SIX bills tabled in the House of Representatives last week by Prime Minister Bruce Golding as part of the administration’s anti-crime measures, have been referred to a Joint Select Committee of Parliament for review.

Acting Leader of Government Business Andrew Gallimore yesterday named MPs who will serve on the committee. Government members are Pearnel Charles, Laurie Broderick, Daryl Vaz and Dr St Aubyn Bartlett. Opposition members are Dr Peter Phillips, Fitz Jackson and Sharon Hay-Webster.

The Senate is expected to name its members on Friday, in order to facilitate the schedule announced by Gallimore at yesterday’s sitting of the House.

The committee, Gallimore said, was scheduled to meet on September 16, 23, 24 and 30, and report back to the House to facilitate a debate on October 7 and 8.

Gallimore said last night that the members were likely to choose a chairman from among themselves. Normally, it is the minister in charge who chairs joint select committees.

It is, therefore, likely to be chaired by either Minister of National Security, Senator Trevor MacMillan, or Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, both of whom sit in the Senate and are expected to be named to the committee on Friday.

The six bills are:

. An Act to make interim provision extending the powers of arrest and detention under sections 50B and 50F of the Constabulary Force Act;

. An Act to further amend the Firearms Act, to provide for a minimum sentence of 15 years for certain convictions;

. An Act to amend the Parole Act to allow for persons sentenced to 15 years to life for specified firearms offences to be denied parole before completing 10 years sentence;

. An Act to amend the Offences Against the Person Act to provide for a minimum custodial sentence of 15 years for persons convicted in the Circuit Court of shooting or wounding;

. An Act to make interim provision, in relation to the grant of bail in specified circumstances, for accused persons to be detained for up to 60 days on certain charges; and

. An Act seeking to amend the Bail Act to require the accused to satisfy the court that bail should be granted and conferring on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) the right of appeal where bail is granted by the court.

The bills were drafted following bipartisan discussions between the Government and the Opposition, in the wake of a serious crime wave which gripped the country earlier in the year.