A total of 348 people contacted Sedqa last year because of alcohol problems. The youngest was 15 years old.

Nine people were referred to Sedqa last year from government departments due to drinking problems at work.

Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina was replying to Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi.

Remote gaming

There were as many as 63 operators of remote gaming in Malta last September.

Sixteen of these had a complete licence, eight had a provisional one and 39 have a letter of intent.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was replying to Dr Azzopardi.

In 2000, only five operators had a provisional licence.

The number of pending applications last September was 34.

ETC freephone

A total of 1,334 calls, or 111 a month, were made last year to the freephone for those wanting to report illegal workers, Education Minister Louis Galea told Dr Azzopardi.

Marsascala problems

Over the past 13 months, the police had received no fewer than 239 reports of thefts in Marsascala. So far, 18 cases have been solved and 12 are already being processed by the Court.

Over the same period there were three drug busts in the same area, involving 13 people.

At the end of last year, 162 people from Marsascala were registering for work.

Ministers Tonio Borg and Louis Galea were replying to Labour MP Silvio Parnis.

KBIC

A total of 41 enterprises have received help from the Kordin Business Incubation Centre since its inception in November 2001.

They included companies, cooperatives, partnerships, the self-employed and associations.

At present there are 24 bodies at KBIC employing 120 people. Seventeen bodies have completed the incubation period. When they left KBIC they were employing 35 people.

Investments Minister Austin Gatt was replying to Labour MP Helena Dalli.