In his article about air quality (August 26) Simon Busuttil asks some pertinent questions.

These questions already have an answer which Dr Busuttil, I am sure, also knows.

While it is true that some types of vehicles such as older heavy vehicles, buses and trucks fall outside the scope of EU law on exhaust emissions, it is pertinent to point out that EU laws set the minimum standards that all EU member states must adhere to. It is then up to the national Parliament, in this case the Maltese Parliament, in which Dr Busuttil's colleagues hold a majority of seats, to legislate to improve air quality in areas which EU laws do not take into account.

So the failure to regulate emissions from heavy vehicles is a failure of the Maltese Parliament and more specifically of this government.

Is it not strange that on one hand the PN's Dr Busuttil insists on clean air while the government, which Dr Busuttil's colleague Lawrence Gonzi leads, is asking the EU to let it postpone the implementation of clean air standards?

It is also all too easy to harp on the importance of clean air in an opinion article in Malta but then when it comes to votes in the European Parliament Dr Busuttil joins his conservative "peoples' party" colleagues in voting to dilute, weaken and postpone emission standards for vehicles, pleasing the multinational car industry.

Another failure of successive governments over the years is that of regulating dust generated from quarries and the construction industries. EU laws do not come into this.

EU air quality laws are focused on emissions from power plants and traffic.

Specific laws setting good practices and standards for individual quarries and other construction industries is the prerogative of the Maltese Parliament and government.

From discussions with Mepa regarding the problem of dust from quarries near Attard, in which I am involved as chairman of the residents' and local council committee on the issue, we are painfully aware of the lack of regulations on dust abatement and control.

Dr Gonzi please take note.