Rent reform before Parliament next week

A Bill to reform the rent laws will start being debated in Parliament next week, the House Business Committee agreed today.

Leader of the House Tonio Borg said the House will rise for the Christmas recess on December 15, resuming sittings on January 12.

A private member's motion on climate change, presented by Opposition MP Leo Brincat, will be moved in the second half of January.

Opposition whip Joe Mizzi asked about the possibility of the Opposition being allocated a day once every month to propose House business.

Dr Borg said that this was one of the suggestions he made four years ago within the proposed revision of Standing Orders, but he never received the opposition’s reaction. The proposals were now being discussed by a select committee.

The Speaker, Louis Galea, recommended that a decision on Mr Mizzi's request should be taken at a later stage.