On numerous occasions over many years when I or indeed many others have raised an issue of general interest, both at local or national level, to the attention of members of Parliament of either political persuasion, their final commitment is that they will raise the issue in Parliament by asking a PQ (parliamentary question).

One is given to understand that when such a question is raised and the particular issue is brought directly to the attention of the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, action will be forthcoming.

However, this is far from what actually happens, as after all the research that goes on by the Parliamentary Secretary and the Minister’s staff concerned, and the information is provided in the House, the very big majority of the PQs raised are left on the shelf gathering dust. This makes one ask the question, why bother with PQs at all as it seems to be a waste of time? Or is it perhaps to give the individual MPs something to do and show their constituents that they have done their utmost to resolve the issue in question?

Is it time to abolish the present system of parliamentary questions?

I am an avid follower of the PQs raised in the UK’s House of Commons, on which our Parliament is modelled, as well as the fact that I like to listen to the exchanges between the politicians.

I note that when an MP raises a question about a constituency issue or even by an individual constituent, an answer is always given on the action to be taken or looked at by the relevant ministry. As this result does not seem to be the outcome in Malta, is it perhaps time that the current system for PQs is abolished and resources are reallocated to a system where the minister’s accountability on the PQ raised is introduced?