Updated 6.30 p.m.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Environment this evening criticised Labour MP Roderick Galdes for comments he made about the renewal of building permits, when the issue is still being debated by the Mepa Board, of which he forms part.

In a statement issued in the morning, Mr Galdes said that people seeking to renew their Mepa permits were running into fresh problems.

He said the problems affected those developments where policies would have changed. Mepa was insisting that permit renewal must be considered in terms of the new policies.

Mr Galdes said this was causing uncertainty and problems.

The Ministry said permits were issued for five years, giving developers enough time to complete their projects while ensuring that neighbours were not kept in a state of uncertainty or inconvenience for an indefinite period.

The Board was currently discussing whether such permits should be renewed automatically. Mepa was aware that sometimes, developers faced financial problems which did not allow them to complete their projects on time. It was, however, also aware of the concerns of the neighbours.

One would have expected Mr Galdes to be more sensitive to the intersts of the neighbours, who often suffered the inconvenience of building works next door. He should also have shown more respect to the fellow members of the Mepa board who were currently engaged in the debate.