Surprisingly, the highest amount of VAT refunds owed does not relate to this year, for which a mere Lm4.8 million is owed to 21,000 taxpayers, but for 1998, for which government owes Lm11 million to 20,000 taxpayers.

In reply to another question, the minister said that Lm12.9 million in tax refunds has been paid to 11,00 taxpayers this year. A further Lm6 million is estimated to be paid before the end of the year.

676 struck off

A total of 676 people were struck off the first and the second part of the Unemployed Register between January and July, said Education Minister Louis Galea.

He told Jason Azzopardi that 214 had been caught working and registering at the same time, 279 had refused an opportunity of work and 183 had refused an opportunity to be trained.

In the same period, 12,800 people ceased registering as unemployed.

Fines still due

The sum of Lm1 million is still outstanding for fines imposed by the Law Courts but not yet paid, Justice Minister Tonio Borg told Jason Azzopardi.

This amount refers to fines imposed this year, since only Lm238,000 has been paid.

As regards fines outstanding from earlier years, the amount of Lm106,000 is still unpaid in respect of 1999, Lm74,000 for 2000, Lm199,000 for 2001, Lm179,000 for 2002 and Lm508,000 for last year.

Stolen from museums

Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech gave Adrian Vassallo details of items that have been stolen from Maltese museums over the past five years.

He listed a small marble statue of an angel stolen from the Arts Museum in 2000, a Giuseppe Grech painting of Grand Master de Rohan stolen from the same museum in 2001, a 16th century steel lance head stolen at 2pm from the Palace Armoury in 2003, a moon rock exhibit stolen from the Natural History Museum in Mdina in 2004 and an Air Force World War I bicycle headlamp which was stolen last July.

None of these objects have been found or returned.

Hotels closures and openings

Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech gave a list of hotels which have closed and others which have opened over the past four years.

In 2000, three hotels (two three-star, with 443 beds and one two-star with 150 beds) closed. Two hotels were opened, both four-star, with 482 beds in total.

In 2001, six hotels closed down. These were two three-star hotels, with 198 beds, and four two-star hotels, with 387 beds. Three hotels were opened, two four-star, with 982 beds, and one three-star, with 56 beds.

In 2002, five hotels closed down, all three-star, with 1,236 beds. Three hotels, all four-star, were opened, with 589 beds.

In 2003, six hotels closed down: two were four-star, with 526 beds, two were three-star, with 202 beds and two were two-star, with 135 beds. Three hotels were opened, one a five-star, with 902 beds and two three-star, with 324 beds.

This year four hotels have closed: one was four-star, with 80 beds, and three were three-star, with 304 beds. Only one hotel has been opened: it is a four-star hotel with 88 beds.