1 Leave of Absence 2020.06.12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Friday, June 12, 2020 The House met at 1.30 p.m. PRAYERS [MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair] LEAVE OF ABSENCE Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, I have received communication from Ms. Marlene Mc Donald MP, Member for Port of Spain South, who has asked to be excused from today’s sitting of the House. The leave which the Member seeks is granted. JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE (CHANGE OF MEMBERSHIP) Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, correspondence has been received from the President of the Senate dated June 09, 2020, which states as follows: Dear Hon. Speaker Re: Change of Membership to Joint Select Committees Reference is made to the subject at captioned. I wish to advise that at a sitting held on Wednesday, June 03, 2020 the Senate agreed on the following resolution: Be it resolved that this Senate agree to the following appointment to the Joint Select Committee appointed to consider and report on the Representation of the People (Amdt.) Bill, 2020. Mr. Nigel De Freitas in lieu of Mr. Robert Le Hunte. Accordingly, I respectfully request that the House of Representatives be informed of this decision at the earliest convenience please. Respectfully Sen. The Hon. Christine Kangaloo. UNREVISED 2 Joint Select Committee 2020.06.12 President of the Senate. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS (REGISTRAR GENERAL, REGISTRATION OF DEEDS, CONVEYANCING AND LAW OF PROPERTY, REAL PROPERTY, STAMP DUTY AND REGISTRATION OF TITLE TO LAND) BILL, 2020 Bill to amend the Registrar General Act, Chap. 19:03, the Registration of Deeds Act, Chap. 19:06, the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act, Chap. 56:01, the Real Property Act, Chap. 56:02, the Stamp Duty Act, Chap. 76:01 and the Registration of Title to Land Act, 2000, brought from the Senate [The Attorney General]; read the first time. Motion made: That the next stage be taken on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. [Hon. F. Al-Rawi] Question put and agreed to. PAPERS LAID 1. Errata to the Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the Public Accounts of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the financial year ended September 30, 2019. [The Minister of Finance (Hon. Colm Imbert)] 2. Report of the Auditor General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2019. [Hon. C. Imbert] 3. Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago for the year ended September 30, 2019. [Hon. C. Imbert] Papers 1 to 3 to be referred to the Public Accounts Committee. UNREVISED 3 Papers Laid 2020.06.12 4. Report of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago with respect to the Progress of the Proposals to Restructure CLICO, BAT and CIB for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. [Hon. C. Imbert] 5. Sector Wide Approach Programme Loan Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Corporación Andina De Fomento in the amount of US $200 million for the Development of the Sea and Air Transport and Tourism Infrastructure in Trinidad and Tobago. [Hon. C. Imbert] 6. Ministerial Response of the Ministry of Works and Transport to the Eighth Report of the Joint Select Committee on Land and Physical Infrastructure on an Inquiry into the Effectiveness of Measures in place to reduce Traffic Congestion on the nation’s roads. [The Minister of Social Development and Family Services (Hon. Camille Robinson-Regis)] 7. Administrative Report of the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards for the year ended September 30, 2017. [(Hon. C. Robinson-Regis] 8. Administrative Report of the Trinidad and Tobago National Schools Dietary Services Limited for the fiscal year 2016/2017. [The Minister of Education (Hon. Anthony Garcia)] 9. Immigration (Amendment) Regulations, 2020. [The Minister of National Security (Hon. Stuart Young)] 10. Notification of Her Excellency the President in respect of the nomination of Mr. Vincel Edwards, for appointment as a Member of the Police Service Commission. [The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Esmond Forde)] JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS (Presentation) Human Rights, Equality and Diversity (Male Academic Performance in Public, Primary and Secondary Schools) UNREVISED 4 Joint Select Committee Reports 2020.06.12 Mr. Esmond Forde (Tunapuna):Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have the honour to present the following report: Sixteenth Report of the Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, Equality and Diversity on Male Academic Performance in Public, Primary and Secondary Schools. I thank you. Finance and Legal Affairs (Negotiating/Creating Trade Opportunities outside of Caricom) The Minister of Health (Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh): Thank you, Madam Speaker. On behalf of the Member for Oropouche West, I have the honour to present the following report: Ninth Report of the Joint Select Committee on Finance and Legal Affairs on the Inquiry into Trinidad and Tobago’s performance in negotiating/creating opportunities for trade outside of CARICOM. Standing Finance Committee The Minister of Finance (Hon. Colm Imbert): Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the following report: Second Report of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives for the Fifth Session (2019/2020), Eleventh Parliament on the consideration of proposals for the Supplementation of Appropriation for the fiscal year 2020. PRIME MINISTER’S QUESTIONS Ministry of Education Online Teaching Platform (Percentage of Students Logging On) Dr. Fuad Khan (Barataria/San Juan): [Desk thumping] Is the Prime Minister concerned that less than 30 per cent of the nation’s students are able to log on to the Ministry of Education’s online teaching platform? UNREVISED 5 Prime Minister’s Questions 2020.06.12 The Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Development (Hon. Dr. Keith Rowley): Madam Speaker, I have no understanding of the basis for the 30 per cent except that it is an exaggeration when compared with the information available at the Ministry of Education. The information from the Ministry of Education indicates that 90 per cent of the students, in fact all students who have access to a cell phone would be able to access the platform and we do acknowledge, Madam Speaker, that the 10 per cent that would not have access to the platform and where there were difficulties were largely around the access to Internet services. Madam Speaker, so therefore to say that less than 30 per cent can access the programme is grossly misleading and inaccurate and the Ministry’s position in terms of determining what percentage of the students are accessing or can access the programme would have been arrived at by information coming to the Ministry from the principals and other stakeholders across the country. Dr. Moonilal: Thank you very much. Prime Minister, are you concerned at all with the statement from the TTUTA that they issued today, in which TTUTA has rejected the Government’s inducement for teachers and principals, and have also categorically rejected the August date for the SEA, and they have raised serious questions concerning the process being used for that?—in the context of the lack of preparation of the students. Madam Speaker: Member, Member for Oropouche East, I would not allow that as a supplemental question to the question asked. Member for Barataria/San Juan. Dr. Khan: Prime Minister, many students are having difficulties accessing the Internet services because of cost. Would the Prime Minister consider free broadband access to the students because of the COVID at this point in time? Hon. Dr. K. Rowley: I do know that there are students in various parts of the UNREVISED 6 Prime Minister’s Questions 2020.06.12 country who would have difficulties of one kind or another. In fact, in assessing the situation, one of the other difficulties we faced was that even where access was available and students could have accessed it, some students are not accessing this for other reasons, either discipline or other reasons which may not deter us at this point in time. However, I would leave that question to the Ministry to determine the logistics of any such proposal. Dr. Khan: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Would the Prime Minister consider looking at the free laptop service to students who are unable to afford cell phones and otherwise. Hon. Dr. K. Rowley: I am not aware of what free laptop services he is talking about, Madam Speaker. Venezuelan Migrant Registration (Status of) Mr. David Lee (Pointe-a-Pierre): Thank you, Madam Speaker. To the hon. Prime Minister: Given that the Government undertook a registration process of Venezuelan migrants in an effort to provide them with Registration Cards which would allow them to live and work in the country for one year, could the Prime Minister provide the status of these individuals as the one-year period comes to an end? The Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Development (Hon. Dr. Keith Rowley): Madam Speaker, I thought the Opposition had forgotten that and the expulsion of these people would have gone off their agenda. However, Madam Speaker, yes, thanks for reminding us that we did intervene and allowed approximately 16,000 Venezuelans to reside in Trinidad and Tobago. They were registered and that was done last July. And as of today, none of those registrants have seen their registration expire and going forward from July there will be an expiration on the original one year offering. But, Madam Speaker, given what has UNREVISED 7 Prime Minister’s Questions 2020.06.12 happened in the intervening period with the COVID and all that we are experiencing, we anticipate that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will continue to extend this facility to the Venezuelans within our border up—and we can probably say that Cabinet would be asked to do so up until December 2020.