The Public Accounts Committee was told today that the use of St Luke’s Hospital as a rehabilitation facility was not considered.

Kenneth Grech, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, said the instruction not to consider St Luke's came from the government,  but various other sites were considered before the government opted for the acquisition of St Philip’s Hospital.

The statement was made when the Public Accounts Committee started discussing the government's plan to acquire St Philip’s. Furthermore, it was calculated that opting for a greenfield site would have cost €54 million for 250 beds. 

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech explained that the government had decided that St Luke’s should not revert to health services.

Rather, it was being emptied of all services and the government was preparing a development brief which considered this site as a national strategic asset which could be marketed abroad, say as a financial city or an educational city. Plans are still being prepared.

CONTRACT TO BE SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT BEFORE SIGNING

Earlier, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said the government had agreed to submit the contract for the acquisition of St Philip's Hospital to the Public Accounts Committee before it was signed. 

Mr Fenech said the contract could not be presented to the committee today, even in draft form, because some issues were still being discussed.

He said that the Cabinet had noted how Opposition leader Joseph Muscat said on Monday that if the contract was presented to the PAC before it was signed, the Opposition would cooperate for quick scrutiny.

In the light of that statement and also the delays in the finalisation of the contract, the government had agreed to submit the contract to the committee once it was finalised, Mr Fenech said.

His declaration was welcomed by committee chairman Charles Mangion.