In 2006 the Infection Control Unit at St Luke's Hospital received 703 notices of MRSA isolated in the laboratory, Health Minister Louis Deguara told Labour MP Adrian Vassallo.

The minister added this does not mean that each of these cases notified was an acute infection case, for the MRSA microbe can colonise a body without causing illness. In such cases, the minister added, the microbe can contaminate clinical samples such as urine or swabs which then result as positive.

In reply to another question by Dr Vassallo, Dr Deguara said a total of 773 patients were admitted into the ITU on a total of 841 occasions last year.

Reasons for rejection

of wind farms

Resources Minister Ninu Zammit yesterday tabled the Mott MacDonald Report on Renewable Electricity Exploitation in Malta.

The minister told Labour MP Charles Mangion that the report studied a number of sites for electricity generation from wind and the impacts associated with such ventures.

When it studied all the impacts, and considering that such a wind farm would generate only 1.06 per cent of electricity consumed in 2010, the government considered that the construction of a large scale wind farm on land is not justified, the minister said.

Four hotels, nine factories paying water and electricity rates by instalments

Only four hotels (three in Malta and one in Gozo) are paying their water and electricity bills by instalments, Minister Austin Gatt told Labour MP Noel Farrugia, and nine factories are doing the same.