Labour MP Carmelo Abela, speaking during the Psychologists Profession Bill in Parliament, referred to the issue of whether assistant psychologists should be treated as psychologists in terms of the law.

This had resulted, he said, since when students completed their academic studies they would not have had sufficient practical training so as to be called psychologists. This issue needed to be considered in greater depth and the Psychologists Board, which the new law would set up, should consider how to resolve the problem in a way that satisfied everybody, but especially those who received the service.

In considering whether assistant psychologists should be treated at the same level of psychologists, one needed to consider that they would not have concluded or would not have received the practical training which the course demanded, Mr Abela said.