Updated - Adds government reaction - The PN spokesman for home affairs has criticised the government for not going public with its plans to create a single agency - called Identity Malta - to handle passports, ID cards, residence permits, the public registry and the land registry.

He noted that a legal notice was issued on September 10 but no public announcement had been made. It appeared that this agency was being set up by stealth.

Dr Azzopardi said he was concerned that an organisation such as this implied that a vast amount of information was under one minister, giving grounds for abuse.

He said no consultation had been made with notaries and other quarters, including operators and workers in the sector.

Nor was there any word on data protection safeguards.

Dr Azzopardi asked if the new agency would be headed by a Labour election candidate.

GOVERNMENT DENIES STEALTH

In a reaction, the Ministry of Home Affairs denied setting up the agency by stealth and said the PN spokesman had not been careful of what was being said.

The prime minister, as well as the minister, had long said publicly several times, that the government would set up this agency by the end of the year in order to eliminate the efficiencies which this sector currently laboured under.