Interior Minister Tonio Borg yesterday officially opened the new headquarters of Attard Scouts group, which is housed in what was previously the old abattoir.

The building was handed over to the Scouts on lease by the government two years ago. Dr Borg said that he was pleased to be present at such an occasion, adding that these were becoming frequent, in view of the fact that in recent years the government has handed over a considerable number of properties to NGOs.

“The government truly believes that both local councils and NGOs are able to make better use of certain properties in the government’s possession,” he said.

There are a host of examples that could be mentioned, from gardens to mills, heritage buildings and even shelters, which the government has handed over to local councils or NGOs.

This policy translated itself into the development and quality upkeep of sites and buildings which were previously abandoned, not to mention the added value given to the community through the organisations operating from within these buildings, he added.

Speaking of the Boy Scouts, he made reference to the World Day Against Child Labour, organised by the International Labour Organisation – with which the scouts have a long-standing relationship.

Luckily, such exploitation is alien to Malta, he said, and for the most part, children spend their days in school, playing or taking part in extra curricular or community activities such as those offered by scouts group.

However, said Dr Borg, this should not distract developed countries from tackling the problems of child labour that face the developing nations.