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STATES OF JERSEY
PROPOSED COMMON STRATEGIC POLICY 2018–22 (P.110/2018): ELEVENTH AMENDMENT
Lodged au Greffe on 20th November 2018 by the Connétable of St. Helier
STATES GREFFE
2018 P.110 Amd.(11)
PROPOSED COMMON STRATEGIC POLICY 2018–22 (P.110/2018): ELEVENTH AMENDMENT
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After the words "Appendix to this Proposition" insert the words ", except that on page 20 of the Appendix to the Proposed Common Strategic Policy 2018–22 ("6 Common themes"), in the section headed "We will work in partnership with Parishes, churches, community groups, the third sector, volunteers, businesses and key stakeholders", at the end of the list of bullet-points, to insert a new bullet-point worded as follows: "Working to achieve fairness in the delivery of services to the Public which does not disadvantage St. Helier ratepayers when compared with the ratepayers of other parishes".".
CONNÉTABLE OF ST. HELIER
Note: After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion
in accordance with Article 18(2)(e) of the States of Jersey Law 2005, to approve the statement of the Common Strategic Policy of the Council of Ministers as set out in the Appendix to this Proposition, except that on page 20 of the Appendix to the Proposed Common Strategic Policy 2018–22 ("6 Common themes"), in the section headed "We will work in partnership with Parishes, churches, community groups, the third sector, volunteers, businesses and key stakeholders", at the end of the list of bullet-points, to insert a new bullet-point worded as follows: "Working to achieve fairness in the delivery of services to the Public which does not disadvantage St. Helier ratepayers when compared with the ratepayers of other parishes".
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P.110/2018 Amd.(11)
REPORT
The seventh amendment (P.27/2015 Amd.(7)) to the Draft Strategic Plan 2015 – 2018 was approved but, unfortunately, like some other matters on the previous Council of Ministers' priority list, it was not achieved; indeed, it appears to have been ignored, perhaps because the issues around the payment of rates by the States took centre stage. This being the case, I have reproduced the relevant section of my amendments to the last Strategic Plan, as the situation is unchanged, apart from the change in the name of the relevant States Department (which has changed not once, but twice, since the last Plan) and the date at the beginning of the below paragraph: it is not a dozen years, now, that this aspect of the unfair position of St. Helier has languished, having been highlighted as a matter to be addressed by the States – it is more than 15 years.
A dozen years on from the Machinery of Government Report: the relationship between the States and the Parishes', only the unequal burden of welfare payments across the Parishes has been resolved by the replacement of Parish welfare with Income Support. The unfairness of the position of St. Helier ', as identified in that report, in respect of the provision of municipal services for the Public, has not been addressed, however. As is often pointed out, everyone uses St. Helier , but it's the ratepayers of the Parish who pick up the bills. The problem has been the subject of a number of amendments of past Strategic Plans but to no avail, so the inequity continues to this day: some parks enjoyed by the Public are funded out of general taxation – Winston Churchill Park and the seafront gardens in St. Brelade , Millbrook Park in St. Lawrence , Howard Davis Park in St. Saviour , Devon Gardens in Gorey – but First Tower Park, People's Park, Parade Gardens, La Collette Gardens, all of these are paid for by the ratepayers of St. Helier . A similar situation affects public toilets, which the Department of Infrastructure maintains across the Island (including some facilities in St. Helier ), but requests to past Ministers that the States' team also maintains the Parish's toilets have fallen on deaf ears.
There are at least 2 potential solutions to be considered in order to end this unfairness: the States could provide financial support to the ratepayers of the Parish of St. Helier in respect of the municipal services it provides for the benefit of all Islanders; alternatively, the States could cease to fund municipal services in the other Parishes out of taxation, and require ratepayers of the other Parishes to fund such facilities in their Parishes, as has always been the case in St. Helier .
Financial and manpower implications
The financial and manpower implications arising from this amendment will vary dependent on how the issue is resolved.
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P.110/2018 Amd.(11)