Committee considers debate procedure

The House Business Committee yesterday agreed to consider how parliament could debate the Ombudsman's report on promotions in the Armed Forces of Malta and the reaction to it by the Office of the Prime Minister.

The report was tabled in parliament last week and the opposition requested a debate.

The Leader of the House, Lawrence Gonzi, told the committee that he found no difficulty in having such a debate. He said he was considering a one sitting debate but wanted the opposition to consider the possibility of having the debate together with that on the Ombudsplan - the ombudsman's business plan.

As for the presence of the ombudsman for the debate, as requested by the opposition, Dr Gonzi said the ombudsman had a right to be present for every sitting. However, he did not think a precedent should be set by allowing him to speak in the House sitting.

Dr Vella disagreed that the debate on promotions and on the ombudsman should be linked. He said the opposition wanted the ombudsman to be present for the sitting in order to clarify certain points that might arise. Although this was not the usual practice, it was something which had to be looked into. He also did not believe one sitting would be enough for such a debate.

Dr Gonzi said he would have preferred such a debate to be held in the House Business Committee, where all the people involved could be present and there was more flexibility.

An opportunity was presenting itself which could enable the House to establish the procedure it could follow in the discussion of the ombudsman's suggestions.

Dr Vella said the ombudsman's report on the AFM deserved top priority and should therefore be debated by the whole House. However, he agreed with Dr Gonzi, that for other reports, a procedure of debate in the House Business Committee could be established.

If the debate was held within the committee, it should be recorded to be broadcast when the House was not sitting.

The committee will consider the subject in greater detail at another sitting.

Meanwhile, the ombudsman, Mr Joe Sammut, yesterday wrote to the Speaker asking the House Business Committee to discuss six cases which he had found to be justified but over which no action was taken by the government, despite his recommendations.

He said the cases involved four promotions in the AFM, a case involving reimbursement by Enemalta and an application for early retirement made according to a Maltacom scheme.

Mr Sammut said he had not submitted the relevant reports to parliament yet, but they had been sent to the prime minister (in the case of the AFM) and the Minister of Economic Services in the cases involving Maltacom and Enemalta.

The ombudsman in a letter to the Speaker pointed out that he had referred five other cases to parliament but his recommendations were not considered by the committee.