PN MP David Agius questioned Prime Minister Joseph Muscat why he had taken the decision to use his personal car and personally pocket 7,000 euros a year as a result.

Dr Muscat said that he was told that he had a right to a car, same as his predecessor Lawrence Gonzi.

He said that the use of his predecessor’s car, a BMW, would have run into the thousands of euros due to repair costs, and was advised that it is not sustainable to use it. He said he was given another option to purchase another car, which would have also run into thousands of euros.

Dr Muscat said that he asked for a second alternative and was told about the 7,000 euro a year allowance he would receive if he used his personal car.

“I felt that in the interest of the nation, it was the best option to use my personal car since it’s the cheapest option," he said.

PN leader Simon Busuttil suggested that he could have used the 35,000 euros (the total amount Dr Muscat would receive by the end of the five-year legislature) to purchase a new car and have it paid over a period of five years.

Dr Muscat joked that he wouldn’t have mind using a bicycle to attend parliament instead.

Dr Busuttil said that it’s unbecoming for a prime minister to use his personal car, accusing Dr Muscat of opting to personally pocket the money.

Dr Muscat reiterated that the 7,000 euros a year the public is paying is the least expensive option.

Dr Busuttil asked if once Dr Muscat's gesture was so noble, why didn’t his Cabinet ministers follow suit, prompting Dr Muscat to reply by saying that they could choose any one from a number of options that exist in the same way “I was given the option to use my personal car instead”.

Dr Muscat pointed out that he pays his car insurance cover.