I refer to the article entitled “Huge tracts of virgin land to be sacrificed to development – 2” by Gerald Fenech (TMIS, 11 June).

According to the article, some sites have been left out because there were no new applications for development in these areas. However, the government spokesman was also quoted as saying, “In other instances, where a request was received for only part of an infill pocket, all the infill pocket was included if it qualified from all the criteria, including that part for which no request was received.”

Furthermore, the spokesman went on to state, “It is the government’s view that, even if not fully compliant with the criteria, (certain) sites should be included.”

Why have specific, official criteria if, by the government’s own admission, various exceptions can be made to such rules?

Marc Mifsud

MOSTA