Finance Minister Edward Scicluna this evening vehemently objected to a parliamentary question asking how many people with a disability were employed in various government ministries.

Prof. Scicluna described the question, asked by Nationalist Party deputy leader Mario de Marco, as insensitive and politically incorrect.

Dr de Marco said the question was anything but politically incorrect, as it was being asked to keep the government in check and ensure that persons with disability are treated as equals.

The minister said that if the question was reworded insofar as asking whether the government had reached the legal target of two per cent of the workforce being persons with disability, he would answer it.

Robert Cutajar (PN) asked whether the billboards declaring that 1,000 persons with disability had found employment took into consideration that there were persons who changed two or three jobs and were declared as new entrants to the job market, meaning that the figure of 1,000 was in reality far lower.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi replied by turning talk to motorised scooters and saying Mr Cutajar was insensitive to the past when the issue of allowing motorised scooters used by persons with disability on public transport was raised. 

Mr Cutajar knew that it was dangerous for certain scooters to be allowed aboard buses, the minister said, and the government's policy in this respect reflected directives agreed to between former public transport operator Arriva and the PN administration.

The PN MP replied by saying that he personally knew of two people from St Paul's Bay who used to be able to board Arriva buses with their motorised scooters but were now no longer allowed to. 

Ċensu Galea (PN) asked whether the government had reached the two per cent quota in employing persons with disability. Were departments being made to pay the penalties?

Family Minister Michael Farrugia, like other ministers, said the information was still being collated. This led to Ryan Callus (PN) to ask whether the minister knew that the question had been posed on January 11.

Dr Farrugia replied that during previous administrations, certain parliamentary questions by the then-Labour Opposition were not answered for the entire legislature.