Government proposes 4 November Budget date

The government has proposed 4 November as the day during which Budget 2014 will be presented to the House of Representatives.

During a meeting of the House Business Committee, deputy prime minister and Leader of the House Louis Grech said the government was proposing for the budget speech to be read on Monday 4 November, with the Opposition's reply coming on Monday 11 November and the Prim Minister's address on 12 November.

The government also proposed the discussion should be spread over five days with three daily sessions.

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Privileges Committee will meet on October 31 to consider the breach of privilege complaint made against Opposition Leader Leader Simon Busuttil and upheld prima facie by the Speaker.

The complaint was made by the Prime Minister after Dr Busuttil claimed political interference in the police handling of the John Dalli case.

The newly formed Parliamentary Standards Committee will hold its first meeting on October 23 to discuss its procedure. The committee was set up by Parliamentary resolution yesterday. It is headed by the Speaker, Anglu Farrugia. The members are Foreign Minister George Vella, Labour MP Justyne Caruana and Nationalist MPs Francis Zammit Dimech and Ryan Callus.