Updated 5.36pm with Speaker's ruling dismissing Delia's request.

Tempers flared in parliament on Thursday as government and opposition clashed on whether to suspend the agenda to hold an urgent debate on the latest developments in the coronavirus outbreak.

The call for the suspension of the agenda was made by Opposition leader Adrian Delia who cited Standing Order 13 on urgent debates on matters of national public importance.

The House was due to debate an Opposition motion filed by Gozitan MP Chris Said for the setting up of a parliamentary committee for Gozo.

In his request, Delia said his request was in line with the prime minister’s appeal for cooperation with the authorities to overcome the challenges posed by this outbreak.

However, deputy prime minister Chris Fearne said there was no need for an urgent debate. He urged Delia to not try to score political points.

Fearne said he was keeping the shadow minister for health, Stephen Spiteri, informed through daily briefings, and invited Delia to join him if needs be this evening after the sitting, or on Friday morning.

He refuted claims that the government did not want to debate the matter, recalling that he made a statement to the House on coronavirus last Tuesday and replied to various questions. 

Amid remarks across the floor by both sides, the Opposition leader said he was accepting the invite for the briefing, while insisting that the urgent debate should still go ahead. 

Tensions escalated further when the deputy prime minister claimed that Delia’s motive was to prevent the House debating a motion submitted by an MP (Chris Said) who had contested the leadership in 2017.

Said interjected, saying the debate on the coronavirus was more important, while suggesting a vote on his motion straight away so as to save time.

The sitting was suspended for a ruling by the Speaker. 

The Speaker, Anġlu Farrugia, later dismissed Delia's request. He subscribed to the argument made by the leader of the Opposition that the subject was of public importance, but he disagreed on the need to hold the debate on the day.

Farrugia noted that the subject had already featured in two ministerial statements in the last month and various supplementary questions.

The Speaker said there was no justification to hold the debate on Thursday, especially as the situation was continually evolving.