Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt told Parliament yesterday that not more than 15 per cent of the commercial premises at Ta' Qali crafts village turn out genuine Maltese art or crafts and only about 20 of the occupants actually produce items on site.

The Minister was answering a series of supplementary questions by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat, PL whip Joe Mizzi and Industry spokesman Carmelo Abela about previous considerations that the Ta' Qali Crafts Village be relocated to Dock No. 1 at Cospicua.

Dr Gatt said that within the restoration project of the dock, an area was earmarked to house Maltese arts and crafts but did not necessarily involve the relocation of the crafts village, where most of the work was similar to any other commercial business, with the operators importing items and either only assembling these or directly put the imported items on sale.

The proposed plan for Dock No. 1 was to house genuine Maltese arts and crafts and would thus include studios of those who do not mass produce items. It would only house artists' or sculptors' studios.

The Minister said he was informed that the structure of Dock No. 1 was not adequate to house some of the trades undertaken at the Ta' Qali crafts village. Those presently occupying huts at Ta' Qali might not adequately be housed in Dock 1 as this would only cater for what is genuinely Maltese.

The original question was put by Chris Agius (PL) to Finance Minister Tonio Fenech. During the supplementary questions, the opposition asked Mr Fenech to declare what would happen to Ta' Qali craft village. Even those who manufacture crafts had objected to move to Dock 1.