Leave of absence was granted to Sen. Foster Cummings who is out of the country. Sen. Ndale Young was appointed temporary Senator in his place.

The President read correspondence from the Speaker of the House with regards to the establishment of the Joint Select Committee – The Cybercrime Bill, 2017.

The Criminal Procedure (Plea Discussion and Plea Agreement) Bill, 2017 was brought from the House of Representatives.

Nine papers were laid in the name of the Minister of Finance. See Order Paper for details.

Two urgent questions were posed. See Order paper for details.

Ten questions qualified for oral answer. Question #71 was deferred for two weeks. See Order Paper for details.

Sen. the Hon. Franklin Khan moved that the Senate concur with the House of Representatives on the establishment of a Joint Select Committee to consider and report on the Cybercrime Bill, 2017 and that Senators Rambharat, Moses, Coppin, Mark, Ramkissoon and Richards be appointed to the Committee. The motion was approved.

Temporary Senator, Mr. Ndale Young took his oath of allegiance.

The Minister of Finance, Hon. Colm Imbert, MP moved a motion to approve the Salaries and Allowances contained in the Report on the Determination of Salaries and Allowances of Members of the Board of the Office of Procurement Regulation and debate began on the motion. With 17 votes for, 6 against and 7 abstentions, the motion was approved.

Sen. Wade Mark raised a matter on the adjournment namely the need for the Government to take immediate steps to prepare and submit our country’s first confidence building measure declaration under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Sen. the Hon. Dennis Moses, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs responded.

The Sitting concluded at 9:23 p.m. The Senate adjourned to Monday May 15, 2017 at 1:30 p.m..