Rosie Charalambous

Out of date at Parliament

By Rosie Charalambous Published on February 13, 2011
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As a journalist, if I want to know which MP to contact for a comment on something I usually start at the Parliamentary website, which has a page listing the members of the various Parliamentary committees.

Imagine my surprise this week when I called the Chairman of one such committee only to be told that he no longer held that post (and hadn’t for some time). “But it lists you on the website” I said. “Oh, that’s out of date” came the reply!

Now, I’m not sure who is responsible for keeping these things up to date (I have a feeling it might be a very well paid civil servant), but surely someone at the House of Representatives checks these things?

If a website isn’t going to be kept up to date then there’s little point in it being there at all. Indeed, it’s far worse having incorrect information than having no information – especially when it purports to come from the very people who should know.

The European elections took place in 2009, yet MEP Eleni Theocharous is still listed as the Chairman of one committee and a member of another. Heaven knows how many other inaccuracies there are, but it shows the House of Representatives up as a slipshod outfit.