Many will find the news that BP are to start deepwater driling off Libya disturbing. BP do not have an inspiring safety record and recent events in the Gulf of Mexico do not inspire confidence.

There can be no doubt that a major catastrophe off the Libyan coast would cause havoc, not only in Malta but throughout the Mediterranean. I am told that a major oil spill while drilling, or indeed by one of the hundreds of oil tankers which continually ply the Mediterranean, would be disastrous for Malta and others. For a start, the oil would bring our reverse osmosis plants to a halt - a severe blow to our tourism and to our living standards.

What steps, if any, are being taken about this? A warning has been sounded by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Fratini. What have we done? What is the European Union doing?

Unfortunately, we have the habit of reacting after an event. This is clearly not good enough.