The National Audit Office is to present the House Public Accounts Committee with a table showing the monthly average price of oil on the international market and the consumer price of electricity between 2009 and May.

The decision was taken after Justice Minister Owen Bonnici asked for statistics showing the correlation between the increase in oil prices and the electricity rate. He contended that between 2008 and March 2013, electricity prices rose 70 per cent but the oil price only four per cent.

Former Minister Tonio Fenech, giving evidence before the committee, said the correlation was much lower. Tariffs rose once in 2009 and remained at the same rate up to the election.

He had faced pressure from the PN parliamentary group to reduce tariffs before the election but he resisted, as it would have harmed Enemalta and been judged by the electorate as a gimmick.

He said Labour could now reduce tariffs because Enemalta was saving €1 million a week through the new BWSC power plant and because it gambled on reduced rates by using the interconnector extensively.

Ineż Farrugia, who had produced the tal-Lira clock given as a gift to Mr Fenech, also gave evidence. She said the expenses amounted to Lm200, but her husband’s brothers paid her Lm500 – approximately €1,100 – to also cover her handiwork.

She had agreed to her husband’s proposal to give the gift to the Fenech couple because they had shown interest in her handicraft during a social occasion.

She declared she had never been involved or interested in her husband’s work.

Ms Farrugia also said she could not give an estimate on how much the clock would cost today but not as much as an antique clock, which was valued around €5,000.