I am truly amazed that at a time when the dockyard has been privatised, the mayors of Cospicua, Senglea and Vittoriosa are complaining that the grit blasting of ships is having an adverse effect on the residents’ health. This in spite of the precautions being taken by Palumbo to avoid the spread of flying grit.

My amazement comes from the fact that during the 1970s and 1980s, when the ’yard, with its 5,000 employees, was grit blasting ships in all the docks, there was hardly a murmur from the residents or for that matter from the employees themselves, whose cars were parked just outside all the entrances to the yard.

No complaints were ever received in my personnel department that any damage to health or property was ever done.

I wonder why...