The Minister of Labour will now be able to make decisions regarding the National Training Board (NTB) without getting permission from the House of Assembly.

The National Training Board Amendment Act 2009 passed in the Senate yesterday, removing the NTB from the Statutory Instruments Act.

Senator David Burch said that the legislation would allow the NTB greater flexibility. He said: "This legislation allows a level of flexibility so that the NTB can meet the ever-changing standards."

Opposition Senator Suzann Roberts Holshouser praised the act, but said that more Occupational Advisory Committees (OAC's) would be formed to provide the board with more support. OAC's are intended to give expert opinion of the Island's various trades, but currently only five are active.

Sen. Burch, who is also the Minister of Labour, responded that he had always been keen to create a healthy working relationship between the board and the Island's various industries, and said that new OAC's would be up and running in the future.

"We are having discussions as to what new trades will be coming online next year."