A parliamentary committee this evening agreed on the transfer of various government properties to the Community Chest Fund and various NGOs.

The resolutions were moved by Lands Minister Jason Azzopardi.

The Community Chest Fund is being handed the former British services' Nursing Quarters at Mtarfa to be used as a centre for the professional care, treatment and nursing of people with disturbed eating habits and other related services. An investment of €1 million is to be made on the site over a period of four years.

The property is being transferred for 99 years against an annual groundrent of €230.

The other properties were transferred as follows, most of them for 15 years:

Structures at Pembroke to the Malta Red Cross; “Osanna Pia” Home in Sliema to the Salesians; store in Racecourse Street, Marsa, to the Holy Trinity Feast Committee; a flat in Melita Street, Valletta, to the Diabetes Association, structures in Dingli to the  Ghaqda Filantropika Talent, Dingli.

Wartime shelters in High Street, Qormi, to the Pinto Society; shelters in Church Square, Luqa, to  Banda Sant Andrija, Luqa; Field at tal-qasab, Iklin, to the Iklin Scout Group;  site and Structures in Railway Track, Hamrun, to the Hamrun Scouts.

Land at Triq Hamet Xaghra, to Xaghra Scout Group; land and structures in Pembroke to the North District Boys Scouts and Girl Guides; tenement in Notre Dame Gate, Floriana, to the  Bonsai Cultural Group.

Some of these properties are already being administered by the NGOs.

BILL TO REGULATE ASSISTED PROCREATION

Earlier today Parliament gave a first reading to a bill to regulate assisted procreation.

The Protection of Human Embryos Bill was moved by Justice Minister Chris Said.

The bill still has to be discussed in Cabinet before its publication.