Helena Dalli, Labour Party spokesperson for the public service and public investments, denied a claim by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech in parliament, that he had sent Ms Dalli at the end of 2007 a report which said that the way forward for the Malta Shipyards was privatisation.

She said that in two meetings she had on 13 and 18 July last year, at the head of a delegation, with representatives of the shipyard, led by the chairman, and which the Prime Minister wanted to be kept confidential, there had been no indication, or reference made, to privatisation of the yard.

The terms of reference of the meetings were limited to considering productivity and whether this had affected the yard’s financial results, as the government was claiming.