The Government would not be moving the motion to entrench the EU fiscal pact on stability, coordination and governance for the time being, Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg said yesterday.

He was speaking as the debate resumed in Parliament on the motion to ratify the pact signed in Brussels last March.

Dr Borg said for a country to benefit from the European Stability Mechanism it must ratify this pact, which would come into effect when 12 of the 25 EU countries approve it. The UK and the Czech Republic have already indicated they will not sign it.

At the beginning of yesterday’s session, when Speaker Michael Frendo called Nationalist MP Charló Bonnici to take the floor, Alfred Sant (PL) remarked that on Monday, Beppe Fenech Adami (PN) had not concluded his speech because he was interrupted by Opposition whip Joe Mizzi. The latter had requested that the motion on the debate on the privatisation of car parks be discussed during yesterday’s sitting.

Dr Sant said the records should therefore reflect that Dr Fenech Adami was absent and consequently would not continue his contribution.

Dr Frendo said Dr Fenech Adami did not declare whether he remained in possession or not.

Dr Sant said members of the Opposition were often accused of being absent and therefore it was proper to record that someone from the other side was also absent when he was supposed to be present because he was still in possession.

Dr Frendo agreed and ordered that the minutes should reflect that in the previous sitting, Dr Fenech Adami had possession of the floor but because he was not present in the Chamber, the Speaker asked for more remarks and called on Mr Bonnici to start his contribution.