The Housing Authority has advised residents of 11/9 Melita Street and three apartments in Block 3 Carmelites Street in Valletta to leave their residences as the buildings have structural problems. It will be offering them alternative residences for which the lease up to a maximum level will be paid by the authority until the Department for Social Accommodation provides them with alternative residences, Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina told Labour MP Stefan Buontempo.

Why a foreign engineer?

Labour MP Leo Brincat asked Investments Minister Austin Gatt what sense it made for Air Malta to recruit a foreign engineer for the same section as the one where Maltese engineers had left due to early retirement.

Dr Gatt promised a reply soon.

Elderly people on waiting list

There are 1,225 elderly people on waiting lists for homes for the elderly and 544 on the waiting list for St Vincent de Paule, Health Minister Louis Deguara told Labour MP Silvio Parnis.

Gozo Channel shedding crew

Almost as many ship captains have resigned from Gozo Channel as seamen, according to information provided by Minister Gatt to Labour MP Justyne Caruana. Over the past two years, since March 2005, four captains and five seamen have resigned, together with three chief engineers.

Speed camera tickets

The two speed cameras on the Regional Road (one is now out of commission due to roadworks), and the camera in Pembroke, resulted in tickets being sent to 31,574 vehicle owners between June 2005 and last March, Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett told Labour MP Carmelo Abela.

The two cameras on the Mriehel By-Pass and the two on the Zebbug bypass have caught 12,695 vehicle owners over the same period and the one camera formerly at Xemxija and today at Burmarrad has caught out 3,503, while the sole

camera in Attard caught 358.