It was with sadness that I read about the formal announcement made by my good old friend Adrian Vassallo about his departure from politics. I hope his intention to dedicate more time to his family, hobbies and pastimes includes also more time to play a few frames of snooker. He used to be a very good cue when his hair and moustache were closer to chestnut in colour.

The article that carried Dr Vassallo’s decision closed with a very clinical statement of fact: “The MP has the worst record of parliamentary attendance”.

This must be the same Parliament which in a contributon carried in the same issue (May 2) Giovanni Bonello accused of combining forces with the Constitutional Court “to abort the Supremacy of the Constitution”. “… And how proudly they advertise their achievement”, Dr Bonello added with evident disgust.

If Dr Vassallo kept away from sittings of the same Parliament to which Dr Bonello referred in his contribution, he must have concluded that playing a few frames of snooker would be a much more edifying experience than attending parliamentary sittings.

I agree.