The pensions debate would get going at a national level once the discussions within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development came to an end in June, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Dr Gonzi was addressing associations representing the elderly as part of the Nationalist Party's campaign for the European Parliament elections next month.

The media were asked to leave following Dr Gonzi's introduction.

Dr Gonzi said that like the PN, the European People's Party, which the PN belonged to, believed in a policy of social inclusion.

The PN placed the elderly at the centre of its policies. It implemented a policy that raised their dignity through an improved quality of life.

The PN also believed the elderly should contribute to the country's development. It implemented initiatives aimed at encouraging the elderly to continue living in their own homes for as long as possible.

The Prime Minister said the government had improved the environment of institutions for the elderly and transformed St Vincent de Paul from a hospital to a sought-after residence.

He said the PN's MEPs would form part of the largest group in the European Parliament, the EPP, and voting power was a very important consideration.