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CI Lottery – Allocation of 2018 balance comments: [P.99/2020Com]

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STATES OF JERSEY

CI LOTTERY – ALLOCATION OF 2018 BALANCE (P.99/2020): COMMENTS

Presented to the States on 4th September 2020

by the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel

STATES GREFFE

2020  P.99 Com.

COMMENTS

Background

P.99/2020 "Channel  Islands  Lottery:  Allocation  of  2018  balance"  was  lodged  on 28th July 2020 by the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture ("the Minister"). P.99/2020 asks the States to approve allocating the remaining balance of £374,112 from the 2018 Channel Islands Lottery proceeds to the Association of Jersey Charities (AJC), under the existing Service Level Agreement.

The  Economic  and  International  Affairs  Scrutiny  Panel  decided  to  present  these Comments not only to provide Members with its views on the proposition, but also to provide context and background to the proposed allocation to the AJC. The Panel is disappointed  that  P.99/2020  does  not  include  any  detail  around  the  processes undertaken, and the new arrangements in development for the future allocation of the Channel Island (CI) Lottery Fund, which the Panel believes would have helped inform Members as to the reasons behind the proposition.

The  Panel  received  a  briefing  on  the  proposition  on  20th  August  from  the Director of Partnerships,  Office  of  the  Chief  Executive.  To  assist  Members  in understanding  how  the  present  position  has  been  reached,  the  Panel  sets  out  the background to the proposition as follows.

P.105/2019 Channel Islands Lottery: Allocation of Proceeds from 2018

P.105/2019 was  lodged  on  24th  September  2019  by  the  Minister  for  Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture. In 2018, the net proceeds from sales of lottery  tickets  were  £2,145,526.  In  P.105/2019,  the  Minister  recommended  that £1 million of these funds should be given to the Association of Jersey Charities to distribute to community organisations as an interim measure until new arrangements were in place for future distribution of lottery proceeds. The proposition was approved by the States Assembly on 12th November 2019.

At that time, the Panel presented a Comments paper and was supportive of P.105/2019, given its purpose to allow continuity of charitable funding. The Panel was mindful that a balance of £1,145,526 was still to be distributed from the 2018 proceeds and future arrangements for lottery distribution were being discussed.

P.33/2020  "Channel  Islands  Lottery:  Allocation  of  Proceeds  from  2019"  and balance of 2018 Proceeds

Whilst  P.33/2020 was in fact withdrawn prior to debate, the Panel considers that Members might find it useful to be reminded of the purpose behind the proposition and the reason for its withdrawal.

The proposal contained in P.33/2020 was to allocate a total of £1,762,380 to the AJC out of the lottery proceeds, this sum to include the balance of the 2018 proceeds not then distributed.

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P.99/2020 Com.

The Panel understands that P.33/2020 was withdrawn because the Funders Group, a body representing the Island's key funders of local charities or charitable projects, was asked by the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture and Minster for External Relations to create the Jersey Community Foundation, to which future lottery proceeds, as well as funds from the Jersey Reclaim Fund, might be allocated for onward distribution.

P.99/2020 Channel Islands Lottery: Allocation of 2018 balance

Pending  any  new  arrangements  as  to  future  distribution  of  the  lottery  proceeds, the Minister  has  lodged P.99/2020  for the allocation of  the  remaining  balance of £374,112 from the 2018 lottery proceeds to AJC. This figure was identified during the preparation of the 2019 accounts, which revealed that the provision for unclaimed tickets  relating  to  2018  had  been  understated,  impacting  on  the  profit  for  2018. In addition, as P.105/2019 allocated £1 million of the previously declared profit for 2018, the balance of the grant accrued in 2018 has been adjusted to show the remaining unallocated balance in 2018.

Conclusion

The Panel understands the reasoning behind P.99/2020, given that the balance from 2018 has already been allocated to the AJC through P.105/2019. The Panel accepts that the 2018 balance had been understated and considers it sensible that the remaining balance of £374,211 be similarly allocated to the AJC.

The Panel wishes to emphasise that the above Comments apply strictly to the balance of the 2018 lottery proceeds. The Panel is aware that the Minister is giving consideration as to how future distributions of lottery proceeds might best be made, in respect of the organisation(s) responsible in future for distribution of proceeds, the sectors that might benefit and in what proportions. In this additional work, the Panel would expect to be furnished with full information to enable it to conduct a comprehensive review prior to debate of any relevant proposition.

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P.99/2020 Com.