This evening's parliamentary sitting was suspended for a few minutes during question time following uproar as the Opposition repeatedly asked why a police inspector was boarded out within four days when this process took months in normal circumstances.

The Opposition also asked if this was normal practice.

Replying to questions by Jason Azzopardi, Beppe Fenech Adami and Mario de Marco, Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg said he was only standing in for Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela and he did not know the reply.

Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech said that, as far as he knew, whenever a minister was abroad, there was another minister who took on his responsibilities for the period. Who was acting minister in this case, he asked.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said that any minister had the right to reply on behalf of another.

As uproar continued, Speaker Anglu Farrugia suspended the sitting for a few minutes.

When the sitting resumed, government MP Marlene Farrugia said she used to be disgusted when the previous administration used to fail to answer her side's questions.

She said she hoped that this government would not continue with such a disgusting custom as ministers would be replying to the people's and not the Opposition's queries.

Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech, the acting Home Affairs Minister, said the question being posed was suggestive and he would not be answering it.