Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 (P.51/2024): eighteenth amendment. Play Strategy

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2025-2028 (P.51/2024): EIGHTEENTH AMENDMENT

PLAY STRATEGY

Lodged au Greffe on 11th November 2024 by Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier North Earliest date for debate: 26th November 2024

STATES GREFFE

2024  P.51 Amd.(18)

PROPOSED BUDGET (GOVERNMENT PLAN) 2025-2028  (P.51/2024): EIGHTEENTH AMENDMENT

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1 PAGE 4, PARAGRAPH (o) –

After the words "as set out in the Appendix to the accompanying Report" insert the words –

", except that, on Page 59, after the words "in subsequent Budgets subject to affordability." there should be inserted the following new paragraph –

"An allocation of £66,000 will be made within the Funding for Public Realm budget to take forward the work to deliver a Play Strategy for Jersey, in conjunction with the Minister for Children and Families, the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, and the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, as detailed within Proposal 29 of the Bridging Island Plan 2022- 2025.".

 DEPUTY I. GARDINER OF ST. HELIER NORTH

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to receive the Government Plan 2025 – 2028 (entitled "Budget 2025-2028") specified in Article 9(1) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 ("the Law") and specifically –

1. to approve the estimate of total States income to be paid into the Consolidated Fund in 2025 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law.
2. to approve the proposed Changes to Approval for financing/borrowing for 2025, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approval amounts.
3. to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2025 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law.
4. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Stabilisation Fund in 2025 of up to £25 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on the availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund as at 31st December 2024 in excess of the estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2025.
5. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Agricultural Loans Fund in 2025 of up to £2 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury and Resources based on availability of funds in the Consolidated Fund

as at 31st December 2024 in excess of estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31st December 2025;

6. to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2025 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the proposed total cost of a major project under a previously approved Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 4 to the Report.
7. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Fund for 2025, for each head of expenditure, being gross expenditure less estimated income (if any), in line with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report.
8. to approve the estimated income, being estimated gross income less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2025 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report.
9. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading operation's trading fund for 2025 for each head of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report.
10. to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2025 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report.
11. to approve an updated and consolidated policy of the Strategic Reserve Fund as follows:

"The Strategic Reserve Fund, established in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005, is a permanent reserve only to be used:

1. in exceptional circumstances to insulate the Island's economy from severe structural decline such as the sudden collapse of a major Island industry or from major natural disaster.
2. if necessary, for the purposes of providing funding (up to £100 million) for the Bank Depositors Compensation Scheme established under the Banking Business (Depositors Compensation) (Jersey) Regulations 2009, including to meet the States contribution to the Scheme and/or to meet any temporary cash flow funding requirements of the Scheme.
3. to support the development of future healthcare facilities and the borrowing costs for such work, in line with a financing strategy agreed by the Assembly;
4. as a holding fund for any or all monies raised through external financing until required, and for any monies related to the repayment of debt raised through external financing used to offset the repayment of debt, as and when required; and

5. in accordance with Article 24 of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019, where the Minister for Treasury and Resources is satisfied that there exists an immediate threat to the health or safety of any of the inhabitants of Jersey, to the stability of the economy in Jersey or to the environment, for which no other suitable funding is available."

12. to approve the transfer to the Strategic Reserve of the amounts due as a result of the move from prior-year basis taxation after 31st December 2025, as and when these payments are received (estimated at £280 million).
13. in relation to the new Government Headquarters (office), to approve;

1. the exercising of the option to acquire the new Government Headquarters (estimated at £91 million), by the Public of the Island, in line with the pre-agreed terms; and
2. the acquisition of the new Government Headquarters as an investment of the Social Security (Reserve) Fund (including authorising the meeting of expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition); and
3. the subsequent leasing of the new Government Headquarters by the Public of the Island from the Social Security (Reserve) Fund, with commercial terms to be agreed between the Minister for Infrastructure (on behalf of the Public) and Minister for Social Security and the Minister for Treasury and Resources (both on behalf of the Fund); and

14. in relation to the new Government Headquarters, to authorise H.M. Attorney General, the Greffier of the States, the Ministers for Infrastructure, Social Security and Treasury and Resources, and the Public of the Island, to enter into such arrangements, including financing, and pass any contracts as are necessary to put into effect paragraph (m).
15. to approve, in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Law, the Government Plan 2025-2028, as set out in the Appendix to the accompanying Report, ", except that,  on  Page  59,  after  the  words  "in  subsequent  Budgets  subject  to affordability." there should be inserted the following new paragraph –

REPORT

Following the adoption of the third amendment to the Bridging Island Plan, Proposal 29 "Play Strategy and Guidance" states that –

"The Minister for the Environment will work with the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture, and the Minister for Children and Education, to develop a play strategy for the Island, with a specific focus on play area provision in St. Helier . The Minister for the Environment will develop and publish supplementary planning guidance for developers in relation to the provision of play space.

The first step towards achieving Proposal 29 was the creation of a play policy (as mentioned in the answer to Written Question 151/2024), with the aim to use this as a stepping stone to the creation of a formal Play Strategy. However, as per the answer to Written Question 367/2024 the Government have now stated that "It is not within our current work programme to develop a Play Strategy."

The Policy has been developed in a collaborative steering group with representatives from Government departments, local experts on play, environment and child development, charities and parents led by the Deputy Stephenson and Deputy Doublet attached in the addendum.

This amendment is requesting that the Government re-prioritise their work programme in order to deliver the Play Strategy that was already in progress before the Vote of No Confidence.

The Jersey Youth Parliament (JYP) created a subgroup known as the Right to Play Group who published a report on the topic in November 2022; with a subsequent progress report published in September 2023. Both reports can be downloaded here.

The main conclusions of the Right to Play Group's report was –

1. Pricing of facilities – making facilities cheaper to access and introducing a free pass for young people to access facilities
2. Bus routes – keep the student bus pass, better services at weekends, and improve advertising
3. Physical education – play park in every Parish, more sports facilities, keep school playgrounds open later
4. Safer environments – ensure parks are kept safe

The Right to Play Group concluded that the above 4 areas would increase young people's physical activity levels and promote play. A formal Play Strategy is now required to ensure that these points can be delivered.

In their follow up report, the Right to Play Group confirmed they had read the Draft Play Policy and whilst they identified some areas for improvement, they stated that they "look forward to seeing the finished product". The Government must deliver a finalised Play Strategy to uphold this commitment to the JYP.

The Children, Young People, and Families' Plan for 2024-2027 consistently highlights the desire, and requirement, for the improvement of both opportunities and places to

play. Big Picture Outcome 1 of the Plan focusses on ensuring all children in Jersey are happy and healthy. In particular the Plan recognises that children must have "spaces and opportunities to play". To support this, it is highlighted in the consultation conducted to create the Plan that the top issue that is important to Children and Young People is "more places to play". Further to this, the School Council's Network highlighted that in order to be healthy and happy there needs to be "more places to play".

In the creation of the Bridging Island Plan an audit was undertaken on the amount of open space available to young people in order to facilitate play. The audit found that there was an island wide lack of open space that was suitable for play, and it was particularly noticeable in Town. The Play Strategy referenced in Proposal 29 stated that this would be a key area within a future Play Strategy. Therefore, one must be delivered in order to formalise these plans and ensure that the open space that is needed is delivered.

New housing developments has been mostly focussed in St. Helier and the adjacent areas, the very same areas that were identified as lacking in adequate play space. Play space in St. Helier was, in 2018, recorded at 39% of the  requirement, based on benchmarks. This is broken down in the following table –

 Since this audit there have been very few changes actioned, and furthermore other play areas have closed or limited their operations. The most recent of these being Fort Regent, aMazin Adventure park, and the ceasing of both the Move More and toddler play initiatives carried out by Jersey Sport.

Scotland successfully implemented a Play Strategy in June 2013 with a vision of making Scotland "the best place to grow up", and underpinned by three core principles –

1. we should value all children and young people
2. we should enable all children and young people to realise their right to play
3. all children and young people should have the space and time to play. (The Sufficiency' Principle).

 A progress review on the Strategy was commissioned in 2019 and found that it had a positive impact on the provision and development of play". A further review was published in 2024 and found "that play is fun, a key component in happiness for children and young people, crucial to emotional wellbeing, cognitive development, and a way of bringing young people together to create and maintain friendships". In relation to the need for outside space for children to play that was highlighted by Jersey's Bridging

Island Plan the review in Scotland found "Having accessible safe outdoor play spaces, where they can meet friends has significant benefits to emotional wellbeing."

A variety of toolkits, play packs, and guides were also published by the Scott ish government to support the implementation of their play strategy. They can all be found here. Any such Play Strategy for Jersey must include similar toolkits and roadmaps so all sectors can track the progress of the Strategy

In conclusion, in order to fulfil Proposal 29 of the Bridging Island Plan a Play Strategy must be delivered. Work has already been completed in creating a Play Policy which was the first step towards achieving a full strategy. Jersey can follow in the steps of Scotland and uphold its promises to children and young people through the JYP and provide the necessary improvements to play space and opportunities.

Financial and staffing implications

As per Written Question 367/2024 there will need to be resources allocated to the scope, research, and consultation on the breadth and content of a Play Strategy. This resource is expected to be the time of one FTE Officer, similar to the play policy development, and the finances requested in this amendment would cover their cost.

As this is the joint work between four Ministers, it may be cost can be divided between four budgets.

Children's Rights Impact Assessment

A Children's Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) has been prepared in relation to this proposition and is available to read on the States Assembly website.

Appendix

Terms of Reference for the Play Strategy Steering Group

Terms of Reference  Play Strategy  Steering Group  

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