States Meeting summary: 16-17 July
17 July 2024
Tuesday 16 July
Question Time
Questions with notice
States Members began this week's States Meeting by asking Ministers questions with notice.
Go to page 5 of the Order Paper to find out which questions were asked and watch from 7 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear questions with notice in full.
Questions without notice
States Members then asked the Minister for Infrastructure, Connétable Andy Jehan; the Minister for International Development, Deputy Carolyn Labey; and the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, questions without notice for 15 minutes.
Skip to 2 hours and 28 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the questions without notice.
After the lunch adjournment, Deputy Jonathan Renouf asked the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, an urgent question relating to the three Public Hearings with former senior officials of Jersey's Health and Community Services Department that happened last Wednesday.
Watch from the beginning of this afternoon’s meeting to watch the urgent question in full.
Public Business
P.24 Draft Unlawful Public Entertainments (Jersey) Regulations 202-.
The Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, proposed a draft Unlawful Public Entertainments (Jersey) Regulations 202- which would provide a framework to make sure that public events can be managed safely with minimal disruption to the public.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the proposition in third reading, with 46 votes for and 1 abstention.
Watch from 26 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate.
P.32 Draft Sea Fisheries (Minimum Size Limits) (Jersey) Amendment Regulations 202-.
The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, proposed an amendment to the Draft Sea Fisheries (Minimum Size Limits Limits) (Jersey) Regulations, to define a new minimum size for a lobster that can be retained and to remove exemptions in relation to swordfish and bluefin tuna.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the proposition in third reading unanimously, with 41 votes for.
Skip to 1 hour and 6 minutes in this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate.
P.33 Draft States of Jersey (Deputy Chief Minister) Amendment Law 202-.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, proposed a draft Amendment Law, which is proposed with the associated amendment to Standing Orders, to allow for the delegation of specific responsibilities from the Chief Minister to the Deputy Chief Minister. This would mirror the arrangements that are already in place for Assistant Chief Ministers.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the proposition in third reading unanimously, with 41 votes for.
Skip to 1 hour and 20 minutes in this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate.
P.34 Amendments to Standing Orders – Deputy Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, proposed an amendment to Standing Orders, which will allow the delegation of specific functions from the Chief Minister to the Deputy Chief Minister, to allow them to stand-in for the Chief Minister while lodging propositions, answering questions and presenting reports in the States Assembly. This would mirror arrangements already in place for Assistant Chief Ministers.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the proposition in a standing vote.
Skip to 1 hour and 25 minutes in this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate.
P.36 Draft Employment (Minimum Wage and Benefits in Kind) (Jersey) Amendment Law 202-.
The Minister for Social Security, Deputy Lyndsay Feltham, proposed an amendment to the Employment (Jersey) Law 2003. The Government has committed to raising the minimum wage to two-thirds of average median earnings by the end of its term in office in 2026. The proposed amendment will enable the Minister to set minimum wage and offset rates by Ministerial Order without referring matters to the Employment Forum, until 31 March 2026.
The Assembly voted to APPROVE the proposition in third reading, with 34 votes for, 7 votes against, and 4 abstentions.
Skip to 1 hour 30 minutes in this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate.
P.38 Fully funding education or training for all 16-18 year olds.
Deputy Inna Gardiner proposed, as amended by herself, that all 16-18 year olds should receive fully funded education or professional training in Jersey by July 2025, there should be necessary long-term funding in the Government Plan 2026-2029, and education legislation should be reviewed to increase participation in education or professional training up to 18 years old.
Deputy Gardiner withdrew her amendment to her proposition.
Watch from 2 hours 13 minutes in this afternoon’s recording to watch the beginning of the debate.
Wednesday 17 July
Public Business
P.38 Fully funding education or training for all 16-18 year olds.
Today's States Meeting began with the continuation of the debate on fully funding education or training for all 16-18 year olds. Deputy Inna Gardiner proposed that all 16-18 year olds should receive fully funded education or professional training in Jersey by July 2025, there should be necessary long-term funding in the Government Plan 2026-2029, and education legislation should be reviewed to increase participation in education or professional training up to 18 years old.
Deputy Gardiner withdrew her amendment to her proposition.
The States Assembly voted to REJECT Part A of the proposition with 13 votes for, 31 votes against, and 1 abstention.
Part B fell away because Part A was rejected.
The States Assembly voted to REJECT Part C of the proposition with 17 votes for, 27 votes against, and 1 abstention.
Watch from the beginning of this morning’s recording to watch the rest of the debate and the vote.
The Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst, proposed to amend two Regulations to bring Jersey in line with the OECD's Common Reporting Standards when collecting and exchanging tax information on residents and nationals of the USA.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the proposition in third reading, with 41 votes for, 0 votes against, and 1 abstention.
Skip to 1 hour and 2 minutes in this morning’s recording to watch the debate and vote.
P.43 New Healthcare Facilities Programme
The Hospital Review Panel requested that the Council of Ministers seeks the States Assembly’s approval [in principle] of the funding proposals for delivery of Phase 1 of the New Healthcare Facilities Programme in order that funding may be debated before the Draft Government Plan 2025-2028. It also requests that prior to this, the costs associated with future phases are presented to the Assembly.
The States Assembly voted to REJECT Part A of the proposition with 13 votes for, 30 votes against, and 0 abstentions.
The States Assembly voted to REJECT Part B of the proposition with 15 votes for, 29 votes against, and 0 abstentions.
Watch from 1 hour and 19 minutes in this morning’s recording to watch the start of the debate.
The debate continued after the lunchtime recess. Watch from the start of this afternoon’s recording.
Appointment to the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
Chair of the Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel, Deputy Catherine Curtis, proposed to appoint Deputy Helen Miles as a Member of the Panel.
Deputy Miles was elected unopposed.
Skip to 28 minutes into this afternoon’s recording.to watch the debate.
Adjournment
The States Assembly then adjourned and will reconvene at the first States Meeting after the summer recess, at 9:30am on Tuesday 10 September.
