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Gov’t Turns Down UK Offer of New Maximum-Security Prison

By: , January 14, 2017

The Key Point:

The Government has turned down the United Kingdom’s (UK) offer to assist in the building of a new maximum-security prison in Jamaica.
Gov’t Turns Down UK Offer of New Maximum-Security Prison
Photo: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, responds to questions in the Senate today January 13) regarding the United Kingdom’s offer to assist with the building a new maximumsecurity prison in Jamaica.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, responds to questions in the Senate. (FILE)

The Facts

  • This was disclosed in the Senate today (January 13) by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith.
  • “This Administration does not believe that the terms offered would have been beneficial to Jamaica as a whole... and on the basis of same, we have rejected the offer,” Senator Johnson Smith said.

The Full Story

The Government has turned down the United Kingdom’s (UK) offer to assist in the building of a new maximum-security prison in Jamaica.

This was disclosed in the Senate today (January 13) by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith.

“This Administration does not believe that the terms offered would have been beneficial to Jamaica as a whole… and on the basis of same, we have rejected the offer,” she said.

Senator Johnson Smith, who is also Leader of Government Business in the Senate, was responding to questions posed by Opposition Senator Lambert Brown.

She noted that the previous Administration and the UK Government had signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which the British Government would have contributed £25 million towards building the facility.

The Senator informed that after assuming office, the new Administration met with the UK Government and discussed the terms, which were posited under the MOU.

She advised that the Government’s decision has been communicated to the UK Government and “the matter (of the prison deal) is, therefore, closed at this point in time”.

Last Updated: January 14, 2017

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