The Clerk of the House read the Proclamation declaring the second Session of the 11th Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago open. The National Anthem was then played.

Following the adoption of the first report of the Committee on Government Assurances on Friday June 10, 2016, the Speaker announced that with effect from the 2nd Sitting of the House of Representatives, assurances made to the House by Ministers during questions, statements, matters on the adjournment will be recorded and monitored for implementation.

Ten papers were laid in the name of the Minister of Finance. Papers 1-6 were referred to the Public Accounts Committee and Papers 7-10 were referred to the Public Accounts (Enterprises) Committee. See Supplemental Order Paper for details.

Having been preserved from the 1st Session – 11th Parliament, the second reading of the Tax Information Exchange Agreements Bill, 2016 was re-commenced in the House of Representatives in this 1st Sitting of the House of Representatives. The Minister of Finance moved the second reading of this Bill. View the progress of the Bill during the first session here. View the progress of the Bill in the second session.

The Sitting concluded at 4:29 p.m. The House adjourned to Friday September 30, 2016 at 1:30 p.m.

The Tobago House of Assembly Election (Validation) Bill, 2017 was introduced in the name of the Attorney General. The Attorney General moved that the next stage of the Bill be taken forthwith. The House agreed.

The Attorney General then moved the second reading of the Tobago House of Assembly Election (Validation) Bill, 2017. The Leader of the Opposition was first to enter the debate, followed by the Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Member for Naparima and the Member for Caroni Central. The Attorney General then rose to conclude. The Bill was read a second time, referred to a Committee of the whole where it was passed without amendment. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. At third reading a division was taken, the result of which was 37 for, none against, no abstentions.

This being an extraordinary sitting with an agenda already set at the previous sitting of the House, the Speaker adjourned the House to its original date of Friday January 27, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. the sitting ended at 4:03 p.m.