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WQ.368/2024
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
BY DEPUTY K.M. WILSON OF ST. CLEMENT
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 21st OCTOBER 2024 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 28th OCTOBER 2024
Question
"Further to the recent announcement of Government financial support for Manche-Iles Express, will the Minister advise –
- what work, if any, the Government is undertaking to help identify a longer-term solution to the funding issues facing the Manche-Iles Express and what progress has been made in any such work;
- what plans, if any, there are for further funding to be provided within the next 12 months;
- what action the Government has agreed to take, if any, in the event that the frequency and number of ferries continue to be affected; and
- whether the recent decision to provide funding to Manche-Iles Express reflects a wider Government policy in its approach to discussions with other carriers, including airlines, to ensure good links to and from the Island and, if so, what other such discussions have taken place?"
Answer
The Government has committed to a temporary funding solution for Manche Iles Express for 2025 only. The funding is dependent on the schedule running according to plan and will be paid in instalments once the service has begun next year.
For 2026 and beyond, officials from Jersey are working with counterparts in La Manche and Guernsey to discuss longer-term opportunities for passenger only services between the Channel Islands and France.
The Government and its relevant organisations are always interested in improving the connectivity, whether by sea or air, to and from Jersey. These involve existing and potentially new partnerships but, as with any commercial agreement, these must remain confidential until agreed.