The prime site White Rocks complex has become a prime dump that presents a danger to families who go there for walks and barbeques, Nationalist MP Franco Galea has told Parliament.

Speaking in an adjournment speech late on Wednesday, he said the White Rocks complex was not so white any longer as several parts had been blackened by fire. He was concerned, Mr Galea said, about the way how children were being allowed to play in ruins which were clearly dangerous, among drug syringes and rusting washing machines, not to mention what went on in the cars.

"As far as I know, according to law, property owners have to close off their properties, especially when they are dangerous. So why is the state not enforcing its own rules? The way the White Rocks complex has been turned into a dump is unacceptable... there are rats everywhere, as well as dead animals and all sort of rubbish, and yet people go there for their walks in a dangerous and dirty environment."

Mr Galea said he had gone to the complex and would have fallen a height of one storey from what seemed to have been a bridge had he not been careful. He could only imagine the danger posed to children intent only on chasing each other.

This, Mr Galea said, was a tragedy waiting to happen and those responsible needed to act with urgency.

He hoped that another prime site, Hal Ferh, would not be allowed to deteriorate to the state of the White Rocks complex.

But a danger close to Hal Ferh already existed at the former Riviera Martinque Hotel, overlooking Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Mr Galea said. Although most of the building was closed, there were parts of the crumbling structure that were open and he had seen children playing there. Stones were also rolling down to the stairs leading to the bay.

Malta, he stressed, could not have laws without effective enforcement, especially when there was a clear and present danger.

The Nationalist MP said he was also worried about dangerous swings in children's playgrounds. In some localities the seat of these swings was made of metal which could kill any child that was hit. The Malta Standards Authority should set standards in this area.

The very location of some playgrounds posed a danger. At Pembroke there was a road which overlooked a playground. The absence of a crash barrier meant that in the event of an accident, a car could come crashing down onto the playground. He had lobbied the council, from within and outside, but unfortunately nothing had been done yet.

But there was a bigger danger in St Julians where a playground was sandwiched by two main roads with a bridge overhead. The government needed to intervene in such cases to eliminate danger, Mr Galea said.

Changing the subject, he insisted that the government should review the area of first aid and water rescue. It was not right, he said, that the Occupational Health and Safety Act only mentioned St John Ambulance and the Red Cross Society as the bodies which could certify first aid training provided by companies to their workers. Furthermore, people should not run away with the idea that they were first aiders because they had followed a first aid course of a few hours.

In Malta those running a public swimming pool had to have a pool attendant, but had this role ever been defined? Was the attendant responsible for the welbeing of clients? There was a difference between keeping a pool clean and being trained as a life guard. Malta now had the Rescue Society which was gaining official recognition and was providing a good service in a number of bays such as St George's. The Health and Safety Act, therefore, needed to be amended to ensure that those who could provide proper sea rescue training were qualified and certified to do so. Audits also needed to be conducted to ensure that those providing training courses were achieving proper standards, Mr Galea said.