It is not known whether the increase in ‘technical adviser’ Leslie Skipper’s salary came with added responsibilities.

The Prime Minister’s foreign media guru, Leslie Skipper, has been given an increase of almost 20 per cent in his remuneration package, information given in Parliament shows.

Mr Skipper had a maximum pay of €37,170 last year to provide technical advice at the Prime Minister’s secretariat and other ministries. He is now receiving €3,638 a month, or €43,656 a year.

It is not known whether the increase comes with added responsibilities in Mr Skipper’s role.

Questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister about the increase remained unanswered at the time of writing.

Although on contract by the office of the Prime Minister, Mr Skipper does not work in Malta and visits occasionally.

Before the election, Mr Skipper acted as one of Joseph Muscat’s personal media consultants and it is not known whether he provided his services for free. Then, following Labour’s return to power, he was offered a contract by the Prime Minster to act as a consultant.

Although at first the Prime Minister’s office was reluctant to give details about Mr Skipper’s role and remuneration, in April 2014, Dr Muscat told Parliament the former BBC journalist was helping the OPM with its communication strategy. He was being paid €25 an hour over and above a €7,000-a-year retainer.

Receiving €43,656 a year

Dr Muscat did not specify how many hours Mr Skipper, who describes himself as “a speechwriter providing the words to get people listening”, was bound to work but specified his contract was capped at a maximum of €37,170 a year.

Dr Muscat told Nationalist MP Kristy Debono last week Mr Skipper was no longer being paid by the hour and that his contract of service had been changed to a fixed contract with a remuneration of €3,638 a month. He did not say what Mr Skipper’s exact role was but said his job was to “provide technical advice to the Prime Minister and other secretariats”.

Until 2013, Mr Skipper was listed as a media trainer with Templars, a London-based PR consultancy firm. His main service consisted of “helping business leaders sound good and create an impact and a lasting impression”.