Budget speech on Nov. 9 as planned

The House of Representatives yesterday approved a procedural motion that confirmed that the budget for 2010 will be presented on November 9.

Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat will reply to the budget speech on November 16 and the Prime Minister will give his reaction on November 18.

The House will then go into a committee of supply to debate the votes of the various ministries, and the final vote will be taken on November 25.

The ministerial votes will be discussed over five days, with the House meeting in morning and evening sessions with the following schedule:

November 19: Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs (morning session) and Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs (evening session);

November 20: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment;

November 23: Ministry for Gozo and Ministry for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport;

November 24: Ministry for Social Policy and Ministry for Infrastructure, Communications and Transport;

November 25: Office of the Prime Minister and Appropriation.

The last two debates will start at 9 a.m. and end at 9.30 p.m., with a two-hour break between 3 and 5 p.m.