My Fellow Virgin Islanders and friends, today is an exciting day for the Government and people of the Virgin Islands, and for the people of Virgin Gorda in particular, as it marks a crucial milestone in our quest to strengthen the delivery of health services on the Sister Islands. As we gather here to witness the Contract Signing and Ground Breaking for the Nurse Iris O'Neal Medical Centre, we are witnessing a very big step towards our dream of a world-class healthcare system, and better health outcomes for the people of the Virgin Islands.

Residents and friends of Virgin Gorda, Good Afternoon:

In earlier days it was the most recent doctor to join the health service who was sent to hold clinics in the sister Islands

In 1969, as a young man returning home to start my career as a medical officer, taking care of patients in Virgin Gorda was among my first duties

During those visits I often thought about what it would be like if Virgin Gorda had its own medical facility that could offer a good range of services and extended hours to its people.

Good Morning:

I am pleased to be part of another first for the BVI: this Apprenticeship Programme and its related Youth VI Website. I am delighted that this Government through the Ministry of Education and Culture, in collaboration with our business community is giving some eighty five young men and women the opportunity to earn a living. 

A pleasant good morning to one and all.  Today I am delighted to have this occasion to deliver to the Territory’s youth additional opportunities provided by their government for their personal and professional advancement.  

Ladies and gentlemen of the media!  Good afternoon! 

Your Excellency, Ministers, Members of the House of Assembly, Deputy Governor, Members of the Financial Services Industry, Ladies and Gentlemen- Good Evening.

It is my great pleasure to formally introduce you to the new BVI Finance brand and share some of the plans for the new organisation that will also bear the same name.

From day one, I have always promised that this Government would push the pendulum of this Territory in the direction of progress, growth and advancement.

Greetings and acknowledgements of Ministers, Ministry staff, BVIEC Board Members and staff, Wartsila, Delta, financiers past and present, media.....

Virgin Islanders, ladies and gentlemen, as your Governor I wanted to speak to you today about an important issue.

But before doing so, I also wanted to mention that as many of you will know; last week I had an audience with Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty was pleased to receive the gift of salt from Salt Island prepared by Calvin “Jandy” Smith and Lethelma Thomas. Her Majesty takes a keen interest in all her Overseas Territories and it was an opportunity to recall the Islanders’ willingness to help others that so impressed Queen Victoria, a tradition that continues today through the many Virgin Islands groups such as the Rotary Clubs, Lions, Family Support Network, Visar and many others.

Madame Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to share with this Honourable House an update on our scholarships for students who are differently-abled. Madame Speaker in March 2014, I informed this Honourable House of an initiative of the Ministry of Education to offer two scholarships per year to assist students with special needs to seek secondary education outside the Territory.