Nationalist MP Franco Debono this evening took his criticism of Richard Cachia Caruana to parliament.

Speaking during the debate on the Collective Proceedings Bill - which he praised - Dr Debono in an aside referred to the government's plans, a few years ago, to build an underground section for the St John's Co-Cathedral museum.

This, he said, was madness which apparently came from Mr Cachia Caruana, which led him to wonder whether a psychological profile needed to be carried out.

Later, Dr Debono said lately some people seemed to have become experts in the drawing up of psychological profiles and would not be amiss to have one on Mr Cachia Caruana.

In his speech, made while a phone rang in the background several times, Dr Debono also renewed his call for reforms in the appointment of the President and reforms in the justice system, home affairs, and the administration of Parliament. Parliament, he said, should be smaller and it should be composed of full time MPs.

The Nationalist MP said the 'hysterical madness' said to have originated from Mr Cachia Caruana was an example of how the people could have filed class action, as this Bill proposed, to stop the digging of a huge hole outside St John's.

Dr Debono also criticised the Opposition for having walked out of the Committee for Democratic Change, thus stopping talks on Constitutional reform. The Opposition , he said, should reconsider. If it did not return to the committee talks, discussions could be continued in some other forum.

On a point of order, Labour MP Carmelo Abela said the Opposition had walked out of the committee after the government did not apologise to Labour MP Justyne Caruana when she was accused of having voted wrongly in the House.

Dr Debono said he himself had been critical of the way the committee functioned, particularly as it met behind closed doors. A new formula was needed for the talks on constitutional reforms to be continued. Malta could not progress unless its democratic institutions were strengthened.

SPEAKER LEAVES BECAUSE OF PERSONAL EMERGENCY

The second part of this evening's sitting was presided by Nationalist MP Karl Gouder after the Speaker, Michael Frendo, needed to leave because, he said, something urgent and of a personal nature had happened.

Since the Deputy Speaker, Censu Galea, was not in the Chamber, government and Opposition agreed to have Mr Gouder in the Chair.