More than €14 million were paid out last year for land which had been expropriated.

Addressing a news conference on his ministry's work in the past legislature, Jason Azzopardi, Minister for Fair Competition, Small Business and Consumers said that €14,248,417 were paid out in 2011 against €13,683,145 in 2010 and €8,077,213 in 2009.

The minister, who was giving his press conference from Ta' Maggi Industrial Estate in Xghajra, said that the government had also returned to owners 39,000 square metres of land (115 plots), which had been expropriated for road projects which never materialised.

On enforcement, he said that 993 inspections were carried out and 175 evictions took place.

Dr Azzopardi said there were 48 devolutions of public land to several entities including councils, St John's Ambulance, girl guides and the Salesians.

Playgrounds were inspected with 31 being closed down permanently or temporarily until remedial action was taken.

The minister also spoke on the several schemes, which the government, through Malta Enterprise, had launched to aid businesses with the help of EU funds.

There were seven ERDF schemes, which were collectively valued at €42 million.

There was also a Microinvest scheme through which 1,045 companies had invested €17 million creating 247 new jobs. A total €35 million were invested in a microcredit scheme.

Dr Azzopardi said there were 67 registered cooperatives with around 4,800 members and a turnover of around €70 million a year.

Six new cooperatives were formed in the past year in the transport, maritime, people with a disability and tourism sectors.

He said that the cost of more medicines was being reduced with the cost of 239 medicines brought down in the past four years.