United Bermuda Party leader Kim Swan has called for a probe into how Cabinet Office insiders high-jacked the words of the Speaker in a failed attempt to shut down scrutiny of Government.

And Mr. Swan has hailed Speaker Stanley Lowe's U-turn on parliamentary questions a victory for democracy.

Yesterday Mr. Lowe reversed a previous statement which appeared to ban questions to Ministers from an old Parliament and he said they can now be resubmitted.

And he attacked a press release from Cabinet which had help start the confusion about the rule change when it emerged last month.

During an explanation to the House in which Mr. Lowe accepted some of the blame himself he told MPs: "Even more unfortunate was a most extraordinary press release from the Cabinet Office which left the mistaken impression that the Speaker had approved such a release and also unwittingly brought into question the independence and integrity of the Speaker's Office."

He concluded by saying: "I can assure all honourable members that this parliamentary democracy remains a paramount objective and that the integrity and the independent rule of the Speaker will continue to be maintained."

Mr. Swan welcomed the Speaker's ruling which he said is line with parliamentary precedent and faithful to the principles of open government.

"We do however have serious concerns about how the Speaker was forced to make his ruling and believe a public explanation is needed.

"This was clearly an intrusion into the Speaker's independence by the Premier whose Cabinet Office operatives high-jacked the words of the Speaker to shut down Opposition scrutiny of Government activities.

"This outrageous move called into question the integrity of the office of the Speaker – one of the foundations of parliamentary democracy."

Mr. Swan said it was not a trivial matter.

"In his own words he said the Cabinet Office press statement of May 27 made it possible to believe the Speaker's authority was being 'usurped', the impartiality of his office 'impugned' and its traditional role being 'eroded.'

"It appears we have a renegade element within the Cabinet Office that is willing to tamper with time-tested practices and conventions for political advantage.

"We therefore call on the Premier to explain how the May 27 press statement came to be written and who authorised the use of the Speaker's words to shut down parliamentary questions on ministerial travel."

The original statement, which had a Cabinet Office heading at the top, was e-mailed by a Department of Communications and Information officer. There has been no attempt to withdraw it since.

The statement had quoted the Speaker as saying: "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 20th, 2007."

The Premier Ewart Brown was then quoted as 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."

Probed yesterday about the release Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque said: "I think you should ask who issued the statement - I don't know. It's not a matter for me to comment on." He urged this paper to contact the DCI officer responsible - Nea Talbot.

Last night, she replied: "The statement reflected information that was communicated at the time. However, the Speaker gave further consideration and formed a more evolved opinion.

"Today, the Speaker's opinion, delivered in the House of Assembly, cleared up any confusion that may have resulted from previous public statements on this matter. As such, it appears that the matter is resolved and accordingly is closed."

Voter's Rights Association co-chairman Stuart Hayward said the Speaker's assertion of independence had done himself, his office and Bermuda's Parliament proud.

"The Speaker did make special mention of, but chose to forgive, what he termed 'a most extraordinary press release issued from the Cabinet Office' that, in effect, usurped the Speaker's independence and put words into the Speaker's mouth.

"Even if one ignores the impropriety of the Premier's Cabinet Office pre-empting the Speaker's office by issuing a press release before the Speaker had issued his ruling to Parliament, one cannot ignore that the Premier actually tried to put his own words in the Speaker's mouth.

"The Premier claimed that the Speaker's ruling 'is an outright rejection by the Speaker of the Opposition's time-wasting questions about travel and the like.' In fact, the Speaker had said no such thing."

Mr. Hayward said that given the Premier's ongoing attempts over the past several years to avoid questions about many aspects of his conduct, suspicions are heightened when he twists the Speaker's words to have the public view questions about Ministerial travel as time-wasting.

Travel costs have soared under the PLP – up to $7.4 million from $2.2 million a year when they came to power.

Mr. Hayward said: "Almost every step the Premier takes to deflect or prevent questions, and there are many, only adds to the appearance that he wants to avoid accountability at all costs. Such behaviour cannot inspire trust or confidence." He said Government often wasted time to avoid answering questions which must be done in the first hour of House sittings.

We look forward to our government giving more than lip service to openness and transparency by according a fixed Question period rather than filling up the time allotted for questions with other House business." However the Speaker, in an earlier ruling also given to MPs yesterday, said Premier Ewart Brown was within his rights when he called a halt to the debate the Hotels Concession (Coco Reef Resort) Order 2008.

The Opposition had called on Government to table the original controversial lease but Dr. Brown had put the concession order to the vote after saying: "Every time there is the implication or insinuation of something dishonest or corrupt mentioned by members of the other side, we will shut down the debate and move with the numbers."

The Speaker said the Opposition had already had its say on the matter before Dr. Brown opted to not respond but simply force a vote.