister said.
She also noted that the Government will be seeking to rehabilitate the Fire Brigade through, in part, the purchase of new vehicles as well as a restructuring and modernisation exercise.
