House Speaker Stanley Lowe will today explain a controversial ruling which the Opposition fear will bar MPs from questioning Ministers on anything they did in an old Parliament.

And there is mystery about who authored a press release which announced the new stance with the United Bermuda Party claiming it originated in the Premier's office.

The statement, released on Tuesday, quoted Mr. Lowe as saying: "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."

Yet Mr. Lowe indicated on Wednesday he had little to do with the statement which came from Cabinet Office.

He told The Royal Gazette:"I saw that very briefly. I can get the Clerk and she can deal with it. I think a caught a quick glimpse of the statement."

Asked outright if it was his statement he laughed and said:"I can't answer, Ican't answer. All I do is give directions and sometimes... "

After his voice trailed off he then said: "Let me have a look at it, I'll request a copy and I will call you back."

A second request about who had authored the statement was met by silence by Mr. Lowe, who then phoned back later to say nothing more would be said until today's sitting of the House.

Opposition MPTrevor Moniz, who was among a delegation of MPs to meet with Mr. Lowe, said: "We were shocked to see a press release come out.

"It's very disrespectful to the House. The Speaker issues rulings in the House, he doesn't issue rulings in e-mails to people."

The Government press release had concluded with Premier Ewart Brown saying: "It is an outright rejection by the Speaker of the Opposition's time-wasting questions about travel and the like."

It's understood e-mail had gone from the Clerk to Opposition MP Grant Gibbons saying a change was being made before the issue went public that same day.

"I suspect the Premier jumped the gun, got a preliminary position from the Speaker and stuck it into a press release," said Mr. Moniz.

"They may have been scared the Speaker was going to change his mind so thought 'we are going to stick this out there so he can't'. But his ruling will be issued in the House.

"My understanding is the Speaker neither made the press release or authorised it and in my view it is totally inappropriate."

Mr. Moniz said, in the meeting, Mr. Lowe had wanted outstanding questions about Government travel to be re-written so they only go back to December 20. "We said that's not acceptable. That's not the same question."

The UBP says there is nothing in the House rules which calls for the change while recent practice had seen questions being asked before an election and answered afterwards.

"How can what was normal in 2003 become incorrect in 2008?" asked Mr. Moniz

The UBPhas said the ruling weakens Bermuda's democracy and undermines the role of Parliament as a watchdog.

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

More than $7.4 million is set aside in this year's budget for Government travel $5 million more than the $2.2 million spent in 1998/99.

Governor Sir Richard Gozney said the new ruling was not an issue for Government House "at least at this stage".

Backbench Government MP Michael Scott said he had no concerns about the Speaker's stance and he said the point the Opposition was missing was that Ministers were not obliged to answer questions about information already in the public domain.

He said it was an abuse of the process to ask about travel over and over again but he did not think the Speaker was trying to forbid the gleaning of new information although he had no idea what the Speaker was going to say today.

Many MPs believe Mr. Lowe, who has done 40 years as an MP, will retire after getting a pension rise later this year with former Premier Jennifer Smith becoming Speaker on increased pay and benefits, Walter Lister possibly getting the Deputy Speaker role and Senator David Burch then fighting Mr. Lowe's seat in Southampton.

However, Mr. Lowe has always denied he is about to retire soon.

But improved packages for senior politicians might have to wait until several large public sector bodies had been given new pay deals with the Police, the Prison Officers, the teachers and the Bermuda Public Services Union all months or years behind with fresh contracts after failed talks with Government.