Between 2000 and the end of October this year, the government paid out €105,287,276 in compensation for expropriated land.

The biggest amount was in 2005, when payments of €14,719,788 were made, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said in Parliament.

In 2000 the government paid €12,315,078; 2001, €9,207,934; 2002, €5,255,756; 2003, €5,371,085 and 2004 €12,051,722.

In 2006 the outlay was €6,398,260; 2007, €11,935,402; 2008, €5,841,521; 2009, €10,677,128 and 2010 (up to the end of October) €11,513,602.

The information was given in reply to a question by Labour MP Chris Agius. He also asked for the number and identity of people who had benefited from such payments since 1960, and the amount paid in each case.

Mr Fenech said this would have entailed a long list of details of all contracts in the last 50 years and would take several months of work by a sizeable group of people to compile. He pointed out that all contracts were public and could be examined by anybody with an interest in the matter.