Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia encouraged government and the Opposition to reach an agreement on when the seven pending PN private members' bills would be presented in Parliament, in a ruling he gave on Tuesday.

Speaking in Parliament, Farrugia spoke in reference to PN Whip Robert Cutajar's statement on Monday, where he said that the Opposition and Government had failed to reach an agreement on when the seven pending PN private members' bills would be tabled for a first reading in Parliament, some of which dating back to 2022.

Cutajar said that the first reading of these bills have yet to be presented due to government's incompetence. In response, government Whip Naomi Cachia had suggested that the Opposition indicates which bills it would like to present, remarking that seven bills presented by the Opposition on Parliament's agenda did not make sense.

Farrugia in his ruling quoted Parliamentary procedure which says that it is the government's prerogative as to when a motion is tabled in Parliament, and said that the PN has the option of utilising its day of when it can present a motion, Thursday, to present the private members' bills.

Farrugia said he understood the Opposition's position on the seven bills.

He quoted the procedure done in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, where several opportunities exist for the Opposition or any Member of Parliament to present their bills in any sitting they wish.

The Speaker ruled that he does not feel the need to enter into the merits of the private members' bills, and encouraged both sides of the house to reach an agreement of when these pending first reading motions will be presented.

The seven PN private members' bills include a bill aimed at making it easier for people to contest government decisions in court, another aims to consolidate and expand the law on judicial review.

Another bill is the reduction of food waste bill, the PN's environment bill, the recommendations of the Daphne Caruana Galizia inquiry, a bill on sexual harassment in the workplace, and one on the European Convention.

PN Whip Robert Cutajar has said that since the Maltese Parliament follows along that of the UK Parliament, the PN does not understand how in this case, government is failing from presenting the first readings of the PN's bills.