Mr Mugliett said he has been informed that plans for City Gate and the terminus are blocked for the time being. As regards shelters for the horses, ADT has applied for various shelters around Valletta and is expecting a reply from Mepa. It does not look like there will be adequate space at City Gate for horse shelters.

Mr Agius also suggested more benches be put in the area where coaches park so that these could be used by people waiting for coaches. However, Mr Mugliett replied that street furniture, including benches, fall under the responsibility of the local councils. ADT will not object if a similar request is made.

Adoptions

A total of 48 children were adopted last year: 16 were adopted from Malta and 14 from Ethiopia.

Thirty-two were adopted in 2003, including 10 from Pakistan and 9 from Malta.

Thirty-three were adopted in 2002, including 15 from Malta and 10 from Romania while only 16 children were adopted in 2001 with seven coming from Pakistan.

Replying to Marie Louise Coleiro’s question, Family Minister Dolores Cristina said that of the nine families who were in the process of adopting a child from Romania when this was blocked, there are still three families hoping to adopt a Romanian child.

No same sex marriages

Government has no intention of legalising same sex marriages since this is incompatible with the Marriage Act which only permits marriage between two persons of opposite sex, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg told Stefan Buontempo.

In reply to a further question by Mr Buontempo, who asked if persons who have had a sex change and changed their ID Card can be married civilly, Dr Borg replied that although the Laws of Malta do not define what marriage is, another section in our law defines marriage as between a man and woman.

Alleged sexual harassment in Canberra embassy

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said he is not aware that the person who claimed to have been sexually harassed at the Maltese embassy in Canberra has been offered severance pay, by a high official of the embassy, so that the case may be dropped.

Dr Frendo was replying to Leo Brincat.

Boy hurt at Gnejna

The nine year old boy who was walking with his mother at Gnejna when he was struck by boulders and huge rocks was not in the area which had just been inspected and declared as dangerous, Resources Minister Ninu Zammit said.

The minister showed by means of a map how the area declared as dangerous was much nearer Gnejna Bay while the site where the boy was hurt is further out.

Fort Delimara

The government is in negotiations with the resident of Fort Delimara to get it back into the government’s hands, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg told Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

Dr Pullicino Orlando said the fort is in a dilapidated state.

Schoolgirl mothers

There are 42 schoolgirl mothers-to-be who are attending the three meetings a week programme, 24 who are attending for counselling and 30 who are attending the mother and baby support group.

A further 15 mothers-to-be are not attending school, education Minister Louis Galea told Adrian Vassallo.

No prostitutes in Gozo

The police have not charged anybody on prostitution charges in Gozo from 2000 until today, Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg told Stefan Buontempo.

Freeport debts

The Freeport debts have not been assumed by the government as state debts, investments Minister Austin Gatt told Charles Mangion, who had claimed that Freeport’s debts amount to Lm105 million.

6,000 plus enforcement notices

The pending enforcement notices by Mepa amount to 6,154, Environment Minister George Pullicino told Roderick Galdes.

From January to 15 October, 16 direct actions affecting 31 enforcement notices have been carried out.