Nearly three years into this legislature, opposition leader Adrian Delia and former minister Manuel Mallia – now a Labour backbencher – are yet to ask their first parliamentary question.

Up to the start of the Easter recess, a total of 13,726 parliamentary questions were submitted since the start of this legislature in June 2017.

As expected, the overwhelming majority of PQs (12,010) came from the opposition as only MPs who are not ministers are allowed to ask such questions.

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi tops the overall list having submitted 1,520 questions, followed by his PN colleague Chris Said with 1,442. Karol Aquilina (1,169), Claudette Buttigieg (913) and Ivan Bartolo are next, all from the opposition.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri ranks first among Labour MPs, having made 525 PQs prior to his promotion to the cabinet last January, up to which time he was government whip.

Similarly, parliamentary secretaries Clayton Bartolo (193) and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi (183) are ranked next, having spent the first half of the legislature as backbenchers.

Delia is listed as the only opposition MP yet to make a PQ apart from Ivan J. Bartolo who was only elected in last month’s casual election to fill the seat vacated by Marthese Portelli.

Delia’s complete absence contrasts with previous opposition leaders who often made use of this system.

Delia told Times of Malta that any matters brought up to his attention would be referred to the respective shadow minister or spokesperson within the PN parliamentary group.

“Whenever I want to submit a PQ, I forward the particular issue to the respective member of my parliamentary group after a discussion about the matter,” he explained.

However, the opposition leader pointed out that he regularly intervened during the time dedicated for motions and in ministerial statement debates.

Delia said that his interventions were based on research such as the points raised on 17 Black, the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Vitals/Stewards hospitals concession agreement and the Delimara power station deal.

“I actively participate during ministerial statements like those on Brexit, immigration, rules and regulations related to the construction industry and updates following European summits,” Delia said.

Mallia has a zero in the PQs list despite not having been in cabinet at no point in this legislature.

In this case, the MP said he preferred referring questions from his constituents directly to the minister of parliamentary secretary concerned as getting replies through a PQ could take months.

“I normally go personally straight to the source and obtain a reply forthwith or within days,” Mallia remarked.

“This way I would be of a better service to the person addressing an issue.”