 Mr. Speaker, I beg to present for first reading a bill shortly entitled Civil Aviation Amendment. Civil Aviation Amendment. Mr. Speaker, I beg to move the suspension of Standing Order No. 482 to allow the bill to go through its remaining stages at this sitting. The question is that Standing Order 482 be suspended in order to allow the Minister of Civil Aviation to proceed with the remaining stages of this bill at this sitting. And I'll put the question as many as of that opinion say aye. Aye. As many as of a country opinion say no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Leave is granted. Mr. Speaker, I beg to present for second reading a bill shortly entitled Civil Aviation Amendment. Mr. Speaker, the bill for consideration of Parliament is the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill. The bill. The bill amends the Civil Aviation Act, Act 8.07. In 2000, in fact in 2020, Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration assessed the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, ACCA, to be non-compliant with specific international safety standards which resulted in ACCA being dongraded to Category 2. This rating meant that the respective dongrade to Category 2 is as a result of the lack of proper procedures in place or how you seek to update the regulations in a timely fashion. This rating meant that the respective laws or regulations lacked the requirements to supervise ACCA areas in accordance with minimum international standard. It also meant that as a Civil Aviation Authority, ACCA needed more technical expertise, trained personnel, improvement in the record keeping, and on its inspection procedures as well as the resolution of safety concerns. On May 40th, 2022, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, OECS, commissioned, convened a special meeting of the Attorney General of the OECS countries, specifically ACCA Member States, to finalize a bill to address the concerns that brought about the dongrading of ACCA. The bill was initially approved by four ACCA Member States with further amendments being proposed. A final draft of the bill was circulated to the Attorney General of the ACCA Member States for comments. The proposed amendments to the Act considers the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization post the dongrade of ACCA status. In principle, the recommendations suggested that the Act should reflect a rulemaking process established on a sound procedure for managing the Civil Aviation sector in the ACCA Member States. Therefore, enacting the bill is necessary to give legal effect to the recommendations proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization for the administration of ACCA. New definitions are included in the Act, Mr. Speaker. And in accordance with the IKO recommendations, the Act is amended to provide that in some cases the functions of the minister are subject to the Director General's power to issue directives and make regulations on matters related to the management of Civil Aviation. The amendment also provides that the minister responsible for Civil Aviation may in the discharge of his or her function cooperate with public officers on matters related to health. In keeping with the recommendations on safety standards, Mr. Speaker, the Act is amended to establish and maintain aerodrome facilities, aerodrome meaning airport facilities that promotes the safety and security of air navigation and to prevent the use of adjacent lands to an airport to be used in a manner that is incompatible with the safety and security of an airport. The Act is also amended to give the Director General the power to regulate Civil Aviation safety and security, issue directives and determine the form of the directives. In the exercise of that power, the Director General is required to act independently and without influence. In relation to the investigation of accidents, Mr. Speaker, the Act is amended to grant the minister the power to appoint an investigator or to delegate the investigation of an accident to another state or regional investigation organization. According to the amendment, the investigator is granted unrestricted access to and control over the scene of an accident and the authority to conduct a detailed investigation of the evidence including the interview of a witness. The Act is also amended to restrict access to records relating to an aviation occurrence under investigation that are disclosed to the public. Mr. Speaker, the Act is amended to transfer the power to prescribe the form of a notice of suspension or the cancellation of an aviation document from the minister to the Director General. In relation to the safety of Civil Aviation, Mr. Speaker, the Act is amended to provide for the offence of willingly committing or attempting to commit an unlawful act which jeopardizes the protection of Civil Aviation. The Act is further amended to grant to an inspector the power to oversee compliance with and the enforcement of the Act to ensure oversight an inspector has access to work areas, rams, workshops, cargo handling areas, personal files and manuals. In addition, the inspector is empowered to interview relevant persons and to seize property for the purpose of testing. In addition, Mr. Speaker, the Director General instead of the minister has the power to make regulations on aspects regarding the safety and security of Civil Aviation. The authority granted to the Director General under the regulations includes imposing penalties for the breach of the regulations and establishing a system for mandatory or voluntary reporting of aviation occurrences. In view of the transfer of power to the Director General, the amendment to the Act allows the minister to prescribe offences for the breach of the regulations. The Act is also amended, Mr. Speaker, to expand the powers of the minister to make regulations on matters related to liability insurance required by owners or operators of an aircraft. Fee is payable. The issuance and administration of air service licenses and exemptions. The bill also removes Section 54 exemptions by regulation and 55 exemptions in public interest of the Act as the transition matters are dealt with by this amendment. Mr. Speaker, the House of Assembly is invited to consider the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill and to enact the bill so that the Act may be amended accordingly. One of the members' question is that the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill be read a second time. Seeing there is no debate, would you still like to say something? Mr. Speaker, I certainly prognosticated that this amendment would not have provoked members of this honorable House to make any significant comment. I think it's harmonized legislation throughout the OECS and St. Lucia is the last remaining state to pass the amendment to the bill. And it is for this exact reason why the powers are given to the Director General of ECCA so that he can update the legislation so we are all part and parcel of that upgrade to prevent situations like this. Because sometimes St. Vincent may pass it Dominica, but St. Lucia has not yet done it then Grenada. So it always delay the implementation of regulations in a timely fashion. So I think members of this House acted wisely and courageously on this particular occasion. I see the member for Shwazel Saltibas in the holding pattern. He has begging for land instructions. So since it's not my House, I pass you on to the Speaker.