MPs approved additional funding for the Department of Corrections and the Bermuda College, along with $15.2 million for the purchase of Compass Point.

David Burt said that the Supplementary Estimate No 1 for Financial Year 2026-27 included about $22.26 million in additional spending for the budget year.

The Premier told the House of Assembly that the estimate was a “technical supplementary”, meaning that the requirement for additional funds was met within the originally appropriated estimates but needed to be transferred in the Budget.

The largest of the supplemental costs related to the purchase of Compass Point, which was approved by MPs last month.

Jaché Adams, the Minister of Public Works and Environment, said that the $15.2 million represented $14.5 million for the purchase of the former HSBC office block, with the additional funds earmarked for works to get the building ready for government use.

He said that the “vast majority” of the additional $700,000 was meant for work on the building’s roof, but funds were also included for IT upgrades.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education, said that the Bermuda College would receive an additional $3.3 million for its operational grant to support “urgent operational funding requirements” not covered by the $15.57 million allocated in the Budget.

He explained that $1.3 million would go towards academic and instructional staffing, with funds also earmarked to fill additional posts in student services, create a facilities maintenance plan, conduct deferred maintenance works and carry out an economic impact assessment to gauge the college’s effect on the island.

Mr Rabain said that some of the funding issues were identified after the Budget, noting that timing issues arose because of the difference between the school year and the financial year.

Dennis Lister III, the Junior Minister of Justice, said $1.46 million in supplemental funding had been allocated for the Department of Corrections, along with an additional $1 million for capital development and prison refurbishments.

He told the House the funding was needed to carry out critical interventions identified in the recent prison report without compromising services.

Mr Lister said that the funding would help to hire four full-time instructors to support consistent programme delivery and bolster maintenance staff at the island’s prisons.

The additional funds would further be used to enhance staff training, improve ventilation, support the Astor House temporary accommodation programme and improve vocational workshops.

The House heard that $1.3 million was included for the Department of Information and Digital Technologies to cover the cost of subscription licences for Microsoft 365 for government offices.