House adjourned due to lack of quorum

Parliament was adjourned at 6.20 p.m. this evening because there was no quorum. The House will now reconvene on Monday at 6 p.m.

When Mr Speaker Michael Frendo called Labour MP Evarist Bartolo to put the first parliamentary question to Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, there was a few seconds’ pause before he said he could not invite the question because there was nobody to put it to. The opposition called for a quorum.

Following the statutory 20 minutes, the Speaker started to say there did not appear to be a quorum. Government MP Mario Galea requested a ruling on a procedural motion governing what should take place in such circumstances.

Mr Speaker said that procedure had been changed by Speaker Louis Galea, and he could not entertain Mr Galea’s request.

Leader of the House Tonio Borg said the procedural motion had changed the waiting time from the old five minutes to 20, but had otherwise changed nothing. If the Speaker felt there was a quorum he could take the chair even before the 20 minutes were up.

Dr Frendo said he did not have a choice. There was no quorum and adjourned the sitting.