Members of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will have less speaking time at their plenary meetings.
In addition, amendments to the Standing Orders of the House that were agreed upon on Thursday January 28 2016 plenary meeting make provision for a 20-minute question time to the Chief Secretary at every fourth sitting.
The speaking time has been reduced from 45 minutes with a 15 minute extension to 30 minutes with a ten minute extension. The mover of a motion has 40 minutes to make the presentation while there is no time limit on the Secretary presenting the annual estimates of revenue and expenditure.
The House further agreed that no sitting of the Assembly shall be held from the first week of July to the first week of September in any given year to allow the legislature staff and assembly members an opportunity to take a vacation.
The February plenary sitting takes place on Thursday (25th) at 1.30 p.m. during which Secretary of Health and Social Services Assemblyman Claudia Groome-Duke will present a motion for debate on the Aedes Egypti mosquito which is the main vector that transmits the viruses that cause Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika.
She will ask members to support the strong measures and strategies instituted by the Assembly to control the mosquito population on the island.