Transport Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday said the sum of €37,869,780 was paid by the Nationalist administration for consultancies ordered by the ministry and other entities within the same ministry in the nine-year period between 2004 and 2013.

Answering Labour MP Chris Agius, Mr Mizzi said there were 28 requests for consultancies from the department, of which 13 were granted by direct order. These cost €435,916.

Consultancies connected with oil exploration were given through direct orders and cost €301,328.

The Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation gave 69 consultancies, 45 of which were by direct order. The cost was €22,269,956.

Consultancies related to transport by Transport Malta, RID, ADT and MMA cost €14,862,578. Mr Mizzi said that figures for the former Department for Civil Aviation were not available. This was also the case for the former Malta Maritime Authority for the period between October 2003 and September 2006.

Earlier this week, Mr Mizzi told Labour MP Chris Agius that the Nationalist government paid more that €23.7 million in consultancy fees for five infrastructural projects: the Ċirkewwa quay and terminal, the entrance to Valletta, Dock Number One, the introduction of Arriva, and the White Rocks. He said that in more than 50 per cent of the cases, these consultancies were given by a direct order.

Answering another question this time by Carmelo Abela (PL), Mr Mizzi said that between 2008 and 2013, the Government spent €320,000 on the rental of trucks the likes of which it already possessed.

Mr Mizzi said that these trucks would now be put to use.