Speaker Anġlu Farrugia warned lawmakers last night that they should behave or face the risk of suspension.

He issued the warning in a ruling given at the request of Nationalist deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Beppe Fenech Adami after Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg used vulgar language when replying to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi last Wednesday.

The comments were part of a shouting match which eventually prompted the Speaker to suspend the sitting for a few minutes.

Dr Farrugia said the language used by Mr Borg was unparliamentary and unacceptable.

He, however, noted that Mr Borg had immediately clarified that he meant he did not entertain speculative questions.

He had also publically apologised and said that he did not mean to insult anyone.

The Chair was, therefore, ordering the words by Mr Borg to be struck off the record.

The language used by Mr Borg was unparliamentary and unacceptable

Referring to Wednesday’s sitting in general, Dr Farrugia said Parliament was a forum for serious debate, but that seriousness was lacking last Wednesday.

It seemed, he said, that the move of Parliament to the new chamber, and the introduction of direct video broadcasts, had prompted some MPs to raise the temperature.

He warned that, if this situation continued, the Chair would need to refer to the Standing Orders and use procedures which had not been in use for years.

These could lead to MPs being suspended for a week on first offence, two weeks on second offence and a month for subsequent infringements.

Opposition deputy leader Mario De Marco questioned whether the words uttered by Mr Borg could be struck off the record of the sitting.

The Speaker said that was the Chair’s decision.

On a point of order, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said no comments could be entertained on a Speaker’s ruling.