Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne has told Parliament that under the previous administration audits of salaries and allowances had not been done for years in any hospital, primary health sector or within the Pharmacy of Your Choice scheme.

Answering a number of questions by Claudio Grech (PN), Dr Fearne said the government would not allow this situation to continue and the audited accounts would be out soon. Mr Grech had asked why no management accounts had been forthcoming for Mater Dei Hospital 15 months since the change of government. He also requested a full complement by grade.

Dr Fearne said the government had found a great sense of laissez faire, without even any details of daily operational costs.

These costs had now been calculated because it was impossible to run hospitals without such information.

Mr Grech asked Dr Fearne to confirm that the audits had been done by the same firm that had done them under the previous administration. The latter replied that they had been done once under former minister John Dalli but not since.