Labour MPs block questions on Manchester Utd match tickets to tourism authority

Labour MPs on the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, blocked questions regarding football tickets for Manchester United games for use by the Malta Tourism Authority.

The objection was to questions committee chairperson Darren Carabott (PN) made to a tourism ministry official in relation to a sponsorship agreement between the MTA and Manchester Utd.

Labour MPs Glenn Bedingfield, Naomi Cachia, Amanda Spiteri Grech and Alex Muscat, agreed with scrutiny of the sponsorship agreement. But they insisted the match tickets, which were disbursed by the football club, did not concern public funds and fell outside the PAC’s remit.

“Procedurally, the match tickets, fall outside the PAC’s remit, which is to scrutinise public funds,” Bedingfield insisted.

Carabott requested information as to how many Manchester United match tickets were distributed by the MTA, who benefitted from them, how was the choice of recipients made and whether any public expenditure was involved.

Carabott insisted the provision of the match tickets came as a result of the sponsorship deal between the MTA and the English football club and thus did fall within the remit of the PAC.

With government MPs insisting this issue fell outside the PAC’s remit, a vote was taken and Carabott’s questions were effectively blocked.

Government enjoys a majority in the PAC despite this being the only parliamentary committee chaired by an Opposition MP. PN MPs Graham Bencini and Claudette Buttigieg also sit on the committee.

The commercial agreement between the MTA and Manchester United was renewed in 2022 for another five years for an undisclosed sum. Dubbed as a partnership agreement, the deal sees the VisitMalta brand receiving exposure during the club’s home matches and its digital marketing channels, social media and on the printed media.

The original agreement had been signed in 2019 and lasted for three years. Government has never disclosed how much it spent on the deal.

The PAC is scrutinising the National Audit Office’s report concerning the film industry and the Malta Film Commission. The PAC is also looking into the accounts of the authorities which fall under the ministries of tourism and Gozo for the years 2020-2024. The latter part emerges from the annual NAO report on public accounts that is distinct from the film industry report.