KAMRA TAD-DEPUTATI PARLAMENT TA’ MALTA ANNUAL REVIEW 2010 Front cover: Paladini Committee Room, inaugurated in 2010 ii ‘There shall be a Parliament of Malta which shall consist of the President and a House of Representatives.’ [Article 51 of the Constitution of Malta] ‘Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may make laws for the peace, order and good government of Malta in conformity with full respect for human rights, generally accepted principles of international law and Malta’s international and regional obligations in particular those assumed by the treaty of accession to the European Union signed in Athens on the 16th April, 2003.’ [Article 65 (1) of the Constitution of Malta] iii iv CONTENTS 1. HOUSE BUSINESS ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 OVERVIEW.............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1 New initiatives taken by the Parliament in 2010................................................................ 2 1.2 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME............................................................................................... 3 1.2.1. New legislation and objectives behind the Bills................................................................ 3 1.2.2. Amendment Acts and objectives behind the Bills .............................................................. 5 1.3 PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS.......................................................................................... 7 1.4 MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS............................................................................................... 7 1.5 PETITIONS............................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 MOTIONS................................................................................................................................. 8 1.7 PAPERS LAID.......................................................................................................................... 9 1.8 DIVISIONS ............................................................................................................................. 10 1.9 RULINGS................................................................................................................................ 10 1.10 PARLIAMENTARY WHIPS................................................................................................ 12 1.11 LEADER OF THE HOUSE .................................................................................................. 13 2. STANDING COMMITTEES.................................................................................................... 15 2.1 STANDING COMMITTEE ON HOUSE BUSINESS ........................................................... 15 2.2 STANDING COMMITTEE ON PRIVILEGES...................................................................... 16 2.3 STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS........................................................ 17 2.4 STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.......................... 20 2.4.1 Informal Meetings ............................................................................................................ 23 2.4.2 Sub-Committees................................................................................................................ 24 2.4.3 Meetings of the Working Groups...................................................................................... 25 2.5 STANDING COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS............................................................. 25 2.6 STANDING COMMITTEE FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF BILLS ............................... 29 2.7 NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE ................................................. 31 2.8 ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING COMMITTEE.............................. 33 3. SELECT COMMITTEES........................................................................................................... 37 3.1 SELECT COMMITTEE ON STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY ...................................... 37 3.2 SELECT COMMITTEE ON MEDICALLY ASSISTED PROCREATION .......................... 38 3.3 SELECT COMMITTEE ON RE-CODIFICATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF LAWS.. 39 3.4 SELECT COMMITTEE TASKED WITH ESTABLISHING THE FACTS ABOUT THE ISSUE OF BLACK DUST PRECIPITATION OVER THE SOUTHERN LOCALITIES OF MALTA......................................................................................................................................... 41 4. INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES……………………………………………………………. 45 4.1 OUTGOING VISITS AND PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL FORA BY MR SPEAKER ..................................................................................................................................... 45 4.1.1 Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth hosted by the Indian Parliament ..................................................................................................................... 45 4.1.2 EU Speakers’ Conference ................................................................................................ 45 4.1.3 European Conference of Presidents of Parliament.......................................................... 45 4.1.4 Visit to the Italian Camera dei Deputati and to the Sicilian Regional Assembly............. 46 4.1.5 Visit to Libya .................................................................................................................... 46 4.1.6 Fifth Conference of the Presidents of European Small States Parliaments..................... 46 4.1.7 Fifth General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean............... 47 4.1.8 EU-Africa Parliamentary Summit.................................................................................... 47 4.1.9 International Conference on ‘The Role of Diplomacy in Development of International Human Cooperation’................................................................................................................. 47 4.1.10 Third World Conference of Speakers of Parliament ...................................................... 48 v 4.2 OUTGOING VISITS OF MALTESE PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS ..................... 48 4.2.1 Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs................................................... 48 4.2.2 European Parliament and European Union Presidency Meetings .................................. 48 4.2.3 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe .......................................................... 51 4.2.4 Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean................................................................ 55 4.2.5 Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly ................................................................ 57 4.2.6 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association..................................................................... 58 4.2.7 Inter-Parliamentary Union .............................................................................................. 58 4.2.8 Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.. 59 4.2.9 Others............................................................................................................................... 60 4.3 INCOMING VISITS AND CONFERENCES ORGANISED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES................................................................................................................... 61 4.3.1 Visit by Gianfranco Fini, President of the Italian Camera dei Deputati ......................... 61 4.3.2 Meeting of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development and of the Sub- Committee on Tourism and Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe....................................................................................................................................... 61 4.3.3 Visit by a Chinese Delegation .......................................................................................... 62 4.3.4 Visit by Dr William F. Shija, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association ................................................................................................................................ 62 4.3.5 Visit by Lord John Roper, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the EU Committee of the House of Lords .......................................................................................................................... 62 5. ASSOCIATION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT........................................ 65 6. OTHER ACTIVITIES................................................................................................................. 67 6.1 INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN SUPPORT OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE....... 67 6.2 MEDITERRANEAN DAY ..................................................................................................... 67 6.3 VISIT BY NEW POLICE RECRUITS ................................................................................... 67 6.4 SEMINAR ON POVERTY ..................................................................................................... 67 6.5 VISIT BY HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI ............................................................. 68 6.6 VISIT BY HG ARCHBISHOP PAUL CREMONA ............................................................... 68 6.7 NSTF MINI EUROPEAN ASSEMBLY................................................................................