LOWER HOUSE DISCUSSES MAD COWS DURING QUESTION TIME

ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - During question time at the Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives on Wednesday MPs spent almost four hours posing some 40 questions to government members. They tacked issues such as mad cows disease and the sacking of 4,500 Interior Ministry employees. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bozidar Pankretic replied Croatia prohibited the import of beef from about 15 countries where the disease had been registered, as well as the transport of beef to Bosnia-Herzegovina through Croatia. The Interior Ministry will soon submit to the government a plan for surplus employees so nobody "ends up in the street", Deputy Minister Josip Vresk said in reply to a question on why and in line with which criteria 4,500 ministry employees would be let go. Vresk recalled the Parliament recently adopted a reorganisation of the Interior Ministry envisaging less employees. He added the criteria according to which employees will be dismissed are strictly professional. Asked when the last section of the Gorican-Zagreb highway will be continued, Public Works Minister Radimir Cacic said the section of the highway was among priorities and construction should start by the end of the year. The Lower House should continue its afternoon session with discussions on several international agreements. (hina) lml