My views on the siting of the Monti near the new parliament building echo yours (leader dated 1st February).

The monti will have a most detrimental effect on the aesthetics of the entrance to Valletta just when the unsightly monstrosities created in the 1960s and 1970s were about to be replaced by buildings which are architecturally iconic.

No matter how it is dressed up, it is shabby and incompatible with the setting of a historic World Heritage City.

The Prime Minister runs the danger of making Malta a cultural heritage laughing-stock.

However, there appears to be one other important factor which the government, in its Gadarene rush (together with the Nationalist Opposition) to ensure the votes of the monti hawkers, has failed to consider.

This concerns the security of the new parliament building if it is surrounded by tens of hawkers’ stalls, many of which strategically located directly beneath the building.

It would take only a small explosive charge, brought in under cover of a well-laden stall of tat, to cause considerable damage to the building, or to bring it down.

Given the current and future state of security, it is not too fanciful to think that this is a distinct possibility which a wise government would take into account.