Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1386209
9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 JUNE 2021 NEWS THE Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has launched a set of guidelines to regulate government advertising and promotional ma- terial published by public entities. The main purpose of the guide- lines is to avoid having ministers spending public funds on person- al or political publicity. Apart from serving as guidelines for public figures, the guidelines have been launched so as to pro- vide clarity on the Commission- er's line of reasoning when decid- ing on case reports. Public spending on promotion- al adverts became a hot topic af- ter the Commissioner ruled that Minister Carmelo Abela breached the code of ethics for ministers and parliamentary secretaries through a €7,000 government advertising campaign paid by his ministry. In his report, the Commission- er concludes that the advert was "clearly intended to boost the im- age of Minister Carmelo Abela rather than provide any informa- tion of value to the general pub- lic, given the prominence of the photograph and the absence of informative content on the work of the minsitry". He added that, by the Ministry's own admission, the use of public funds for the advertisement was approved by "the Public Service", meaning career public officers serving in his ministry. The guidelines cover govern- ment advertising and paid-for ar- ticles published in the media. All leaflets, postcards, gift items and audiovisual material broad- cast on television or social media that are paid for through pub- lic funds will be subject to these guidelines. No partisan content will be al- lowed on these media, while the names or photos of ministers will not be permitted on government adverts. A brochure or other document that is not promotional but is is- sued by a government body may include content referring to a minister, provided that such con- tent is strictly limited and contrib- utes to the legitimate aims of the document. The guidelines are still at draft stage, and will be subject to con- sultation before they are applied by the Commissioner's Office in its operations. All stakeholders, including po- litical parties, government entities and the general public are invited to contribute to the process by sending a letter to the Commis- sioner's Office or by contacting the office directly at office@stand- ardscommissioner.com. The consultation period will close on Friday 23 July, after which the Commissioner will re- vise these guidelines in light of the new submissions. The final gidelines will be pub- lished through the website of the Standards Commissioner. No minister names or photos to be allowed in government adverts The Standards Commissioner is launching new advertising guidelines following controversy over Carmelo Abela's €7,000 ministerial advert Minister Carmelo Abela was found to have breached the code of ethics for ministers and parliamentary secretaries through a €7,000 government advertising campaign paid by his ministry JAMES DEBONO THE Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage is in the final stag- es of scheduling the Sacred Heart school and convent, granting them greater protection from ad- jacent property developments in an area now targeted by property and hotel developments. The scheduling will still require the final stamp of approval of the Planning Authority following the recommendation of the SCH. In this case the scheduling of the building was requested by the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, a body chaired by the Superintendent which scrutinizes planning applications. The scheduling would not only conserve the school and convent complex, but also impact on any development proposed in its vi- cinity. This is because any develop- ment proposed in the vicinity of the school will have to be assessed according to stricter criteria intro- duced last year by planning minis- ter Aaron Farrugia, which require the presentation of photomon- tages to assess the visual impact on the neighbouring scheduled property. A seven-storey hotel has been recently proposed 10 meters away from the school, just across the road from one of the school's gates. The Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage has already ex- pressed its concern that the height proposed for the hotel would set an "undesired precedent" for ex- cessive height in this area and would negatively impact on the convent/school complex. The Society of the Sacred Heart established itself in Malta in 1903 when its schools and convents were confiscated by the French government. The nuns first estab- lished themselves in Villa Portelli, at Sliema, where they also opened their first school before moving to a new school in St Julian's four years later. In 1944 they started a training college for female teach- ers at St Julian' s. St Julian's mayor Albert Butt- igieg is objecting to a proposed 23-room 'guesthouse' over sev- en storeys, opposite one of the entrances of the Sacred Heart school. Apart from warning that this would result in a "pencil devel- opment" and the creation of two massive blank party walls, the mayor warned against the com- mercialisation of the residential area, flagging a "policy loophole" which permits guesthouses in ar- eas where hotels are not allowed. "What is the difference between a guesthouse and a hotel?" the mayor asked, adding that "expe- rience shows that there is none." He noted that the hotel will only have two parking spaces, warning this would exacerbate parking problems in the area in a road presently used by school vans and parents' cars. He said the new hotel would fur- ther result in the loss of the area's identity and would jar with the ar- chitecture of the school itself. As proposed, the development by Joseph Chetcuti, the develop- ment will include a reception and breakfast area at ground floor, 23 rooms on six overlying floors, one of which receded and a pool at roof level. An indoor pool and gym will be located in an excavat- ed basement. Sacred Heart school to be granted protection