A motion for the setting up of a Permanent Committee for Family Affairs was presented to the Clerk of the House this morning by Labour MPs Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, Carmelo Abela and Justyne Carunaa.
The motion was approved and seconded by the PL's parliamentary group.
In their motion, the MPs noted that from the recent debate on family and marriage which has dominated the country over the past weeks, it was clear there existed an unprecedented consensus on the love of Maltese and Gozitans for the family and all it represented.
It was clear, however, that families were facing a number of challenges and difficulties which they could not always overcome.
They said that it would be a shame that following such a discussion, which placed the family on top of the national agenda, the opportunity to act to ensure a better future for Maltese families was lost.
They felt that an effort was needed to ensure that children, adoloscents and young people grew and lived in a family unit which helped them grow having the social and emotional abilities which would give them the strength and ability to choose a plan which made sense for their life, with responsibility and committment.
They proposed the setting up of the committee, which, they proposed, should be tasked with going through and evaluating all existing legislation. It should then carry out a socio-economic impact study of these laws with the help of the country's entities and institutions.
The committee, they said, should closely follow the work of the National Family Commission, which should be set up on a permanent pasis, the Family Institute at the University and the Children's Commissioner.
It should be proactive and propose studies and research on family and children and make recommendations to Parliament and the executive.
The committee should analyse and study the existing policies and national plans on the family and children and make its own proposals and recommendations as necessary. It should monitor and assess these policies and plans and keep in regular contact with non-governmental organisations and other bodies which worked with families and children, giving them a voice in Parliament.
They proposed that the committee should be set up before Parliament adjourns for the summer recess and that it should be composed of five members, three, including the chairman, from the government side and two from the opposition.