The Government on Tuesday failed to come up with answers to questions about the emoluments of consultants and advisers contracted by the Bruce Golding administration.

The question, which was tabled by Opposition parliamentarian Ronald Thwaites in the aftermath of revelations of questionable multimillion-dollar contracts, was due to be answered in the House of Representatives this week.

However, the much-anticipated response was not forthcoming.

List all the consultants

Thwaites had asked Minister of Finance and the Public Service Audley Shaw "to list all the consultants and advisers currently employed to the public sector and state the emoluments and perquisites paid to each as well as the tasks assigned to them".

At Tuesday's sitting, when the Government failed to signal its intention to answer the question, Thwaites, the member of parliament for Central Kingston, sought an explanation.

House Speaker Delroy Chuck suggested that the matter be put to Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who had not yet arrived at the sitting.

Not available

However, the question was not raised when the prime minister entered the chamber.

When the question was put to acting House Leader Andrew Gallimore, he said Shaw was "not available".

He promised he would seek to get a specific date when the question would be answered.

Two weeks ago, a contract between the Government and an Aubyn Hill-headed consultancy firm was the subject of much public discussion.

Last week, Golding told Parliament that the terms of government's contract with former Bank of Jamaica governor Derick Latibeaudiere had triggered a premature end to his contractual arrangement with the central bank.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com