Uncertain political situation globally

WQ.207/2023

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY P.M. BAILHACHE OF ST. CLEMENT QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 15th MAY 2023 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 22nd MAY 2023

Question

“Given the uncertain political situation globally, due principally to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will the Chief Minister state what consideration has been given by the Government to improving Jersey’s resilience, and in particular advise –

1. whetherthe Government has imposed any requirements on food wholesalers to maintain stocks of foodin the Island;
2. what is the current level of food supplies stored in Jersey compared with that of January 2022;
3. howmany days’ supplyof fuel are held in the Island, both for general consumption and for the emergency generation of electricity, both currently and compared with January 2022;
4. whetherthe Government requires the holding of a certain number of days’ supply of other essential supplies, for example medical supplies for the security ofpublic health and, ifit does, whether any such requirement has been enhanced since January 2022; and
5. whether, given the steps taken by Guernsey and the Isle of Man to invest in ships to improve the resilience of their supply chains, the Government is planning any similar investment to improve Jersey’s resilience?”

Answer

Given the importance of resilience to Jersey as a small Island community, the Chief Minister has commissioned an internal workstream to consider the linked issues of resilience, the development of new Civil Contingencies legislation, risk management and supply chain.

1. The Government hasnot imposed any requirements on food wholesalers to maintain stocks of food in the Island. Like other jurisdictions, the Island relieson private sector companies to satisfy normal demand for fuel and food through the existing supply chain, which has been shown to be resilient, having remained functional during Brexit, Covid and latterly the war in Ukraine. However,thesupply chain continues to be regularly monitored by the relevant departments (Economy, Health & Community Services, and Justice & Home Affairs). Underthe Emergency Powers and Planning (Jersey) Law 1990, specific Ministers are designated as competent authorities having the responsibility and power to secure certain essentials of life for the community as and when required.
2. Food retailers have confirmed storage for fresh food of1-3 days, 2-3 days for frozen food, and ambient food ranges from 3-7 days' supply. Food wholesalers have confirmed they hold 1-4 weeks of chilled product, 4-6 weeks of ambient product and 2-4 weeks of frozen product. Subject to sell- by dates, these frozen products can have a shelf life of up to 6 months. These supplies have proven tobe adequate and as such have not changed since January 2022.
3. Following the learning from Brexit and Covid, supply chains for fuel have been diversified to allow for even stronger supply chain resilience. La Collette Terminal typically maintain a one month’s supplyof fuel, this is in addition to the supply from ATF, who operate a different supply model, using ISO containers shipped on conventional ferries. This represents no additional increase in capacity since January 2022, and fuel supply remains resilient and hasdone throughout the Russian conflict with Ukraine. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it is worthy of note that supply chain risks (and other identified risks) have been carefully monitored throughout the period, and

an emergency response structure remains in place in readiness to respond to any associated crisis that emerges or begins to emerge.

Jersey Electricity imports most of its power from Europe but has on island generation which is maintained in a state of readiness in the extremely unlikely event that supplies from Europe are disrupted. Jersey Electricity (JE) does not routinely generate power on Island except to test generation which is performed monthly. In terms of fuel storage, JE currently hold 13 days capacity at La Collette with a maximum possible capacity of 25 days. JE have contracts in place to refuel by sea which means that deliveries can be scheduled and received at short notice. By contrast, in January 2022, fuel stocks equivalent to 9 days of capacity were held. Fuel stock was increased taking account of the anticipated tight generation margins in Europe during winter 2022/23 however, the situation was much less severe that predicted with very minimal local generation occurring. JE has robust winter plans where the status of our readiness is reviewed annually and monitored on a weekly basis. JE also maintains regular contact with Fuel suppliers to ensure

that resupply can take place within the endurance window.

4. Health & Community Services (HCS) maintains a 4-6 week on Island stock of fast-moving medical supplies. In addition, a 30-day pandemic stock is maintained for public health purposes. HCS pharmacy maintain a 4-8 week on island stock of medicines and pharmaceutical supplies. The medical supply chain is constantly monitored, and adjustments made as required to assure HCS business continuity, with lessons learned during Brexit and Covid. There has been no requirement to increase these on island stocks as a result of the war in Ukraine.
5. The current Operating Agreement with the Channel Islands’ principal ferry operator expires in March 2025. Options for Jersey’s long-term sea connectivity remain under evaluation. This evaluation is commercially sensitive. Within that evaluation, Government is prioritising Jersey’s supply chain resilience, as well as the high expectations that island businesses and residents have for reliable and resilient sea connectivity.