Long-overdue replies

The first 23 of the 30 minutes allocated to question time during yesterday's parliamentary sitting were taken up with a debate over a long-overdue reply to a seemingly simple question by Labour MP Chris Agius. Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi, putting the question in Mr Agius's absence, strongly complained about the fact that a simple question had been only half-answered 17 months after it had been asked.

With Parliament now tackling question number 15,590, question 2,876 asked what could be done about the puddles of rainwater in Pietru Pawl Caruana Street, Cospicua, in spite of the fact that tarmac had been laid after all water pipes had been changed.

Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt simply said in answer that because the works had been done by the Water Services Corporation, the question should be put to the minister concerned.

Parrying Mr Mizzi's vociferous complaint that 17 months to not really answer a question was crass inefficiency, even because the works had been done when Dr Gatt was "the minister concerned", Dr Gatt said there was nothing to justify such delay, even if it had taken only six months. This was an exceptional case.

Acting Speaker Carmelo Abela and the Clerk of the House confirmed that the question had indeed been put in October 2008.

Mr Mizzi said it was not so exceptional. There were many other unanswered questions dating back to 2008. This called for greater accountability for the dignity of Parliament.

Intervening, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that although he too condemned the delay, the comments being made by Mr Mizzi were unacceptable. Accountability could be seen in the fact that over the past two years he himself had made more statements in the House than in any other legislature. He had also offered a Prime Minister's question time every two or three weeks.

Reading the question out aloud, he asked what manner of national crisis it represented. He could not justify the delay, but the matter in hand did not warrant Mr Mizzi's adjectives.

Mr Mizzi said that if the Prime Minister thought all was well because he was making frequent statements, he was wrong. He had a whole list of unanswered PQs, many of them indeed about questions of national import. Somebody should be held accountable.

Dr Gonzi said parliamentary respect should be borne out by the observance of the standing orders. There had been a Speaker's ruling that supplementary questions should be related to the original question, but Mr Mizzi's questions did not so relate. The Prime Minister said he would not be an accomplice to such a breach of the House's rules.

The Acting Speaker said the Chair had already taken steps to ensure such inordinate delays became a thing of the past.

Interestingly, the first nine pages of yesterday's order papers comprised more than 20 parliamentary questions dating back to 2009.