Dr Chris Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Consultation, said in a press conference that the new Parliamentary Secretariat for Public Consultation was already involved in projects of consultation.

The Secretariat is charged with ensuring that public consultation is done continuously and over a wide range.

In a press conference called by the Secretariat to explain its work so far, Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said said that in its first months, the Secretariat strengthened the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development (MCESD) and re-opened the Malta-EU Steering Action Committee ( MEUSAC). Both, he said, are important centres of national consultation.

MCESD is now holding regular meetings in order to organize consultation with social partners about economic and social issues, while MEUSAC will organize consultation about EU-proposed legislation. MEUSAC will also be responsible for provision of EU information and will also be helping the country make better use of EU funds, Dr Said said.

The Secretariat has set off a consultation process that will eventually lead to a reform of the Local Councils, and all Local Councils, NGOs and the general public will be asked to participate he said.

He went on to explain that a similar consultation process is planned with the business sector, and that this should lead to amendments to laws that are currently harmful to the sector.

Other Ministries are also involved in their own consultation processes, Dr Said said, referring to the Pre-Budget document recently compiled by the Finance Ministry as a product of such consultation, which he said should lead to policies which will be included in the 2009 Budget.