Deputy prime minister Chris Fearne refused steadfastly to be drawn into speculation over what he would have done about the 17 Black and Panama Papers revelations if he were prime minister.

He also declined to say whether he would have Konrad Mizzi on his Cabinet if he were at Castille, saying there was no point speculating hypothetically: “There is no vacancy for prime minister”.

Watch: Fearne evasive on Mizzi, Schembri removal

When challenged about the lack of progress at St Luke’s and Karin Grech Hospitals, the health minister also explained that the decision for Steward to concentrate on Barts Medical Centre and the Anatomy Centre was a conscious one, and that the €25 million investment these represented was a clear sign of their commitment to Malta.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.