The new detention centre for irregular immigrants is due to be completed next week, Parliamentary Secretary Tony Abela told Parliament yesterday.

Dr Abela was replying to a question by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

The last works, Dr Abela said, included windows and more chaining and security.

The new detention centre will house 224 illegal immigrants and these will be transferred from Lyster Barracks and the tent area.

The authorities are also looking into dividing the new centre into separate areas for groups coming from different countries, to avoid trouble, but this will cost some Lm55,000.

Although 250 irregular immigrants have been repatriated over the past weeks, there are still 1,100 immigrants in the closed centres apart from others in the open centres. And, Dr Abela added, with the onset of calmer seas, one expects more boatfuls.

Dr Abela also confirmed that only 16 former policemen or soldiers applied for the recent call for applications for a paramilitary organisation which should replace both the army and the police in the security around irregular immigrants. A new call for applications will soon be made. They will keep their pension and get paid. This should attract more former soldiers and former policemen and also those soldiers and policemen who are nearing retirement age.

Nationalist MP Mario Galea asked what steps are being taken to avoid further recurrences of the recent outbreaks by the detained irregular immigrants who spilled over to the roads near the airport. He also asked what steps are being taken against the immigrants who blocked roads, disobeyed the police orders and, Mr Galea added, also wrecked a police car.

Dr Abela said more security is being put in at the detention centres to avoid further outbreaks of the irregular immigrants out on the streets.

He added that the police (under whose responsibility anything that happens on the roads fall) acted with great prudence in the recent incidents and succeeded in persuading the immigrants to return to the detention centre. He has no information about a police car that was damaged.

Dr Abela also complained that the authorities are not being helped by the immigrants themselves for these are giving false information and saying they come from one country when they would be coming from another.

In reply to a question by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said 123 soldiers, including five officials, are detailed to guard irregular immigrants.

More compensation to consumers

The number of firms have been ordered to pay damages to consumers by the Consumer’s Tribunal in recent years is on the increase, Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea told Dr Azzopardi. There were 120 such cases in 2000, 150 in 2003 and 302 last year.

Lm16m for MCAST

Between 2002 and 2005 the government invested almost Lm16 million in MCAST: Lm12 million as recurrent expenditure and Lm3.5 million as capital expenditure. Lm378,000 of the capital expenditure came from EU programmes, Education Minister Louis Galea told Dr Azzopardi.

Football matches are unregulated

Apart from games played by the Maltese national team, both in Malta and abroad; the final of the FA Trophy; the finals of all UEFA competitions and all games in the European Nations Games and World Cup, the Broadcasting Act does not impose any obligation on the Broadcasting Authority to impose broadcasting of the same, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Labour MP Carmelo Abela.

Thus the broadcasting of games broadcast by Italian television stations does not fall under the Maltese law. With regard to the coming World Cup and the broadcasting of its games, the Broadcasting Authority is still collecting information before announcing its decision.

More drama teachers

The number of drama teachers in schools, now at 15, will be increased so that more students be helped develop their talents, Education Minister Louis Galea told Mr Abela. The schools without drama teachers are four primary and seven secondary schools

Resignations from MTA

No fewer than 19 persons have resigned from Malta Tourism Authority from January last year to last month, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech told Labour MP Evarist Bartolo.

One reached pensionable age, seven accepted an early retirement offer due to restructuring and 11 found alternative jobs.

320 ex-Denim workers found jobs

No fewer than 320 of workers formerly employed with Denim Services have found alternative employment, Education Minister Louis Galea told Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo.

Water and

electricity subsidy

The number of people who applied to get a subsidy to pay their water and electricity bills is 4,336, Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina told Labour MP Silvio Parnis.

4.500 blue stickers

Police have issued 4,588 blue stickers to denote a person with disability, Mrs Cristina told Mr Parnis.

Red and white minivans

There are 148 white mini vans and 435 red minibuses, Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett told Labour MP Charles Buhagiar.

PM’s former aide gets Lm15,000

Prime Minister Gonzi’s former communications coordinator, Alan Camilleri, got a contract worth Lm12,320 salary, a disturbance allowance of Lm1,200, a car allowance of Lm2,400, a performance bonus of up to 15 per cent of the basic salary and free telephone as the executive director of the National Euro Changeover Committee, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Mr Bartolo.

Most visit Ggantija

The most visited heritage site last year was the Ggantija Temple in Gozo, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech told Labour MP Chris Agius. No fewer than 153,000 visited the temple, the site of the oldest free standing building in the world.

Next in popularity are the State Rooms in the President’s Palace in Valletta with 148,000 visitors (although only 75,000 visited the Armoury). Hagar Qim was visited by 123,000 but nearby Mnajdra by just 49,000.

Valletta’s Museum of Archaeology, in Republic Street, was visited by 82,000, and 22,000 visited the Museum of Fine Arts in South Street.