Labour MP Adrian Vassallo asked Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg how many hunters had their names taken down by the police after the directive which told police not to take immediate steps against those caught breaking the law until discussions with the hunters’ associations were going on.

Dr Borg replied that there were 80 cases where the police did not take immediate steps while talks were ongoing with the associations. These cases are now being appointed for hearings in court, the minister said.

Gastro-enteritis in hospital

Health Minister Louis Deguara confirmed yesterday that 45 patients and two employees were found to be suffering from gastro-enteritis between 10 and 12 November.

The minister was replying to a question by Labour MP Michael Farrugia.

Doctors and specialists and Maltese

The Medical Council has asked that, in a general way, doctors who want to register to practice in Malta must know both English and Maltese to ensure good communication between the doctor and the public and thus a good level of medical service.

If a doctor is going to work in a government hospital, where the council is assured that the doctor does not know Maltese but knows English, and there are interpreters to be called in as needed, the council issues a licence.

In a parallel reply, the minister added that it is only when a doctor cannot be found who knows Maltese that a doctor who knows English is chosen.

This regards calls for applications by the Health Division. The division does not have any discretion on the recruitment of doctors in the private sector. The minister was replying to questions by Labour MP Silvio Parnis.

Tower Street, Msida

A suggestion that Tower Street, Msida be turned into a one-way street due to the frequent traffic bottlenecks has been turned down by ADT, Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett told Labour MP Leo Brincat.

ADT’s Road Management Section suggested an alternative to the local council: to allow parking on only one side of the street.

The PBS cassette that was late

The reason why the SBS News in Sydney did not broadcast the Maltese-language news cassette it usually receives from PBS was due to the non-arrival of the said cassette, Investment, Industry and IT Minister Austin Gatt told Mr Brincat.

PBS usually sends its cassette on Friday mornings and three days later, this cassette arrives in Sydney and is broadcast on the following Sunday. But in this case, the cassette left Malta with TNT Couriers on 6 November and, due to a human error, arrived in Sydney on 14 November. TNT has promised there will not be a repeat of this error.