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STATEMENT BY MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
29/08/2001
| The Opposition spokesman for Education, the Hon. Evarist Bartolo, | is grossly incorrect when asserting that the relocation of book restoration facilities to the Malta Centre for Restoration (MCR) is threatening the priceless heritage of documents and historic books at the National Library. |
| The MCR’s Department for Conservation of Books and Paper is | perfectly capable of servicing the needs of the National Library and has never refused any requests from the National Library to carry out restoration work. Furthermore, Mr. Bartolo’s allegation that "barely any restoration work is being currently carried out" at the MCR, is completely unfounded: amongst other work the MCR has restored the large-scale designs of Antonio Sciortino recently displayed in a public exhibition and is even doing restoration work for other Government Departments including the Notarial Archives. |
| Mr. Bartolo’s recent press release is misleading on | a number of issues. For several years now, the Book restoration facilities of the National Library were not housed within the National Library but in separate buildings, first within the Palace and then at no. 36 Old Mint Street, Valletta. The relocation of the facilities to the National Centre at Bighi has simply meant that book restoration services in Malta have much better and more spacious facilities, complete with scientific laboratories capable of full diagnostic services, which were previously unavailable. |
| The Ministry will continue to take steps to ensure | that the last 3 remaining staff of the National Library, who had hitherto not relocated to Bighi, shall move to the superior facilities at MCR and dedicate their time to working exclusively on material from the National Library. |
| Thus, not only will the National Library not be deprived | of restoration services, as is being alleged by the Hon. Evarist Bartolo, instead its priceless treasures will be receiving even better care and attention. Moreover, as the MCR’s own internal resources are strengthened, the quantity of work to be carried out for the National Library is expected to increase above pre-1998 capacity. |
The Hon. Bartolo is not correct and not acting responsibly when alleging that the Bighi centre is being managed with the mentality of "money no problem". On the contrary, the MCR’s accounts show that the Centre is a model of cost-effective public spending. The Centre continues to spend at, or below the levels predicted in its financial forecasts. The allocations to the Centre also depend on foreign assistance, such as that available from the Italian Financial Protocol.
The MCR should not be criticised for spending funds available from the IVth Protocol which had to be spent before mid-2000. One of the major reasons for the bulk spending in 1999-2000 was the inability to spend the Italian funds earmarked for the project during Mr. Bartolo’s tenure of office as Minister of Education between 1996-1998.
The Hon. Bartolo never found the time to visit or see the work of the National Library’s Book Restoration Laboratory during his tenure as Minister for Education, nor has he ever accepted to visit the Malta Centre for Restoration at Bighi.
That he is so quick to criticise something which he has never seen or examined in any way, is most unfair, especially given the fact that cultural heritage is something which should be above partisan politics.
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