Updated 8.31 with request for health committee debate rejection

The agenda-setting House Business Committee made no reference to a private member's bill to decriminalise abortion when it met on Monday.

A request for abortion to be debated within parliament's health committee was rejected. 

Independent MP Marlene Farrugia gave notice of the bill last week but it is up to the committee to decide if and when it would be put on the agenda of the House.

Leader of the House Chris Fearne and government whip Glen Bedingfield listed bills and motions due to be debated in the coming two weeks in parliament but made no mention of the private member's bill.

Parliament will debate legislation on aircraft registration, the engineering profession, and the reuse of public sector information as well as the annual reports of the health and safety authority and the Embyo Protection Authority.

Bedingfield said the House was tentatively slated to rise for the summer recess in mid-July.

During the meeting, the Speaker informed the committee that the June 7 commemoration of the 1921 riots will be held on June 4.

Nationalist MP David Agius said he regretted that events such as this were not held on the day proper, or at least the day before.

The Speaker said the decision had been taken in consultation with both sides of the House. The ceremony would be restricted owing to COVID-19 concerns. He said that he himself would visit the graves of the victims on the day itself. 

Request for abortion debate in health committee rejected

A request for abortion to be discussed within parliament's Health Committee was also rejected on Monday.

The request was made by independent MP Godfrey Farrugia but it was dismissed by committee chairman Silvio Grixti, a Labour MP, who observed that the subject was the subject of a private member's bill. He said that there was no need therefore, for the issue to be put on the agenda of the committee.