West: Whitehall fit for use, except for basement

Former public administration minister Allyson West is denying claims by Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Barry Padarath that Whitehall is unfit for use.

Padarath toured Whitehall on May 5 and expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the building.

He said the building was “not functional” and mould and flooding issues is preventing parts of it from being used.

He suggested work needed to be done on the interior before Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar could set up her office there. Persad-Bissessar worked from her Phillipine, San Fernando home on May 5.

In a media release on May 6, West said the building was “carefully restored” between 2016 and 2019 and in addition to being used by prime ministers Dr Keith Rowley and Stuart Young, weekly cabinet and cabinet sub-committee meetings were held there.

“The building remains structurally sound, safe, and fully operational, except for sections of the basement level occupied by the cabinet secretariat,” said West.

She said during the 2024 rainy season, there were reports of leaks and drainage challenges in the basement area where the secretariat was housed.

She added, “The findings were specific to that area and did not impact the remainder of the building, which continues to be used without restriction.”

West said the basement issues were being addressed “responsibly and proactively” with the secretariat temporarily relocated to ensure continuity of operations.

She believes the only issue that may make the space unfit for use is the size of the cabinet meeting room.

“It may well be that the real issue is the inability of the cabinet meeting room, which comfortably accommodated the Rowley and Young cabinets, to accommodate the current cabinet.”