The Speaker announced changes in membership of Joint Select Committees as agreed to in the Senate on Monday December 19, 2016.

Tributes were paid by the House to former MPs, Mr. Balgobin Ramdeen and Dr. Winston Murray. A minute of silence was observed.

Twenty-one Papers were laid in the names of the Minister of Finance, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Minister of Public Utilities, Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Attorney General, Prime Minister, Deputy Speaker and Member for Tobago West. Papers 1-11 were referred to the Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee. See Order Paper and Supplemental Order Paper for details.

Four urgent questions were posed. See Order Paper for details.

Seven questions qualified for oral answer. See Order Paper for details.

Mr. Rudranath Indarsingh, MP for Couva South, made a request for leave to move the adjournemnt of the House on a definite matter of urgent public importance namely the failure of the Government to adequately address the fallout between State-owned PETROTRIN and the Oil Field Workers Trade Union. The Speaker was satisfied that the matter qualified to be raised. The matter was stood down until 6 p.m.
The Leader of the Opposition also made a request for leave on a definite matter of public importance namely the failure of the government to address the continued increase in homicides, serious crime and criminal activity which has resulted in the breakdown in law and order in our country. The Speaker was not satisfied that this matter qualified under Standing Order 17.

The Minister of Finance introduced the Fire Service (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

Under Standing Order 68(3), the Minister of Finance moved a motion to withdraw the the Tax Information Exchange Agreements Bill, 2016 from the Committee of the Whole and to refer it to a Joint Select Committee. The Joint Select Committee will be required to report to the House by February 3, 2017. The motion was approved.

At 3:16 p.m., debate began on the Definite Matter approved earlier on the fallout between PETROTRIN and OWTU. The Member for Couva South was first to contribute, followed by the Minister of Finance.

The Sitting concluded at 4:20 p.m. The House adjourned to Friday January 13, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.