From Mr C. Buhagiar A&CE, MP

I refer to the article entitled “Labour’s ‘papal’ change” (TMIS, 23 July). In the last paragraph you stated that in one particular case Mr Buhagiar insisted that a wedge of land between the Mater Dei Hospital and the university be included without declaring he was the architect of the application regarding this site.

This statement is completely false.

At no time during the debate at committee stage regarding the resolution for inclusion of more land within the building schemes boundaries did I refer to this land.

What I insisted and still insist on is that the site of the Mater Dei Hospital, which is a project covered with a development permit and hence qualifies as a development and which site touches the scheme boundaries, should be included in the boundaries of the scheme. My insistence is based on the fact that development boundaries are meant to confine permitted development. Therefore, since such a development adjoins the scheme boundaries it should also be included. As the Mater Dei Hospital occupies a site as large as a small village, its inclusion would give a more realistic figure for the percentage of area considered suitable for development, thus the percentage of additional land for development would rise from 2.3 per cent to circa 2.8 per cent.

The area between the Mater Dei Hospital and the university was not mentioned by myself but by Minister Austin Gatt. Indeed, another member of the committee on the government side queried why this area should not also be included in the development boundaries. I opted to keep out of this discussion because some three years ago a client of ours had submitted an application this land.

Hence there is absolutely no truth in the alleged conflict of interest for the simple reason I never mentioned this land during the debate.

I would have thought that prior to printing such incorrect allegations you would have had the decency to examine the transcript of the debate at the committee stage.

You obviously did not do so and in my opinion this is a very serious shortcoming by a newspaper that claims to be serious and independent.

Charles Buhagiar

Shadow Minister for Roads, Transport, Public Works and Capital Projects

ATTARD