CM vows to ‘listen more’ as ministerial portfolios announced after Cabinet meeting

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo on Monday announced his ministers’ portfolios and the introduction of a new initiative to create constituency MPs, assigning geographic areas of the Rock to individual ministers.

Mr Picardo said the Alliance MPs have each been given a geographical area where they will have the responsibility to reach out to the public and understand issues affecting them.

“I think it's about opening more interfaces for the public with the government, so that we are listening more and hearing more what is going on in each of those areas,” Mr Picardo said.

“I think this is a good way to do it. It means we're going to get out more, we're going to be amongst our people more. We have enjoyed it tremendously during the course of the general election campaign.”

“I mean, the GSLP/Liberals really, as you know, relish that part of the general election campaign that other parties want to persuade us not to continue with.”

“So this is an opportunity to do this now on a monthly or even more regular basis in a particular area, so that you have that exchange of communication and information between Member of Parliament for the GSLP/Liberals and constituents.”

Mr Picardo said the ministers will visit their constituencies on an ad-hoc basis, announcing beforehand when they will be in the area.

This will be an invitation to those residents to attend if they wish to speak to their constituency MPs.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said the GSLP/Liberals were embarking on their fourth term in government with mixed emotions after their Liberal Party colleague Vijay Daryanani did not garner enough votes to make it into parliament.

“I think we've received a message from the electorate and there are lessons to be learnt,” Dr Garcia said.
“And we're certainly, already from day one, implementing a strategy by which we learn those lessons and we address the issues and concerns.”

“The idea of associating our members of parliament and our ministers with specific areas of Gibraltar is part of that strategy.”

“Our manifesto is our program for government that is already with the civil service.”

“There's a setup in my office whereby a list of manifesto commitments is being drawn up and where those commitments would be distributed with two ministers in the coming days for implementation.”

“That is the policy of the government going forward and we look forward to delivering that manifesto and to delivering on our commitments.”

“But as we said and as Fabian said on election night, we've learnt, we've received the message loud and clear and we're going to act on that to make sure that things change going forward. But we will deliver for the people of Gibraltar.”

On Monday the newly elected ministers walked out of No.6 Convent Place with their Heads of Department, moments after receiving notice of the portfolios they would hold and their constituencies.

The newly elected government aims to deliver change after a tight election, acknowledging there are “lessons to be learnt”.

As Chief Minister, Mr Picardo said he has decided to retain the responsibilities he previously held, which include the economy, public finance, financial stability.

He will also take on the responsibility of digital services and (Information Technology and Logistics Department) ITLD, and is the constituency MP for Moorish Castle Estate, Calpe and upper town areas.

Dr Garcia will remain Deputy Chief Minister and retain the ministerial responsibilities he has previously held. Dr Garcia is the constituency MP for the lower town areas.

Gemma Arias-Vasquez was given the health portfolio, becoming the Minister for Health.

She will take responsibility for the Gibraltar Health Authority, for the Care Agency, for Elderly residential Services, for Public Health, Gibraltar and for the quality of care, including the recognition of professionals and services.

She will also be Minister for Business, for the Port, for maritime services, including ship and yacht registration, for the Office of Fair Trading and for Town Planning.

Mrs Arias-Vasquez will take on responsibility also for procurement and for the public utilities. She will be the Chair of AquaGib and the Chair of GibElec.

She will be the constituency MP for the West Side area.

Nigel Feetham will be the minister with responsibility for financial services and gaming.

He will also take on responsibility for taxation, for postal services, for data protection, and he will become the chair of Gibtelecom.

Mr Feetham will also be Minister for Justice, including responsibility for the anti-corruption authority, for sanctions, for the legal system, the Probation Service Tribunals, the Community Service Scheme, access to justice and legal agency assistance, law, drafting, policing and the Prison service, and also for safeguarding.

He will be the constituent MP for Glacis, Laguna, Ocean Village and Bayside.

Christian Santos will be the Minister for Equality and minorities, for supportive needs, including a disability strategy.

He will be the minister also for employment and for supportive employment. He will take responsibility for training, for apprenticeship and skills for health and safety at work. He will have responsibility also for the youth, and he will be Minister for Culture, Tourism and the entry points into Gibraltar.

Mr Santos will chair the Inter-ministerial Committee on the Prevention of Drugs Misuse, including Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, and he will be involved in the control of drugs misuse, including substance abuse, rehabilitation and will have responsibility for Bruce's Farm.

He will act as the constituent MP for Varyl Begg Estate, Sir William Jackson Grove and Mid Harbour Estate,
Dr John Cortes will be Minister for Education and for quality of life.

He will take responsibility for continuing to deliver a green Gibraltar and a child friendly city.
Dr Cortes has responsibility overall for the environment, for environmental health, for climate change, for conservatism and conservation and sustainability.

He will also retain responsibility for heritage, for the Upper Rock, for Gibraltar’s marine resources, for the maintenance, administration and operation of tourist sites and beaches, for pollution prevention and control, for urban renewal, refuse collection and disposal.

He will have responsibility also now for the Technical Services Department infrastructure and transport, including public service vehicles, public transport, traffic, parking, roads, licensing and vehicles, and he will be responsible for the implementation of the Sustainable Traffic and Transport Plan. He will be charged with the responsibility of developing the relationship further with Morocco.

Dr Cortes will be the constituent MP for the Alameda Estate and the South District.

Pat Orfila will be Minister for Housing and the Housing Works Agency. She will have responsibility for the development of affordable co-ownership schemes and for the development of rental housing.

She will also be the constituency MP for the area of Bayview, Cumberland, Nelson's View, the Anchorage, Rosia Plaza and Rosia Dale and Europa Point.

Leslie Bruzon will become Minister for Sport, leisure, industrial relations, civil contingencies, the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service and the Airport Fire and Rescue Service, as well as becoming the constituency MP for the East Side and Catalan Bay.

Sir Joe Bossano will continue as the minister with responsibility for economic development and inward investment. He will have responsibility for the National Economic Plan, for telecommunications, for the Savings Bank, and the National Mint.

Sir Joe will be a constituency MP for all senior citizens in Gibraltar.

Mr Picardo said these are the portfolios that he will be asking the Governor to assign to each of the ministers, adding the ministers will head to work in their respective portfolios “with humility”.

FULL LIST OF PORTFOLIOS

Chief Minister
Fabian Picardo
• The Economy and Financial Stability
• Public Finance and the Treasury
• International representation of Gibraltar and its people
• International Treaties
• Personal status including immigration, residence and adoption
• Elections
• The Civil Service and the public sector as a whole, including state-owned enterprises
• The Government Companies
• Customs
• ITLD and Digital Services
• Cyber-Security and Prevention of Online Harms
• Social Security
• Broadcasting
• The Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
• Matters related to Armed Forces Veterans and relationship with the MoD
• Chairman, Borders and Coastguard Agency
• Chairman, Gibraltar Development Corporation
• Constituency MP for Moorish Castle, Calpe and the Upper Town
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid, overall responsibility and supervision of Government departments and public administration.

Deputy Chief Minister
Dr Joseph Garcia
Working in close partnership with the Chief Minister in his exercise of overall responsibility for and supervision of Government departments

External action, coordination of the external action of the Government of Gibraltar in particular: the European Union, the United Nations, relations with the Commonwealth, international political lobbying, promotion of the right to self-determination
• Work on the future partnership negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union
• Work on implementation of a Treaty in the event that one is concluded
• Work on planning for a No Negotiated Outcome to the Treaty negotiations, in the event that no treaty is concluded
• Responsibility for Gibraltar representative offices abroad
• Political, democratic and civic reform
• Transparency, Open Government and Information
• Lands and oversight of Government projects
• Civil Aviation
• Oversight of manifesto implementation
• Constituency MP for the Lower Town
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Leslie Bruzon
Minister for Industrial Relations, Civil Contingencies and Sport
• Sport
• Leisure
• Industrial Relations
• Civil Contingencies
• Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Services
• Airport Fire and Rescue Services
• Constituency MP for the Eastside and Catalan Bay
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Nigel Feetham
Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry
• Financial Services
• Gaming
• Taxation including Coordination of International Exchange of Information
• Postal Services
• Data Protection
• Chair, Gibtelecom
• Justice, including:
• The Anti-Corruption Authority
• Sanctions
• The Legal System
• Probation Service
• Tribunals
• Community Services Scheme
• Access to justice/legal aid and assistance
• Law drafting
• Policing
• Her Majesty’s Prison Service of Gibraltar
• Safeguarding
• Constituency MP for Glacis Estate, Laguna Estate, Ocean Village and Bayside
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Gemma Arias-Vasquez
Minister for Health, Care and Business
• Gibraltar Health Authority
• The Care Agency
• Elderly Residential Services
• Public Health Gibraltar
• The Quality of Care (including the regulation of professionals and services)
• Business
• The Port
• Maritime Services including ship and yacht registration
• Office of Fair Trading
• Town Planning
• Procurement
• Public Utilities
• Chair, AquaGib
• Chair, Gibraltar Electricity Authority
• Constituency MP for the Westside Area
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Christian Santos
Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism
• Equality and minorities
• Supported needs (including disability strategy)
• Employment
• Supported Employment
• Youth
• Training, Apprenticeships and Skills
• Health and Safety
• Culture
• Tourism
• Entry points into Gibraltar
• Commercial Aviation and Gibraltar Air Terminal Ltd
• Chair, inter-ministerial committee on the prevention of drugs misuse, including substance abuse and rehabilitation
• The control of drugs misuse including substance abuse, rehabilitation and responsibility for Bruce’s Farm
• Constituency MP for Varyl Begg Estate, Sir William Jackson Grove and Mid Harbours
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Pat Orfila
Minister for Housing
• Housing
• Housing Works Agency
• Development of affordable, co-ownership estates
• Development of rental housing
• The University of Gibraltar
• Constituency MP for the area of Bayview, Cumberland, Nelson’s View, The Anchorage, Rosia Plaza, Rosia Dale and Europa Point
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Dr John Cortes
Minister for Education, the Environment and Climate Change
• Education
• The Quality of Life
• Green Gibraltar
• The Child-Friendly City
• The Environment
• Environmental Health
• Climate change, conservation and sustainability
• Heritage
• Upper Rock
• Marine resources
• Maintenance, administration and operation of tourist sites and beaches
• Pollution prevention and control
• Urban Renewal
• Refuse Collection and Disposal
• Technical Services Department
• Infrastructure
• Transport and Urban Mobility including:
public service vehicles, public transport, traffic, parking, roads, licensing and vehicles
• Implementation of the Sustainable Traffic and Transport Plan (STTP)
• Developing relations with Morocco
• Constituency MP for Alameda Estate and the South District
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.

Sir Joe Bossano
Minister for Inward Investment and the Savings Bank
• Economic development and inward investment National Economic Plan
• Telecommunications
• Gibraltar Savings Bank
• Gibraltar National Mint
• Constituency MP with Special responsibility for Senior Citizens
• The administration of Government departments charged with the aforesaid.