Cabinet to discuss rent law, invalidity pension reform

A "draft white paper" on reform of the rent laws will be presented to the Cabinet in the coming weeks, Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina said yesterday.

She also announced that a reform of the invalidity pension is to be discussed in Cabinet on Monday and that a council is to be formed to oversee standards of service in the social sector.

Winding up the budget debate on her ministry, Mrs Cristina reacted to opposition remarks, saying the increase in the power tariffs announced last month stemmed only from the explosion in international oil prices and the government's reaction to it contrasted sharply with what the Labour government had done. Needy families were being helped as best as possible, and families seen as being in dire need of help because of their particular circumstances should be reported.

Ms Cristina said the National Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion had been drawn up with the aim of helping vulnerable groups. Measures in line with that plan were being introduced. Some 15 per cent of the people were seen as being vulnerable, but had the social net not been effective, the percentage would have been 35 per cent.

The minister regretted that Labour MP Karl Chircop had seen nothing positive in the fact that spending on children's allowance was not decreasing despite a drop in the birth rate. Spending on children was actually increasing through various schemes and projects. Legislation was also being prepared on assistance to foster parents.

An effort was also made this year to help different categories of children including those with mental disabilities. Those who were at Mount Carmel would be given a better service if they were closer to the community and this was a programme into which a lot of investment was being made.

Programmes such as Innocenti, helping neglected children, were proving especially beneficial. There were cases where spending on individual children cost Lm12,000.

The Commissioner for Children was doing sterling work and funding was being increased by Lm15,000, although she wished there could be more. The Office of the Commissioner would shortly be moving to the Social Welfare Centre where it could function better.

Mrs Cristina pointed out that some 300 children were resident in institutions, all run by the Church. With the number of vocations fling and the carers getting older, one needed to plan to continue providing care for these children. It was for this reason that legislation such as that on foster care would be improved.

A national central authority on adoptions had been set up through which there were more adoption opportunities but the process was better regulated, for the benefit of children. Many adults wanted to adopt but the baseline remained that adoption should always be in the interest of children.

On childcare centres, referred to earlier by Helena Dalli (MLP) Mrs Cristina said the drawing up of standards had been problematic, the biggest challenge being to ensure that standards were achievable. That was why the budget included provision for existing centres to be able to achieve the new standards.

She said that the vote for voluntary organisations had increased by Lm10,000 to Lm730,000. A new funding system under consideration would consider the output by such organisations. Several organisations which were given a regular sum while others were assisted for specific projects they proposed. Voluntary organisations were now realising what was expected of them and the need to have accountability and transparency in everything.

Gender mainstraeaming was being made in all ministries where focal points had developed into committees.

Ms Cristina said that the first proposals on rent law reform were presented to the Cabinet in July and the brief was to prepare a draft white paper, which is now ready and will be discussed by the Cabinet shortly.

She said work was continuing on the merger of the Department of Social Housing and the Housing Authority. Indeed, a unit within her ministry was set up last year to formulate a national policy on housing.

The minister underlined the important work being carried out by the Social Welfare Foundation incorporated Appogg, Sedqa and Sapport.

Mrs Cristina said dealing with illegal immigration was one of the challenges for her and other ministries. A number of open centres had been set up as well as homes for unaccompanied minors who arrived in Malta on their own and who were taken care of in two homes.

Among the laws under preparation by her ministry was one against underage drinking. At present there was no effective legislative tool to stop minors from buying alcohol in, say, supermarkets.

A national scientific report on the drug situation in Malta was drawn up last year and the national commission against drug drew up a national policy and a draft policy paper. As a result an early warning network was launched through which it was possible to recognise new drugs entering the country.

Mrs Cristina said she agreed with Labour MP Joe Abela (see below) on the need for a review of what was expected of adult training centres. All employees in the sector as well as clients were being assessed. Some clients could work in cooperatives and earn part of their wages. This was a form of therapy and these people deserved to use their potential to the full.

On benefit fraud, Mrs Cristina said the directorate within her ministry investigated all reports. The consolidation of means testing was being made as part of efforts to stamp out fraud. This was not a process meant to deny anyone from the benefits he was entitled to.

Everyone should help in the fight against abuse while also helping people in need to access the help they deserved.

Nationalist MP Clyde Puli said the government's policies were focused on social issues, including a strong emphasis on the environment, education and health.

Lm16 million were being allocated to the Ministry of the Family and Social Welfare, confirmation that the government wanted to strengthen the sector. This ministry absorbed almost half of the government's recurrent expenditure.

Mr Puli hit out at the MLP for not having reacted to the pensions reform proposals, despite their importance for the future living standard of elderly people. This issue was becoming increasingly urgent with the pensions bill rising by Lm7 million annually.

Mr Puli highlighted the debate in the Social Affairs Committee on bioethics and procreation, pointing out that while the embryo in the womb was protected, outside it was not. This was something which had to be rectified. The committee did not feel that the state had a right to deny families from the right to use IVF. This service should also be included in social services provision.

He said the White Paper on NGOs was a positive development and provided a basis of regulation for these organisations.

Mr Puli said the opposition yet again failed to offer practical solutions and alternatives in its remarks and saw black in everything the government did.

Joe Cassar referred to comments by Karl Chircop (MLP) on children's allowance. He said the Lm14 million projected for the allowance was unchanged from this year. However, over a period of years, the financial allocation for this allowance had declined because the birth rate was falling significantly. The threshold for eligibility for children's allowance (as calculated with income) had not changed and if people were earning more, that could only be a good thing.

Dr Cassar praised the Domestic Violence Act and he only wished the people could hear what the opposition had said about this bill.

He welcomed the fact that the budget for the Appogg agency for next year would rise by Lm80,000 to Lm970,000, all to benefit families and children in need. The Commissioner for Children would receive Lm15,000 more and there was also an increase for the Social welfare foundation. Could the opposition see black in this too?

The Nationalist MP also highlighted measures taken by the government in the social sector over the past few months, including the appointment of the Commissioner for Children. The process had started for an updating of the laws on child fostering and adoption. The budget of Child Protection Services was also being improved this year. The Innocenti project for neglected children would be especially useful.

Dr Cassar also praised the work of the Commission for Persons with a Disability, Sedqa, Sapport agencies. He urged the people to always look for the truth and not see everything in black as the opposition did. Government services for children and persons with disabilities had improved exponentially reflecting the way how the government was receptive to the needs of the people.

David Agius (PN) also criticised the opposition for saying nothing about pensions reform.

He highlighted the success of various measures introduced by the government such as freephone 179, the provision of shelters for people suffering domestic violence. He said government social sector agencies were giving a personalised service to nearly 10,000 persons at a cost of Lm2.3 million.

At the same time, progress was being made on benefit fraud, with savings of Lm250,000 having been made.

Reform was planned next year for the Invalidity System. What did the opposition have to say about this?

On housing, Mr Agius social justice and transparency now reigned in the sector. The lifts installation scheme was to be extended to cover lifts in private residences where people with special needs lived.

The Housing Authority was also introducing a property shared ownership scheme about which the opposition said nothing. Extensive works were being carried out on government flats and slum areas were being re-developed.