IN JAMAICA: Lisa Hanna faces the heat in Sectoral Debate today....."(1) What is the status of the Child Care and Protection Act review? "(2) What progress, if any, has been made on the minister's commitment on compliance with international and local obligations by the end of 2014?

BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, May 20, 2014 

YOUTH and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna faces a number of issues when she speaks in the sectoral debate, which continues in the House of Representatives, today.

Hanna is scheduled to speak just ahead of Opposition spokesman on national security Derrick Smith, who will respond to National Security Minister Peter Bunting's presentation last week.

Lisa Hannah

It should be another very interesting day's proceedings in the annual debate, which involves ministers who did not speak in last month's budget debate.

Chief among the issues which have been raised in anticipation of Hanna's presentation today are four questions posed -- in a statement issued yesterday — by the local human rights group, Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ) concerning the status of children who are in the care and protection of the Government.

It is the second consecutive week that JFJ has raised questions on the eve of a minister's presentation, as last week the organisation raised several questions for Buntng to answer. Most of them, however, have received no response.

According to the JFJ release, today's contribution by Hanna, "provides an important opportunity to report on the result of Government action to improve the welfare of Jamaica's children and on policies to be implemented during the upcoming year".

"The impact of these measures on Jamaica's children is of utmost importance. Jamaicans For Justice has long-standing, ongoing concerns regarding the situation facing some of Jamaica's most vulnerable children and looks forward to the update the minister will provide," it added.

JFJ then proceeded to ask four questions of the minister:

"(1) What is the status of the Child Care and Protection Act review?

"There is urgent need for amendments to this legislation to ensure improved care and protection of Jamaica's children. Therefore, the minister is obliged to give an update on the current state of the review process and timeline by which the draft amendments will be brought to Parliament and subjected to consultation and debate, and ultimately passed. more