Private member's bill proposes making KNPD a parliamentary office

Nationalist MPs Stephen Spiteri and David Agius presented a private member’s bill to amend the Equal Opportunities Act with regards to people with disability earlier today.

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The bill, drawn up by the Forum of Equal Opportunities within the Nationalist Party, proposes that the National Commission for Persons with Disability (KNPD) becomes a parliamentary office, independent of the executive. It will appoint a chairman, deputy chairman and members.

The commission will assume more of a regulatory role beyond just the provision of services and will enjoy more autonomy. The move will also improve the commission’s transparency and efficiency in its work.

A particularly important aspect, the MPs said, is more efficiency in dealing with complaints.  

“We want to be a proactive Opposition – we have already put forward 20 private member’s bills in this legislature alone,” Spiteri said.

Speaker Anglu Farrugia received the bill, saying that it is undoubtedly important, as thousands of people will be affected by the changes. He also said that the Opposition had presented what is possibly a record number of motions so far, not even halfway through the current legislature.