The Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives explained this afternoon that the Chair exercised its casting vote yesterday in line with parliamentary practice to retain the motion before the House in its original vote.

Two votes on amendments to a motion on the creation of a Select Committee to draft regulations on assisted procreation ended in a tie of 32 votes in favour and 32 against.

The Speaker's office said that the votes were on amendments moved by both the governemnt and the opposition. Both were rejected as a result of the Speaker's decisive vote.

The government's original motion was then approved after the government achieved a majority (when Nationalist MP Franco Debono returned to the Chamber).

The Speaker's Office said that according to Erskine May (regarded throughout the Commonwealth as the 'bible' of parliamentary practice) in circumstances such as those seen yesterday, the Chair should always vote in a manner than the original motion was retained in its original form. Furthermore, the Speaker should always vote so that, if possible, debate could continue and, where further discussion was not possible, the ultimate decision should not be taken unless backed by a majority of MPs.

That was what happened yesterday.