As the Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, I am proud to reaffirm this Government's strong commitment to preparing our students for a dynamic and interconnected world. Today, I underscore the vital importance of teaching Spanish and French at both the primary and secondary levels across our education system.

I rise today to provide a formal update on a matter of urgent and strategic national importance—the proposed expansion of the runway at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. 

As part of this Government’s continued commitment to improving the flow of vehicular traffic within our capital, I rise to update this Honourable House on the latest developments under the Upper Main Street Initiative, a targeted intervention designed to ease congestion in Road Town and enhance mobility across the city centre.

It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, to officially announce TVET Day 2025, to be celebrated on 6th May under the powerful theme: Skills Pay the Bills – TVET for a Thriving VI Economy.

I rise today to provide an important update regarding aviation security compliance at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (TBLIA), specifically relating to landside security measures.

The COI took place between 2021 and 2022, and reported on 4th April 2022. Over the past three years, public officers, elected representatives, and the Governor’s Office have been working together to deliver forty-eight recommendations. 

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to provide this Honourable House with an update on the Completion and Submission of the Government of the Virgin Islands Self-Assessment Report on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the 2022 British Virgin Islands Commission of Inquiry Report (COI Report).

The Government of the Virgin Islands strongly refutes the highly misleading portrayal of the Territory in recent international press reports, which depict it as undermining or trivialising the global fight against illicit finance through its Riley Right public awareness campaign.

A very pleasant and blessed Virgin Islands Good Morning to all of you, and welcome to the beginning of our Senior Citizen’s Month of activities for 2025!

I extend a very warm and heartfelt welcome to our golden gems gathered here this morning, who have journeyed from every corner of our beautiful Virgin Islands.  I am Honourable Vincent Wheatley, Minister for Health and Social Development.

On World Press Freedom Day, we celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom. It provides an opportunity to evaluate press freedom around the world and allows us to defend the important work of the media. It acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals and a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.