The parliamentary secretary responsible for local councils, Silvio Parnis, was unable to say in parliament this evening whether the new Roads Authority would take over responsibility for residential roads from local councils.

The minister was asked to clarify the point in repeated questions by Nationalist MPs Chris Said and Robert Cutajar in reaction to recent comments by Roads Minister Ian Borg.

Mr Parnis said it was best to ask Dr Borg, but he could promise that the government would not burden the local councils with new debts.

Furthermore, the government would keep its promise of resurfacing all of the country’s roads in seven years.

He said that talks were being held with local councils, and in the meantime, in the Budget they had been given the same funds as before for the maintenance of roads.

The government, he said, would not reduce powers held by local councils. The government's road-surfacing plans would be a relief to the local councils, which had long lacked the funds they needed for the roads.