The Valley Anguilla (GOA release) – The Honourable Minister Dee-Ann Kentish Rogers has repurposed her Government issued vehicle license plate MSDE for use by the Department of Social Development now bearing the license plate G12. The Department of Social Development was loaned the Hyundai Tucson to facilitate movement of children in foster care to school and other commitments as well as to coordinate the movement of social workers during and after office hours. There are a number of children and persons in the system who often require transport which in the past was attended to by hire or the use of staff vehicles. In an effort to limit the exposure of the case workers and the inability to secure funding for a department vehicle Minister Rogers resorted to use of her personal vehicle from the final quarter of 2020.
Noting the increased need for mobility in the department and guarding against miscommunication or misuse of the ministerial license plate, the registration of the vehicle was officially changed and the vehicle will remain in use by the Department of Social Development for the foreseeable future or until conditions change and funding or a different vehicle is secured for the department.
Minister Kentish-Rogers stated that “the mobility of the team at the Department of Social Development is trumped only by their health, safety and security. It is incumbent of me as Minister to ensure that the departments under my purview have the necessary tools to do what is expected. This group continues to go above and beyond making sacrifices in a relatively thankless field. I commit to do all I can to support them and put Anguilla first irrespective to the small or large sacrifices I have to make.”