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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 JULY 2014 3 News Over €450,000 in parking fines owed by Malta High Commission to UK MIRIAM DALLI THE Malta High Commission in the United Kingdom owes Transport for London a whopping €453,950 (£360,225) in parking fines for a total 3,087 parking offences by the Maltese diplomatic mission. The information was tabled in the House of Commons by the Parlia- mentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mark Simmonds. The information relates to the value of unpaid Congestion Charge debt in- curred by the diplomatic missions and international organisations in London. The fee was introduced in February 2003 and the outstanding fines were calculated until 31 December, 2013. Collectively, Transport for Lon- don should collect £75,365,182 – €94,999,300 – from diplomatic mis- sions and international organisations in the UK. Countries however insist that dip- lomatic immunity covers the conges- tion charge. According to a report by the BBC in 2013, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said the department considered the congestion charge "a service rendered" under diplomatic rules, though legal immunity means diplomats cannot be prosecuted for non-payment. The US Embassy alone owes the UK £8,172,245 (€10,310,367). In 2012, UK media reported that Foreign Secretary William Hague – who just yesterday stepped down from the post – said the Foreign Office had tried to persuade the diplomats to set- tle their debts. "Although diplomats are entitled to immunity from criminal prosecu- tions, they are still expected to obey the law," Hague had said. Minister defends aide's role on AFM promotions board MIRIAM DALLI THE deputy chief of staff at the Ministry for Home Affairs sits on the promotions board of the Armed Forces of Malta to act as "minis- try liaison", Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said yesterday. Bonnici was replying to questions tabled in parliament, on behalf of Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia. The matter, which sparked controversy among the Nationalist Opposition last year, was raised by Jason Azzopardi, the PN's spokes- man on home affairs. Bonnici admitted that Ramona Attard does not enjoy military ex- pertise but was chosen due to her high position in the Ministry for Home Affairs. "She knows how the AFM works on a daily basis, because it is her job to know what the opera- tions of the army are," he said. In the written reply, the Home Af- fairs Minister said all board mem- bers are senior officials with differ- ent responsibilities in the ministry and are therefore familiar with the AFM's operations. "The board, which includes the AFM Commander, is very similar to how the board was composed in 2011 and 2013. The difference is that now it includes representatives of the Home Affairs, whereas before it included representatives of the Office of the Prime Minister who at the time was responsible for the army," Mallia said. Fielding various questions by Azz- opardi and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil on Attard's qualifications to assess candidates, Bonnici said the board included military experts. "It would have been a wrong deci- sion if the board was only made up of [Attard]. But the board is made up of various members with military expertise and she is the ministry's liaison," Bonnici said, when asked whether he agreed with Attard's ap- pointment. "Placing her on the board was a good decision because ultimately it is the minister who shoulders the responsibility for decisions taken and it is imperative that the min- ister, or his representative, is at the centre of decisions." Bonnici said he was convinced that Attard "had the national interest at heart" and decisions taken ref lect this. He also reiterated that Attard's appointment should be evaluated in conjunction with the other experts sitting on the board. MCAST students working at Skola Sajf paid €5.66 an hour EDUCATION Minister Evarist Bar- tolo has tabled in parliament a copy of the different contracts of services awarded to workers employed at Skola Sajf and Klabb 3-16 centres. All contracts are on a part-time basis. Centre coordinators receive €8.35 per hour; Child support workers are paid €6.88 per hour; and Play- workers are paid €5.75 per hour. All categories also get any bonuses and any other benefits to which they are entitled. All workers are expected to work up to a maximum of 30 hours per week. Service hours are between 7am and 5.30pm. In the case of MCAST students – of whom at least 560 students were engaged – they receive an hourly rate of €5.66 together with any bo- nuses and any other benefits to which they are entitled. The students must work the same hours as the other workers. None of those employed to work within the Skola Sajf and Klabb 3-16 initiatives was registering for work with the Employment and Training Corporation. The ratio of adults to children is 1:15 for children aged between 3 and 5 and 1:20 for children aged 6 and over. Children with disability or those who require support will be assisted by a Child Supporter Worker. Based on budgetary estimates, €380,000 were allocated for the administration of Skola Sajf and €130,000 for Klabb 3-16. During his intervention in parlia- ment, Bartolo made it clear he was still irked by the way the opening of the centres was handled. "The preparations were extremely weak ... I prefer working with peo- ple who inform me of problems instead of insisting everything was fine," Bartolo said, in clear reference to the Foundation for Educational Services (FES). The Education Minister added that the centres have now entered into their third day "and the major- ity of the problems have been ad- dressed". Police officer can be a referee, but not a coach MEMBERS of the Police Corps who dream of coaching football- ers or any other sports activities are not allowed to do so, given that the nature of the role is "au- tomatically partial ". But those interested in becom- ing referees – on a voluntary ba- sis – would have no problem in doing so since the nature of that job requires the referee to be in- dependent and impartial. The information was given in parliament by Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia in reply to questions tabled by Opposi- tion MP Jason Azzopardi. Azzopardi asked whether a po- lice officer could coach a foot- ball or any other sports team and whether a police officer can serve as a president or official of a football or other sports club. "Since coaching constitutes an activit y of a partial nature, it is not permissible for police offic- ers to act as coaches. The same applies for officers who wish to serve in sports committees," Mallia said in reply. But the same argument does not apply if a police officer wants to serve as a referee. "A referee must be independ- ent and impartial and therefore there is nothing wrong if a police officer wants to practise this ac- tivit y… as long as it is on a volun- tary basis and in his free time." Ramona Attard Education Minister Evarist Bartolo

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