States Meeting Summary 22 - 24 November
24 November 2022
Tuesday 22 November
Appointments
To begin this week's States Meeting, the States Assembly appointed Deputy Andy Howell as a Member of the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel.
Question Time
Questions with notice
Ministers answered States Members' questions with notice for up to two hours and 20 minutes. Skip to page ten of the Order Paper to find out what questions were asked and watch from 15 minutes into this morning's States Meeting to hear questions with notice in full.
Questions without notice
States Members asked the Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Ian Gorst; the Minister for Children and Education, Deputy Inna Gardiner; and Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore; questions without notice for 15 minutes each. Skip to one hour and 37 minutes to watch questions without notice.
Statement
The Minister for External Relations and Financial Services, Deputy Philip Ozouf, made a statement about the updated Common Policy for External Relations. This was followed by 15 minutes of questions from States Members. Skip to two hours and 30 minutes to listen to the statement and questions.
The States Assembly agreed to reduce the lodging period for the Minister for Housing and Communities' proposition to nominate Chairs and Members to the Rent Control Tribunal so that it can be debated during this week's States Meeting. The Assembly also voted to reduce the lodging period of the Council of Ministers' amendment to Deputy Rob Ward's fifth amendment to the Common Strategic Policy.
Public business
Common Strategic Policy
The Council of Ministers proposed the adoption of the Common Strategic Policy as amended by the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 7th amendments, as amended.
Deputy Tom Coles proposed a second amendment to the wording of the Common Strategic Policy, to clarify that the Government's approach to its population should be "People focused" rather than "Customer focused". The States Assembly voted to reject Deputy Coles' proposition, with 23 votes for and 24 votes against.
Skip to 50 minutes to watch the second amendment debate in full.
Deputy Sam Mézec proposed a sixth amendment to the Common Strategic Policy, which would provide greater level of detail on the measures the Government should pursue to achieve the ambition of improving access to affordable housing.
The Council of Minsters proposed to amend Deputy Mézec's amendment by removing 4 sub-paragraphs and adding "increase the number and standard of private rental homes with Rent Safe accreditation".
The States Assembly voted to approve the Council of Ministers amendment to Deputy Mézec's amendment, with 35 votes for and 11 votes against.
The States Assembly voted to approve Deputy Mézec's amendment on a standing vote, as amended by the Council of Ministers.
Skip to one hour and 45 minutes to watch the sixth amendment debate in full.
Deputy Rob Ward proposed a fifth amendment to the Common Strategic Policy to promote the disinvestment from fossil fuel investments, adopt a policy of opposing investment in fracking and for sustainable finance to be incorporated into law.
The debate on the fifth amendment to the Common Strategic Policy will resume tomorrow.
Watch the recording of this morning's States Meeting and this afternoon's States Meeting.
States Meeting Summary 23 November
Tribute
The Bailiff started the States Meeting with a tribute to the former Connétable of St. John, Carl Hinault, who passed away last week.
Public Business
Common Strategic Policy
Deputy Rob Ward continued his speech on a fifth amendment to the Common Strategic Policy to promote the disinvestment from fossil fuel investments, adopt a policy of opposing investment in fracking and to incorporate sustainable finance into law.
The Council of Ministers proposed to amend Deputy Ward's amendment by removing some of the specific references, such as to fracking, and replace them with a general commitment to support sustainable finance and green finance.
The States Assembly voted to approve the Council of Ministers amendment to Deputy Ward's amendment, with 34 votes for and 13 votes against. The States Assembly then voted to approve Deputy Ward's amendment, as amended by the Council of Ministers, with 47 votes for and 0 votes against.
Skip to 15 minutes into the recording to watch the debate on the fifth amendment in full.
The States Assembly debated the Common Strategic Policy, as amended. They voted to adopt the Common Strategic Policy, with 35 votes for and 10 votes against.
Skip to 2 hours and 30 minutes in to watch this morning's debate in full.
Amendment to the Draft Children and Young People Law
On behalf of the Minister for Children and Education, Connétable Richard Vibert proposed to amend the previously passed Children and Young People Law to ensure that it allows the appropriate sharing of information to safeguard the welfare of children and young people.
The amendment corrects the Law to ensure that it allows the appropriate sharing of information between safeguarding partners (e.g., the Chief Executive of the States, Chief Officer of the Police) and relevant providers of services for children and young people, to safeguard the welfare of children and young people.
The States Assembly voted to approve the Minister for Children and Education's amendment to the previously passed Children and Young People Law.
Skip to 20 minutes into this afternoon's recording to watch this debate in full.
Draft Employment (Minimum Wage) (Amendment no. 17)
Minister for Social Security, Deputy Elaine Millar, proposed, from 1 January 2023, to increase offset rates (i.e. the maximum value that can be given to either accommodation or accommodation and food, when calculating whether the minimum wage is being paid) by 26.2%.
The States Assembly voted to approve the Minister for Social Security's proposal, with 43 votes for and 0 votes against.
Skip to 28 minutes into this afternoon's recording to watch this debate in full.
Cost of living crisis – Removal of 5% goods and services tax (GST) from food (excluding alcoholic drinks)
Deputy Raluca Kovacs proposed to remove 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) from food (excluding alcoholic drinks) by 1 January 2024, in response to the rising cost of living.
Skip to 45 minutes on this afternoon's recording to watch this debate in full.
The States Assembly will continue the debate on Deputy Kovac's proposition at 9:30am tomorrow.
Watch the recording of this morning's States Meeting and this afternoon's States Meeting.
States Meeting Summary Thursday 24 November
Public Business
Removal of 5% goods and services tax (GST) from food
The debate continued on Deputy Raluca Kovacs' proposition to remove 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) from food (excluding alcoholic drinks) by 1 January 2024, in response to the rising cost of living.
The States Assembly voted to reject Deputy Kovacs' proposition, with 17 votes for and 27 votes against.
Reappointment of non-Executive Directors to States of Jersey Development Company
The Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Ian Gorst, proposed to re-appoint Tom Quigley and Richard Barnes as Non-Executive Directors of the States of Jersey Development Company Limited, for a period of up to three years.
The States Assembly approved the Minister for Treasury and Resources' proposition on a standing vote.
Skip to 1 hour and 55 minutes into this morning's meeting to watch the debate in full.
Rent Control Tribunal: Nomination of Chair and Members
The Minister for Housing and Communities, Deputy David Warr, proposed to appoint Mr. Simon Burgess as Chair and Mr. Ian Gray, Mr. Guy Aubin Morris, Mr. Neil Andrew Buesnel and Mrs. Rose Colley as Members of the Rent Control Tribunal.
Deputy Montfort Tadier proposed a 'reference back', requesting that the debate on the nomination of a Chair and Members to the Rent Control Tribunal returns to the States Assembly after more information has been provided by the Minister. This was approved by the States Assembly, with 23 votes for and 18 votes against.
Skip to 1 hour and 58 minutes into this morning's meeting to watch the start of the debate, which continued into this afternoon's session.
States Employment Board: Annual Reporting
Deputy Max Andrews proposed that the States Employment Board should publish annually the remuneration of civil servants and public sector workers, in various formats.
The States Assembly voted to approve Deputy Andrews' proposition, with 38 votes for and 0 votes against.
Skip to 1 hour and 35 minutes into the afternoon session to watch the debate in full.
The States Assembly has adjourned until the next session, which will begin at 1:30pm on Monday 12 December and will focus on the Government Plan 2023-26.
Watch the recording of this morning's States Meeting and this afternoon's States Meeting.
