PN raises questions on animal centre review

The Nationalist Party this afternoon referred to the government's plan to hold a customer satisfaction review of the San Frangisk animal clinic and said that rather than holding such secret investigations, it would be better for the government to open similar centres  in the south of Malta and in Gozo.

The party said that after 25 years of destructive criticism, one expected much better from a Labour government with regard to animal welfare.

Should the government want a better service at San Frangisk Centre, it could easily enforce the contract clauses.

It would have been better, the party said, had the review, whose findings will remain secret, been focused on the operations of the centre. The fact that everybody would be free to comment meant that everybody would obviously say that the services should be free of charge. But this was a private operation which was obliged to give a public service in terms of a contract  awarded by the government. Once the contract obligations were met, the government has no right to control fees.

The government's duty was to ensure that the centre also treated stray animals and that it provided a service round the clock, the only clinic currently open for 24 hours.