Updated | Minister disagrees with government's stand in replies to PQ

A question to six ministers asking for details on their trips abroad was met with a collective reply to refer to a series of parliamentary questions relayed in parliament during the ninth legislature.

Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg asked the ministers to state how many times they traveled abroad since their appointment in March 2013, to which conference, the length of their stay and the total cost.

The question was made to Gozo Minister Anton Refalo, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia, Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli and Economy Minister Chris Cardona.

Only Refalo, through his reply, shed light on why they chose not to entertain the MP’s question: “To abide by the practice introduced in Parliament by the previous administration on the collection of information which lacks a justification for the said request, I don’t see a reason why this information should be collected.”

He went on to refer Buttigieg to a parliamentary question dating back to 6 June 2001, replied by the then prime minister, Eddie Fenech Adami.

The rest of the ministers referred Buttigieg to eight PQs tabled in parliament during that same legislature.

Needless to say, the replies didn’t go down well with the Opposition. Nationalist MP Chris Said said that such questions were replied by the previous administration, so much so “that newspapers used to do full pages on these expenses”.

After Refalo’s repeated insistence that any additional information should be requested through a written reply, Evarist Bartolo stood up and agreed that such information should be given.

“I agree that information requested should be given. I have the same question and I agree that, while there was a Nationalist administration which wouldn’t divulge this information, the succeeding administration used to answer these questions.

“We should follow the correct example and provide the information,” Bartolo said.

He added that he had traveled abroad 16 times and would be providing the full information.

“I don’t agree with the way the reply was given,” Bartolo said, raising questions by the Opposition on who approved the parliamentary questions issued by his ministry.

After a question by Nationalist MP George Pullicino on whether there was coordination between the ministries to give the same reply, all hell broke loose. But due to the shouting, their comments were incomprehensible.