Mr Speaker Michael Frendo yesterday found prima facie for Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi on a breach-of-privilege complaint raised last May against three PN media - In-Nazzjon, Il-Mument and NetTV. However, this was limited only to one paragraph which the Chair felt was incorrect because it indicated that Mr Mizzi had retracted from an agreement which, according to the transcript of the sitting, he had not reached.

Dr Frendo said he would be referring the issue to the Standing Committee on Privileges, adding that he augured that in the interests of the best relations with the media and correct reporting, an amicable solution between the two parts would be found.

Mr Mizzi had objected to the fact that all three media had said that the opposition had retracted from an agreement with the government to take the vote on two amendments to a clause in the Environment and Development Planning Bill at a later sitting.

Mr Mizzi had denied that there was any such agreement, as vouchsafed by the ruling of the Speaker, and that the opposition had asked for the vote to be taken because it knew that Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando was abroad on government business. He had said the only motive why he had asked for the vote to be taken was because the Standing Orders dictated that such votes should be taken within a week.