Updated - Acting Speaker gives explanation - The Nationalist Party has requested an explanation after two versions of a reply to a parliamentary question were issued yesterday.

Nationalist MP Marthese Portelli had asked Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia how many consultants, including persons of trust, were engaged by his ministry. She also requested their terms of reference and contract details.

In the written reply distributed to MPs, the minister said there was only one consultant, and he gave the details.

However, in the reply posted online by the House of Representatives, the minister said there were no consultants.

The PN asked why the reply was changed. It noted that the Deputy Speaker, who was in the Chair yesterday, had agreed that an investigation should be carried out. 

ACTING SPEAKER EXPLAINS

In this evening's sitting, the Acting Speaker, Censu Galea, said that what had happened was an administrative mistake. The Health Ministry had withdrawn the first reply and replaced it by another. However copies of the first reply had already been printed and one of them was picked up by Dr Portelli before they were collected.

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