By the end of January there were 64 claims for the consideration of a humanitarian exemption from the electricity surcharge, Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina told Labour MP Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.
Of these applications, 27 have been accepted, 27 rejected and 13 cases are still being considered.
Minister Cristina said the committee which considers such applications, has Alfred Portelli as its head and is made up of Dr Louis Bonnici, Dr Victoria Farrugia and, until 2 February, Jesmond Schembri. Marvic Cordina is the secretary.
The approved criteria for the exemption are: a member of the family is suffering from an illness or medical condition which requires excessive use of water or electricity; the entire income of the family does not surpass Lm13,270.
Spending on stationery and leases
While the Foreign Office in Malta spent Lm14,000 on stationery and the embassies abroad spent Lm20,000 last year, the Culture and Tourism Ministry spent Lm101,000 on lease of property including Lm65,000 spent abroad on lease of MTA offices.
Ministers Michael Frendo and Francis Zammit Dimech were replying to a series of identical questions by Labour MP Noel Farrugia.
Speed cameras question answered by… reply on property leases
A question by Nationalist MP Joseph Cassar whether the Urban Development and Roads Minister considers the urgency of installing speed cameras on the Mosta to Mgarr road considering the excessive speed with which some drivers drive there, the reply on the parliamentary website put in under the name of Minister Mugliett, was a reply given by Minister Francis Zammit Dimech to a Noel Farrugia question on the property leases of the ministry.
This was not the only mistake in the usually meticulously prepared parliamentary replies. A long question by Mario Galea on President Buttigieg Road in Zejtun was given a short reply by Minister Mugliett only for the very long question to be repeated once again.
Lm36 cost to change cash registers
There is no need for businesses to change cash registers due to the introduction of the euro and the government will be distributing euro conversion tables to be given out by shops to their clients.
But there are cases where cash registers would need to change the prices from Maltese liri to euros. This, according to Labour MP Karl Chircop can cost between Lm30 and Lm36 for each cash register.
Replying to Dr Chircop’s question, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this change must be paid for by the outlet owner himself, such as was done when VAT was increased from 15 to 18 per cent. The government is working on a tax credit system for those who would want to change their cash register.
Children born to irregular immigrants
Between 2002 and 2006 a total of 48 babies have been born to irregular immigrants in the detention centres, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg told Labour MP Silvio Parnis. While only three babies were born in 2005, 10 were born in 2006 and 2004, 12 in 2003 and 13 in 2002.
Work permits
No fewer than 4,064 applications for work permits involving third country nationals were submitted during 2006. Of these, 834 applications were submitted by Malta Shipyards and 426 by Mater Dei. The number of people whose applications were accepted in 2006 but rejected in January this year amounted to 32. Among the reasons for this were: the applicants did not have any commencement of work form filled in; they did not have a job as considered by the Work Act; they did not justify the need for their job or there were Maltese or EU citizens who could do that job.
Education Minister Louis Galea was replying to Labour MP Gavin Gulia.