Franco Debono presents motion on St Philip’s Hospital

Backbencher Franco Debono this evening presented the clerk of the House with a motion calling for the suspension of the negotiation process over the acquisition of the St Philip's Hospital as to give time to the Auditor General - or the Public Accounts Committee - to scrutinise the process.

"I am not saying there is something wrong with the process or the acquisition. I am just saying that parliament, as the supreme authority it is, should be able to scrutinise and be presented with all the relevant information over this case," Debono told MaltaToday.

Justifying his decision to move a motion on the acquisition of the hospital - owned by former PN candidate Frank Portelli - Debono says the Nationalist government had "degenerated into a coalition with its own MP, while another one [himself] has expressed serious reserves over his support".

He adds that the Health Ministry under the leadership of Minister Joe Cassar and Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea have "suffered serious criticism by the media, the patients and consultants".

"Moreover, parliament was never presented with detailed and sufficient information over the acquisitions negotiations government held with the hospital's owners. The €12 million paid for the acquisition for an eight-year period were first announced by the media."

Debono also questions the timing of when the agreement was reached: "The process was finalised now that general election is so close. This in itself is raising several questions by the public as to whether it could be an electoral gimmick, paid for by the taxpayers' money and binds future administrations."

He adds that parliament had never been "formally informed" over the negotiation process and it was not known whether the opinion of the Auditor General or the House Business Committee was taken into consideration.

The motion goes on to call for a "radical reform" of the parliament's standing orders as to reflect the realities of a modern European parliament. Debono said standing orders should safeguard the rights of minorities in parliament and of individual members to see that motions they present are brought before the House and debated.

A third call made in the motion is for a "radical constitutional reform" that strengthens parliament as an institution that scrutinises government and the setting up of a legislation that regulates government's work during the last months of its legislature.

The final call of the motion insists on an urgent debate over the party financing bill, presented in parliament in January: "In view of the total lack of regulation of political parties, the impression is that political parties are over and above such a law."

The finance and health ministries on Monday announced the agreement with the owners of St Philip's Hospital on the lease arrangement of the same hospital for a period of eight years.
 
Government has an option to buy the facility, at the end of every year, from the third year up to the eighth year.

The purchase value after three years, inclusive of all lease payments, has been calculated on the final negotiated price of €12.4 million, with the first option to buy at year 3 starting from around €11.3 million to €9.8 million on the eight year.

The annual lease cost starts from €825,000 per annum.

Following an expression of interest issued by the owners of St. Philip's Hospital, the health ministry expressed interest in acquiring the hospital which allows for the occupation of the facilities without the need for any major infrastructural works. Following extensive negotiations with the owners by a joint negotiating team between the finance and health ministries, agreement was reached.

The original asking price was of €20 million.