The National Commission for Persons with Disability (KNPD) expressed strong reservations about a Labour Party proposal on social protection.

The proposal, approved by the party’s national conference says that “after the necessary structural changes have been carried out, part of St Luke’s will be used to house in it persons with disability who do not have the necessary support from members of their family.”

The KNPD expressed “deep preoccupation” at the fact that this resolution has been retained as a central MLP concept. “Indeed, KNPD had already voiced its concern regarding this measure when it had appeared for the first time in the MLP Draft Discussion Document Poplu b’Sahhtu, Pajjiz b’Sahhtu (A Strong People, A Strong Nation) in June 2006.

KNPD said it had always maintained that the place of all disabled people was within the very centre of the community. Over the last 20 years, it said, it had always insisted that large residential institutions for disabled persons is not the right way forward.

“Moreover,” it added, it had “always strongly recommended that where these already existed, such as Dar tal-Providenza and Mount Carmel Hospital, the facility should not be allowed to go on expanding.” Furthermore, it has advised that no new residential facilities of a similar nature should be set up.