Speaker dismisses Opposition MP's complaint over minister’s PQ responses

Speaker Anglu Farrugia has dismissed a complaint by Opposition MP Robert Cutajar over social solidarity minister Michael Farrugia’s responses to a series of his parliamentary questions.

Cutajar had requested a Speaker’s ruling on Wednesday after Farrugia had responded to a set of his PQs that “the information requested is still being gathered”.

Cutajar had asked whether there are plans on the table to reform the structure of the Appogg agency, and on the level of government consultation over the construction of homes for people with disability.

He had also asked two PQs about why HomeHelp –government non-nursing services to elderly people – is no longer being provided to elderly residents of Valletta, Mellieha, Naxxar and St Paul’s Bay.

However, in his ruling, Farrugia noted that Parliament’s Standing Orders don’t make any reference to the content of ministerial responses to parliamentary questions.  

“The Speaker cannot lay any impositions on the way ministers respond to parliamentary questions,” he said.

He noted that Malta’s Standing Orders were similar to those in other Commonwealth countries – including in the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand.