The Speaker of the House of Assembly has quashed unanswered questions about Government travel left over from the last session of Parliament in a move the Opposition UBP claims 'weakens democracy'.

The announcement comes just days after Premier Ewart Brown "shut down" a Parliamentary debate saying Government will do the same "every time there is the implication or insinuation of something dishonest or corrupt" by the Opposition.

He made the remarks despite Opposition calls for Government to table the lease on the Coco Reef resort, saying it was a matter of public interest to say what was in the lease before it could consider a hotels concession order for the same property.

Then, in a press release from Cabinet Office late Tuesday, Speaker Stanley Lowe said any previous questions posed in the form of Parliamentary Questions will not receive a forum on the floor of the House.

The release said issues raised in recent sittings include queries relate to Government travel.

Mr. Lowe said: "From a Parliamentary perspective, we have conceded to the fact that this is a new Parliament and as such, all matters, proceedings etc. which were pending prior to the prorogation of Parliament on May 9, are quashed. In that vein, Ministers will not be required or obligated to respond to the questions put on Ministerial travel prior to December 20, 2007."

The press release concluded with Premier Ewart Brown saying: "The floor of the House is where substantive debate is supposed to occur.

"It is an outright rejection by the Speaker of the Opposition's time-wasting questions about travel and the like."

Asked to clarify the statement attributed to him last night Mr. Lowe said he had only briefly caught a quick glimpse of it and he wanted to look at it again before explaining it.

He did not say who had written the statement and he later called back to say he would be making a ruling on Friday and could not say any more.

In a statement last night, leader of the United Bermuda Party, Kim Swan, said he and two other UBP MPs, Cole Simons and Trevor Moniz, met with Mr. Lowe to express their concerns. "It is our understanding that he has taken the matter under consideration for a ruling on Friday," said Mr. Swan.

He said the press release issued by the Cabinet Office quoting the Speaker was one "we disagree with in its entirety because it weakens our democracy".

He added: "We have investigated Parliamentary rules and procedures and find no foundation for the 'suspension of Parliamentary questions', as stated in the press release. In the meantime, it is important to be clear about what is at stake.

"Shutting down questions to ministers narrows the opportunities to hold a government to account for its actions and decisions. Indeed, we believe the Cabinet Office release has already undermined the role of Parliament as a watchdog.

"As things stand, it appears the Speaker will disallow any questions about government activities from any earlier Parliamentary session, even though government business is a continuing and ongoing concern whether Parliament is in session or not. This is unacceptable and completely against the flow of precedent and more open government."

According to the UBP, the rule book governing Parliamentary rules and procedures, Erskine and May, does not impose any such restriction on Parliamentary questions.

They said its only concern on the matter was to prevent the repetition of Parliamentary questions within the same session. The UBP said that Erskine and May stated: "A question shall not refer to debates or answers to questions in the current session."

Mr. Swan added: "We are further concerned that Parliamentary precedent is being ditched in the rejection of questions related to ministerial travel prior to December 20, 2007.

"Questions spanning Government activities over two Parliamentary sessions have been answered in the past as a matter of routine by Government ministers, including the Premier and the Deputy Premier. But the statement would put a stop to that.

"This is a matter where an out-of-the-blue Cabinet Office press statement is narrowing open government and dicing with time-tested parliamentary procedures and precedent.

"Our democracy is not something to be trifled with. The Speaker is one of its protectors and we look forward to his ruling on Friday."

Former Clerk to the Legislature John Gilbert, who handled hundreds of questions in 14 years as Clerk to the Legislature, said there was nothing to stop an MP asking a new question about the same issue but MPs could not ask exactly the same question in the same annual session.

"But there is nothing to stop asking a question asked ten years ago. I think it is rather strange. I cannot understand why the Speaker has made this ruling but I don't want to question him of course."

One Government MP said it was a non-issue and the Opposition could re-table its questions again if they were that important. The MP, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "It's basically a parliamentary procedural matter which at the end of the day comes down to the ruling of the Speaker and he's made a ruling.

"That is how Parliament has always worked it comes down to the Speaker. People are trying to make it more than it is."

The Parliamentary Questions from the United Bermuda Party enquire about the number of trips made at the taxpayers' expense made by several ministers and they require itemised costs and lists of those who accompanied the ministers.

Travel has long been a thorny issue with the UBP previously revealing through parliamentary questions last year that Premier Ewart Brown and his entourage spent more than $280,000 of taxpayers' money on overseas trips in a ten-month period.

Dr. Brown racked up a $23,000 hotel bill during a one-week stay in London – an average of nearly $4,000 a night while his companions on his 16 trips cost a total of $130,000, while the Premier himself spent $155,000.

The Premier's most expensive outing was a seven-day Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) in London, which cost $36,000 for himself and $21,000 for his companions Mr. Simmons, Mr. Caines and Civil Service head Kenneth Dill.

Budget statistics collected over the last decade also show Government's travel expenditure has trebled.

More than $7.4 million was set aside in this year's budget, $5 million more than the $2.2 million spent in 1998/99.

Figures show a steady increase in travel spending since the mid-1990s, with a sharp rise over the past two or three years.