THE House of Representatives resumed in a very noisy atmosphere yesterday as government and opposition members shouted down each other, while Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller answered questions about Sandals Whitehouse and the sugar industry.

The first set of questions answered were the request from the leader of the opposition, Bruce Golding, for an update on the programme of rationalisation of the sugar company.

The Prime Minister provided answers which basically repeated previous assurances from her predecessor, P J Patterson. This did not satisfy the Opposition and it led to loud exchanges with government members.

Golding also wanted to know the level of financing which would be made available to the industry for the 2006/2007 crop. He said that the Sugar Company of Jamaica would be unable to provide any support as it was already indebted to the tune of $14 billion and has a $3.5-billion overdraft. He pointed out that it was time to start retooling factories and replanting crops.

When the prime minister responded that the financing was being dealt with by the minister of finance and planning, this triggered another noisy exchange.

The situation deteriorated as Simpson Miller answered questions on the alleged “Noel Hylton report”, on the Sandals Whitehouse situation, which she said she knew nothing about.

“I have not seen and I am not aware of any such report,” the prime minister insisted. She was strongly supported by the government MPs, but opposition MPs insisted that the government was hiding the report.

The Opposition also peppered the prime minister with questions on the level of cost overrun on the Sandals Whitehouse Project; the ability of the project to pay its debts from rental revenues; and whether the Caracas Fund was being used to finance the debt.

The prime minister insisted that the hotel was meeting its financial obligations, but opposition MPs, including Karl Samuda and Andrew Gallimore, said that this was impossible because the US$5.1 million made from rental since last year would not be sufficient to pay the interest and principal owed on the debt.