There are at least 25 Maltese nationals serving prison sentences abroad, parliament was told. 

Foreign Minister George Vella told Godfrey Farrugia (PL) that 21 are incarcerated in Australia, and one each in Libya, the UK, Tunisia and Brazil. Six others – five in Australia and one in Libya – are also waiting to be processed.

Dr Vella made it clear that the 25 were those who had asked for help from Malta’s foreign missions. Therefore, he said, the number could be higher.

Working with disability

Family Minister Michael Farrugia told parliament that 692 persons with disability have started work and continued receiving their disability pension. Dr Farrugia was answering a question by Anthony Agius Decelis (PL).

Hip replacements

Some 146 hip replacements were carried out between March and December 2013, Health Minister Chris Fearne told shadow minister Claudette Buttigieg.

None of these replacements led to any Ombudsman complaints or litigation procedures, he added.

Mr Fearne also said that there had been a marked increase in knee replacement cases between January and October this year. Despite the increase, waiting times for orthopaedic consultations at Mater Dei Hospital had remained the same and no new patient has been given an appointment an appointment for 2018 or 2019.

He said there were 24 revisions in 2014 and a further 24 in 2015. The waiting time for a knee replacement procedure has decreased from 24 months to 13, the minister said.

Electoral observer missions

Malta has participated in 13 electoral processes overseas as an observer this year.

Answering a question by Godfrey Farrugia (PL), Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella said these were in Haiti, Uganda, Peru, Zambia, Gabon and Jordan.

Malta had hired 13 observers in total, with 10 involved on a short-term basis and three on a long-term one.