Summary of Parliamentary Proceedings: 10 March 2026

The Fourth Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2025-2026 Session of Parliament convened on Tuesday, 10 March 2026. It was noted that the Minister for District Administration and Home Affairs, the Honourable Nickolas DaCosta, and Elected Member for Red Bay, Roy Tatum, were both abroad attending a Commonwealth conference and were therefore not in attendance during the sitting.

The Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Trade Development, Honourable Gary Rutty addressed the House on several appropriation matters under Section 11(6) of the Public Management and Finance Act. He reported that tourism scholarships received an increase of $250,000 to address a shortfall, funded by a corresponding reduction in sports and culture tourism programmes. He also noted that Cayman Airways' budget was increased by $201,000 to cover a $500 honorarium paid to staff, and that the Cayman Turtle Centre received an increase of $52,500 for the same purpose, both funded by reductions to the Ministry of Education budget.

The Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Honourable Rolston Anglin, addressed the House on the Government's Home Healthcare Programme, administered through CINICO. He reported that costs have risen by an average of 21% annually since 2018, growing from approximately $3 million in 2018 to an estimated $11.4 million in 2025. Minister Anglin warned that the programme was at risk of becoming financially unsustainable, citing the absence of means-testing, misuse as a substitute for elderly social care and credible reports of fraud, including instances where domestic helpers were paid $800 per month whilst the full $1,200 was being claimed. He announced that a cross-party committee including Opposition Members would be established by the April 2026 sitting to review the programme.

The Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage Honourable Isaac Rankine, reported on a Public Management and Finance Act appropriation for his Ministry, which received Cabinet approval for a $1,250,000 funding increase, bringing the total budget to $2,553,459. With $312,616 brought forward from 2024, the overall appropriations total for 2025 reached $2,866,075. Minister Rankine highlighted the restoration of the S.V. Fair Weather as a key area of expenditure, speaking to its historical and cultural significance to the Cayman Islands.

Four Bills were given their second and third readings and subsequently passed. The Traffic (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2026 had two technical changes: it refined the definition of a pedal-assisted cycle within the Traffic Act by removing the previous speed limitation and regularised a historical administrative matter relating to certain registration plates and fees. Parliamentary debate on the Bill touched on the broader implications for e-bikes, with Members of the Opposition supporting the Bill whilst raising concerns about unintended consequences for micro-mobility device owners and the potential impact on traffic congestion.

The Litter (Amendment) Bill, 2026 increases fines for littering, expands enforcement powers for Department of Environmental Health officers and modernises legislation that had not been meaningfully updated in nearly 30 years. Members called for a range of additional measures, including geo-tagged reporting applications, systems for reporting offenders, closer inter-agency collaboration on derelict vehicles, and the expansion of surveillance cameras to known fly-tipping locations. The collaborative nature of the debate was further reflected in the commitment from Government to continue reviewing the legislation and regulations.

The Registered Land (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was described by the Minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure Honourable Jay Ebanks, as a measure to level the playing field for Caymanians aspiring to homeownership, whilst maintaining confidence in Cayman's land and financial systems. The Bill introduces greater transparency in the lending process and strengthens borrower protections in the event of default, among other improvements.

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal Bill, 2025 was also passed. The Bill establishes the framework for a new Administrative Appeals Tribunal, which will replace a range of existing specialist tribunals established under various Acts to hear appeals.

Six government motions were approved during the sitting. Amongst them was a Motion to recommend constitutional amendments to protect the boundaries of the five traditional districts on Grand Cayman, brought by Minister Jay Ebanks. Minister Ebanks also laid a motion to establish a Select Committee to modernise the Advisory District Councils Act, 2011. During his contribution, Premier André Ebanks noted that upon taking office, the NCFC Government had been asked by the Constitutional Commission to prioritise the establishment of the councils and to align with and uphold the Constitution. The members of the proposed select committee will be Minister Ebanks, Minister Rankine, Minister Ebanks-Wilks, Minister DaCosta, Honourable Juliana O'Connor-Connolly, MPs Kenneth Bryan and Christopher Saunders.

To watch Tuesday's proceedings, visit:

Fourth Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2025-26 Session of Parliament | 10 March 2026 (Part 1)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah5KWzc3-Vw

Fourth Sitting of the Fourth Meeting of the 2025-26 Session of Parliament | 10 March 2026 (Part 2) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4dkaeKsxl8

For further information visit: www.gov.ky/governmentinparliament

How to follow: Watch live broadcasts of sittings on CIG YouTube and CIG YouTube (Logic - Channel 23, C3 - Channel 3, Flow - Channel 106).