The Deputy Speaker granted leave of absence to the Members for Tabaquite, Chaguanas East, Caroni Central and Couva South from today’s sitting.

One Paper was laid. See Order Paper for details.

The Minister of Planning presented the Interim Report of the Joint Select Committee appointed to consider and report to Parliament on the Legislative Proposals to provide for Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property and the Repeal and Replacement of the Central Tenders Board Act for the Second Session [2011/2012] Tenth Parliament.

Nine Questions qualified for Oral Answer, of which five were answered and four being deferred to the next Sitting. See Order Paper for details.

The Minister of Sport rose to inform Members of some of the current activities and events in the Ministry of Sport.

The Minister of Gender, Youth and Child Development moved the second reading of the Children Bill, 2012. The Member for Diego Martin Central was the first to contribute to the debate on this bill followed by contributions by the Members for Couva North, Arouca/Maloney, Tobago East, Arima, Caroni East and La Brea. Debate was then suspended.

The Member Diego Martin North/East raised the matter of the Commissioner of Police exceeding his authority by improperly procuring the lease for Air Support Services for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. The Minister of National Security rose to respond.

The Member Diego Martin North/East raised the matter of the adverse economic consequences of the Government’s inability to arrest the decline in national oil production over the last twenty months. The Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs rose to respond to the matter.

The House adjourned to Friday March 16, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. at which time debate is expected to begin on the Miscellaneous Provisions (Maternity Protection and the Masters and Servants Ordinance) Bill, 2012.
Before adjourning, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Speaker of the House extended greetings to the women of Trinidad and Tobago who celebrated International Women’s Day on Thursday March 8, 2012. The sitting adjourned at 11:35 p.m.