Media expert Leslie Skipper.

The government is refusing to disclose how much it is paying Irish media expert Leslie Skipper for providing communication services to the Prime Minister and various other ministries.

Times of Malta reported last October that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was paying the former BBC journalist an hourly rate over and above an annual retainer of €7,000.

But a spokesman for the Prime Minister has declined to reveal the amount being paid to Mr Skipper and the number of hours worked so far. “Mr Skipper’s services are paid for but he is not a member of staff and not part of the Prime Minister’s secretariat.”

Asked specifically to give details of Mr Skipper’s hourly remuneration, the spokesperson did not reply but said he helps with communications across several ministries, including the Office of the Prime Minister.

“He is paid a €7,000 retainer and payments to Mr Skipper reflect the guidelines for consultants. He is not entitled to claim a car allowance or other allowances such as phone or internet,” he said.

The Office of the Prime Minister did not explain why Mr Skipper’s name was included in the list of individuals working at the Prime Minister’s secretariat on the government’s internal portal as Dr Muscat’s “communications advisor”.

“I am neither the CIO [Chief Information Officer] nor do I have anything to do with the system itself,” the spokesman said.

Parliamentary questions submitted by Nationalist MP David Agius asking for the publication of Mr Skipper’s consultancy contract were not replied. Dr Muscat said Mr Skipper did not form part of his secretariat.

Mr Skipper, who describes himself as “a speechwriter who provides the words to get people listening”, has been working with the government soon after Labour came into power last March. However, the government said he did not give his services to the Labour Party before the election.

Until a few months ago, Mr Skipper was listed as a media trainer with Templars, a London-based PR and consultancy firm. His main service consists of helping business leaders sound good and create an impact for lasting impression. “He’s also a media trainer who takes clients on a journey through the opportunities and pitfalls of presentation and media interviews, ensuring they shine before an audience,” his profile states.