Finance Minister Tonio Fenech spoke this morning of how his own house maid did not declare her income and therefore could not found support when she suffered backache and could not continue to work.

Speaking at a business breakfast, Mr Fenech backed calls for more women to go out to work, but insisted that all should declare their income.

Many women were working, but did not understand the importance and benefit of declaring their income, including income tax and social security, he said.

He said he experienced this personally some time ago when a self-employed woman who used to help his wife in housework hurt her back and had to stop working. Now she had no support, he said, because that was what happened when one did not declare his or her income.