The tap root of violent crime in Jamaica.

A study done in 1998 showed that one third of the population in the urban communities of the Kingston Metropolitan area and Spanish Town are young people between the ages of 15-29 who account for some 75 per cent of the victims.

International partners, such as the FBI, have indicated and offered their services in facilitating the Caribbean's preparation for the World Cup.

I want us to be assured when those local government elections are held that the KSAC will return to the control of the People's National Party, and that means that we will have to do some serious work in every division.

We will have people in the Caribbean following their respective teams from Asia, we will have Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Australians, Zimbabweans., ... And in many of the states there are conflicts which have taken on a terrorist form, and so there is always the potential that we in the Caribbean could become the stage on which other conflicts get acted out.

The entire world has an interest in us having a peaceful and pleasant experience in World Cup 2007.

Since it is the state which is responsible for these social services, the government becomes discredited and a deep-seated attitude of alienation sets in. The entire society reaps the effect in the high incidence of crime, violence and anti-social behaviour.

The suggestion that there is an unwillingness to admit to the jurisdiction of the contractor-general, contrary to law, is not supported by the facts. While it may well be the case that there is need for us to review what falls within or does not fall within the ambit, I would not like the impression to be conveyed that somehow the NLA was resisting the requirements of law.

We do not want to lose James. He is our leading scorer and I hope he won't be going anywhere.

Narcotics trafficking has spawned a criminal elite that is fighting to control a budget the same size as that presented in Parliament by our minister of finance, but without any of the obligations for debt, employment and services, which is placed on the elected government.