Next week's States meeting: Monday 25 November
States Assembly
22 November 2024
On Monday 25 November, the next meeting of the States Assembly will commence at 2.15pm. The meeting takes place in the States Chamber and is open for the public to attend, as well as being broadcast live on our website and on the States Assembly YouTube channel. Oral Questions
States Members will question Ministers for up to 2 hours and 20 minutes. These oral questions will have been issued to them in advance (i.e. ‘with notice’). Details of next week’s oral questions with notice can be found on page 9 of the Order Paper.
The following Ministers will then answer oral questions which they have not been given in advance of the meeting (i.e., ‘without notice’) for 15 minutes each:
- Minister for Infrastructure, Connétable Andy Jehan
- Minister for Housing, Deputy Sam Mézec
- Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham
The Assembly will then adjourn ready to reconvene at 9.15am on Tuesday 26 November to begin the debate on the Government’s draft Budget Plan. These are the proposals for what they intend to spend public money on over the next year. 29 amendments have been lodged by Scrutiny panels and individual States members, along with several amendments to amendments.
Public Business
| P.51 PROPOSED BUDGET (Government Plan) 2025-2028 |
The Council of Ministers propose that the States Assembly approves their Government Plan 2025-2028, as amended. There have been 29 amendments lodged, seven of these have been accepted by the Council of Ministers. Read more: bit.ly/3UZV7JK |
| Amendment 1. Increase grants to States Funds | Sir Philip Bailhache has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to increase the Grant to the Social Security Fund which secures pensions, by £10million, which is back to its full formula value; and to decrease the grant to the Consolidated Fund by £10million. Read more: bit.ly/3ZfGK6p |
| Amendment 2. West of Island Planning Framework | Deputy Helen Miles has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to allocate £100,000 from within the Public Realm budget to prioritise work on the West of Island Planning Framework, as referenced in the Bridging Island Plan. Read more: bit.ly/3AO14CA |
| Amendment 3. Statistics Jersey Funding | The Corporate Services Panel has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget, that Statistics Jersey Funding should be increased by £157,000 through the reallocation of other Cabinet Office expenditure. Read more: bit.ly/4fxd7TY |
| Amendment to Amendment 3. | The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to the Corporate Services Panel amendment, which would reduce the increase in funding to Statistics Jersey to £78,000. Read more: bit.ly/4i1uBcE |
| Amendment 4. Public Services Ombudsman NOTE: This has been accepted by the CoM and so is unlikely to be debated separately. |
The Corporate Services Panel has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget, that asks the Council of Ministers to fully consider consultation results when considering the appropriate way forward in the establishment of a Public Services Ombudsman; and to bring forward proposals for States approval in 2025. Read more: bit.ly/4fvkgUF |
| Amendment 5. Apprenticeship funding and support NOTE: This has been accepted by the CoM and so is unlikely to be debated separately. |
The Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget, to review the scheme available for apprenticeships and increase the funding and support available. Read more: bit.ly/3ZcnkQ4 |
| Amendment 6. New Healthcare Facilities Programme expenditure | The Hospital Review Panel has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget asking Ministers to provide a breakdown of expenditure for the new Healthcare Facilities, showing separate budgets for the Overdale Acute Facility, Kensington Place Ambulatory Facility, and St Saviour’s Health Village. Read more: bit.ly/40TX4v4 |
| Amendment 7. Connect Me project NOTE: This has been accepted by the CoM and so is unlikely to be debated separately. |
Deputy Louise Doublet has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to reduce Cabinet Office funding by £86,215 and to use this to fund the Connect Me project through Customer and Local Services. Read more: bit.ly/3UZHpqj |
| Amendment 8. Indexation of Alcohol Duty |
Deputy Helen Miles has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to ask the Government to commit to the reinstatement of the indexation of alcohol duty in line with RPI from 2026. Alcohol duty has been frozen for the past five years due to the economic climate. Read more: bit.ly/3UWPonJ |
| Amendment 9. Pillar 2 allocations |
Deputy Hilary Jeune has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that the £15m annual revenue projected to be received as a result of the new Pillar Two Corporate tax changes, which the Government is allocating towards the ‘competitiveness of the Island’, should be focused on funding the delivery of a Sustainable Finance Action Plan and supporting the transition to a net-zero economy. Read more: bit.ly/3AMl3BJ |
| Amendment to Amendment 9 |
The Council of Ministers have lodged an amendment to amendment 9 which takes out the words ‘funding for’ from Deputy Jeune’s amendment, leaving it to read ‘focused on’ but not ‘funding the' Sustainable Action Plan and supporting the transition to a net-zero economy. Read more: bit.ly/3AT3znd |
| Amendment 10 Funding for the termination of pregnancy (Jersey) Law NOTE: This has been accepted by the CoM and so is unlikely to be debated separately. |
The Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel has lodged an amendment to allow for funding for the Termination of Pregnancy (Jersey) Law to ensure both policy and law drafting resource for this workstream is prioritised in the 2025 Legislative Programme. Read more: bit.ly/3AG1dIl |
| Amendment 11 Vehicle emissions duty. | The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel has lodged an amendment to increase Vehicle Emissions Duty for non-commercial vehicles with the top three highest CO2 emissions – those above 151 grams - by 10%, 15% and 25%; and increase the transfer of monies from the Consolidated Fund to the Climate Emergency Fund in line with this higher revenue. Read more: bit.ly/3Zc9Y6i |
| Amendment to Amendment 11 | The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel’s amendment, which would see Vehicle Emissions Duty for non-commercial vehicles increasing above those proposed in the Budget, only for those with CO2 emissions above 176 grams, keeping the third highest band at 5%. Read more: bit.ly/3YZJovZ |
| Amendment 12 Performance Framework. | Deputy Hilary Jeune has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that would see sustainable wellbeing embedded within all business-as-usual activities in conjunction with Ministerial plans and portfolios. Including how funding to third parties actively contributes to sustainable wellbeing, is aligned with the Future Jersey vision and is monitored in line with the Jersey Performance Framework. Read more: bit.ly/3UWnyIA |
| Amendment 13 Impôt Duties – Fuel. | Deputy Jonathan Renouf has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that asks Ministers to return to the policy of indexing Fuel duty to RPI from 2026, with an additional increase of 2 pence per litre above RPI to increase the allocation of fuel duty receipts into the Climate Emergency Fund. Read more: bit.ly/3CBeClD |
| Amendment 14 Jersey Cheshire Homes. | Deputy Inna Gardiner has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to provide an additional £200,000 of funding from the Health and Community Services budget to Jersey Cheshire Homes to provide for one year of bridging funding to ensure provision of services in 2025 for adults with disabilities. Read more: bit.ly/41fzQjh |
| Amendment 15 Highlands College repairs. | The Children, Education and Home Affairs Panel has lodged an amendment to remove £1.04million from the Broad Street public realm project and to provide that funding for refurbishment and repairs of Highlands College. Read more: bit.ly/3CzUG2l |
| Amendment 16 New office. | Deputy Philip Ozouf has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget which opposes the proposed acquisition of the new Government Headquarters using the Social Security (Reserve) Fund; and to delay the acquisition. Read more: bit.ly/3CETsmA |
| Amendment 17 Le Squez. | Deputy Karen Wilson has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget which seeks to increase the Head of Expenditure to Le Squez by £2,500,000 and to decrease the Head of Expenditure for ‘Infrastructure Rolling Vote and Public Realm’ by the same amount. Read more: bit.ly/492ZVUA |
| Amendment 18 Play Strategy. | Deputy Inna Gardiner has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to make an allocation of £66,000 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. Read more: bit.ly/4eIhfPR |
| Amendment to Amendment 18 | Deputy Louise Doublet has lodged an amendment to amendment eighteen to include the work of the Jersey Youth Parliament, ‘Right to Play’ Group and of the previous Play Strategy Steering Group in the Play Strategy for Jersey. Read more: bit.ly/4eAF5wV |
| Second Amendment to Amendment 18 | The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to amendment 18 which replaces the allocation of £66,000 from the Public Realm budget, to instead utilise existing resources. The CoM agrees with Deputy Doublet’s amendment to amendment 18. Read more: bit.ly/3AGPvND |
| Amendment 19 Fort Regent development. | The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to transparently identify funding provided by Government to its chosen development partner for the programme of works on Fort Regent; and to identify a sustainable funding model. Read more: bit.ly/41eKoiD |
| Amendment 20 Jersey Business and Digital Jersey Savings. | The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that seeks to lessen the proposed cut to Jersey Business and Digital Jersey’s funding by £286,000 each year, by transferring from the Central Reserve. Read more: bit.ly/3Zf4WWx |
| Amendment 21 Transform Project. | Deputy Alex Curtis has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that reduces the project total for the Customer and Local Services programme TRANSFORM by £10million over the next three years to ensure value for money and increase the Social Security Fund. Read more: bit.ly/3V2sBq |
| Amendment 22 Digital Services Platform. | Deputy Alex Curtis has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that seeks to reduce funding for the Digital Care Strategy by £400,000; and increase the funding for the Digital Services Platform. Read more: bit.ly/4hQJoH4 |
| Amendment 23 St Helier’s Neighbourhood Improvement Area programme. | Deputy Inna Gardiner has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to request additional funding from the States of Jersey Development Company of up to £500,000 to support St. Helier’s Neighbourhood Improvement Area programmes, recognising that a matching allocation will also be made by ratepayers of the Parish of St. Helier. Read more: bit.ly/3YWUsKi |
| Amendment to Amendment 23 | The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to Amendment 23 which would see funding for the NIA coming from existing Rolling Vote Public Realm budget. Read more: bit.ly/4hYn5PP |
| Amendment 24 Agricultural Loan restriction. | Deputy Philip Ozouf has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget which will restrict the provision of Agricultural Loans from being used for the purposes relating to the cultivation of cannabis. Read more: bit.ly/3OkRxpC |
| Amendment to Amendment 24 | Deputy Hilary Jeune has lodged an amendment to Deputy Philip Ozouf’s amendment, which would clarify that Agricultural Loans are not used for the cultivation of cannabis that will be used in cannabis-based products for medicinal use. Read more: bit.ly/3APgmqM |
| Second Amendment to Amendment 24 | The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to Deputy Philip Ozouf’s amendment, which would reduce the amount available through Agricultural Loans for the cultivation of cannabis; ensuring the loans represent no more than 10% of the total funding allocated to the Fund, and that no individual loan is greater than £250,000. Read more: bit.ly/3V3Hidj |
| Amendment 25 Stamp Duty exemption. Please Note that Deputy Ozouf has amended his amendment, so we are presuming he will read this ‘as amended’. |
Deputy Philip Ozouf has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget which will allow for a Stamp Duty holiday in 2025 allowing properties up to a value of £700,000 to pay no Stamp Duty, with Stamp Duty levied at 2.5% on properties valued between £700,000 and £1,000,000 and a taper for properties valued between £1,000,000 and £1,200,000. Properties over £1,200,000 will remain subject to Stamp Duty at the full rate. This Stamp duty holiday will exclude buy-to let properties and will reduce the income from Stamp Duty by £10.5million. This is as amended. Read more: bit.ly/4eGVC28 |
| Amendment 26 Allocation of CYPES budgets PLEASE NOTE: As this is a CoM amendment, they will want this to be read within the Budget without a debate – however, any States Member can request a debate on the issue. We will know this on Tuesday morning. |
The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to its own draft Budget, which would increase the Education and Lifelong Learning funding by £5,862,000, and decrease the Children and Families budget accordingly. Read more: bit.ly/4fX1RQp |
| Amendment 27 Arts, Heritage and Culture funding PLEASE NOTE: As this is a CoM amendment, they will want this to be read within the Budget without a debate – however, any States Member can request a debate on the issue. We will know this on Tuesday morning. |
The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to its own draft Budget following the States Assembly approval of proposition P.69/2024. The Government continues the commitment to maintain funding to the Culture, Arts and Heritage sector based on 1% of overall States revenue expenditure. Read more: bit.ly/3OGdYpL |
| Amendment 28 Removal of Stamp Duty surcharge on second homes. | Deputy Philip Ozouf has lodged an amendment to the Government Budget that Stamp Duty in 2025 should be reduced by £2,000,000 to reflect the removal of the current higher rate surcharge on the sale of second homes for one year in order to promote a positive increase in the sale of residential properties Read more: bit.ly/3OhCxc7 |
| Amendment to Amendment 28 | The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to the twenty-eighth amendment which would see the reduction on the current higher rate surcharge being reduced to 2% and the income therefore reduced to £665,00 rather than £2m. Read more: bit.ly/3AREb1c |
| Amendment 29 Small distillers relief PLEASE NOTE: As this is a CoM amendment, they will want this to be read within the Budget without a debate – however, any States Member can request a debate on the issue. We will know this on Tuesday morning. |
The Council of Ministers has lodged an amendment to its own draft Budget, to reduce the production ceiling for distillers eligible for duty relief, from 40,000 litres a year to 20,000 litres, in order to focus on genuinely small producers. Read more: bit.ly/4hZM7Oq |
| P.62 DRAFT SOCIAL SECURITY LAW (Payments into Social Security Fund) (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202- PLEASE NOTE: Should Amendment 1 to the Government Budget be passed, this proposition will fall away. |
The Minister for Social Security, Deputy Lyndsey Feltham is proposing to amend Article 9 of the Social Security (Jersey) Law 1974 to adjust the formula used to calculate the value of the States Grant from the Consolidated Fund into the Social Security Fund, reducing it by £10million in 2025 and £10million in 2026. The payment in 2027 would be based on the full formula. Read more: bit.ly/3ZrzAwo |
| P.72 DRAFT FINANCE (2025 BUDGET) (JERSEY) Law 202- | The Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Elaine Millar, is proposing the Draft Finance (2025 Budget) (Jersey) Law 202- which would amend existing tax legislation to implement the revenue measures, and the administrative and technical tax amendments, proposed in the Budget 2025-2028. It would also allow the Minister to appoint a Chair, and one or more Deputy Chairs, of the Commissioners of Appeal for a term of 3 years which can be renewed twice; and increase the number of Commissioners on the bench from 12 to 14. This is being proposed as amended. Read more: bit.ly/48Z5RxK |
| Amendment to the Draft Finance Budget law | The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel has lodged an amendment to the Draft Finance (2025 Budget) Law to increase the income generated by Vehicle Emissions Duty (VED) for transfer to the Climate Emergency Fund. Read more: bit.ly/412fTMJ |
A notification when each debate begins, a summary of the proposal and the results of each debate will be shared on the States Assembly X page (formerly Twitter) throughout the meeting. A summary of the meeting will be shared at the end of each day on the news section of the States Assembly website.
