A parliamentary committee appointed on December 6 to consider what is causing the presence of 'black dust' in Fgura and adjoining localities has still not held its first meeting, Opposition environment spokesman Leo Brincat revealed today. The committee is expected to be convened next week.

The committee was set up by resolution after a parliamentary debate and was to have been chaired by the Speaker, Michael Frendo. He has not yet convened the first meeting, Mr Brincat said.

He made his comment outside Hexagon House in Marsa, where he pointed out that a stench had returned to the area, despite repeated government promises to stamp it out.

It was ironic, he said, that Hexagon House included the offices of the Mepa environment section, which had issued an environment permit to a nearby waste oils plant. The government had promised that the operations of the plant would be monitored.

But despite everything, the noxious smells were evident four times last week alone, he said.

Mr Brincat said that once the government could not solve this relatively small problem, he wondered how it could trusted with even bigger issues, such as the emissions from the power station extension.