Gozo Minister Anton Refalo this evening refused to answer a Parliamentary Question on the expenses incurred by his ministry on work-related travel, prompting Education Minister Evarist Bartolo to side with the Opposition and call on the Minister to produce the requested information.

The PQ by PN MP Claudette Buttigieg asked the Gozo Minister to say how many times he had gone abroad since March 2013, which conferences he had attended, how long the trips were and how much they had cost.

But in his reply to PN MP Marthese Portelli, who was speaking on behalf of Mrs Buttigieg, Dr Refalo said that he would stick to a practice adopted during the Fenech Adami administrations to not answer questions whenever a reason for them was not given.

PN Secretary General Chris Said insisted that similar questions were always answered in full during the previous legislature but the Gozo Minister kept insisting that he would not answer the PQ unless he knew what the reason behind it was.

"We want to know because these are public funds we are speaking of," said Dr Said, only to be met with another refusal by Dr Refalo. The Gozo Minister insisted on not answering the PQ, despite several supplementary questions by PN MPs Marthese Portelli and David Agius. When the latter asked the Minister if he could at least say if he had travelled at all, the Gozo Minister insisted on having the question put to him in writing.

PN MP Jason Azzopardi interjected and asked the Minsiter if it was true that the tickets were bought by direct order from GWU's travel agency. Again, a refusal by the Minister.

At this point, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo interjected and said he agreed with the Opposition that government ministers should state what their travel expenses were. He said answers would be refused under some PN governments but were given by others. "We should follow the good example, not the bad."

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also spoke about the issue and said: "The information we're giving is certainly more than what used to be given before, but we have no problem in giving all the requested information."

Government Whip Carmelo Abela said he took note of what Mr Bartolo and the Dr Muscat said and would do his utmost to see the PQ answered.

The next PQ was similar, but directed at the Education Minister. The reply referred the PN MP to a number of PQs made during the ninth legislature, which had gone unanswered. The Minister, however, said he was not happy with the way his staff had answered the question and promised to give a more detailed answer. "I must admit that I did not read this before coming here. If I had, the answer would be different."He added that he has travelled sixteen times since becoming Minister. 

The question on travelling was also put to ministers Edward Scicluna, Michael Farrugia, Helena Dalli and Konrad Mizzi, who produced identical replies, similar to those given by Anton Refalo and Evarist Bartolo.