Finance Minister Edward Scicluna this evening tabled the 'correct version' of the Budget Document 2016 in Parliament, saying the first one was mistakenly presented on Monday.

He presented the new document shortly after the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anglu Farrugia, gave a ruling at the request by the Opposition about the validity of the original document, which had not been withdrawn.

In his ruling, the Speaker said that while Standing Orders were silent on the withdrawal of documents, according to House of Commons procedures, when a mistake was made in a substantive document, it could be withdrawn and substituted after a motion for the purpose.

Alternatively the minister could present a new document and the Clerk of the House would attach a note explaining that the first document was tabled erroneously and the correct information was in the second document.

Prof Scicluna said he had taken the second option.