States Meeting summary: 4-5 February
4 February 2025
Tuesday 4 FebruaryQuestion Time
Questions with notice
This week’s States Meeting began with Ministers answering States Members’ questions with notice.
Skip to page 4 of the Order Paper to find out which questions were asked and watch from 9 minutes into this morning’s recording to hear questions with notice in full.
Questions without notice
States Members then asked the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development, Deputy Kirsten Morel; the Minister for Treasury and Resources, Deputy Elaine Millar; and the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, questions without notice for 15 minutes each.
Skip to 2 hours and 30 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch questions without notice in full.
Appointment
The Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Deputy Mary Le Hegarat requested that States Members appoint a Member to the Jersey Police Authority. The Minister proposed Deputy Helen Miles, who was appointed to the position unopposed.
Skip to 2 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate in full.
Public Business
P.71 Reporting on Ministerial Affairs
Deputy Kristina Moore withdrew her proposition that details of external meetings attended by Ministers and Assistant Ministers, regarding Government matters, be published monthly in arrears on the Government website, and details of all off-Island travel including the costs incurred be published within 30 days of their return.
Skip to 3 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate in full.
P.74 Modern Languages in Schools
Deputy Montfort Tadier proposed that all primary and secondary school students receive support from their school to access and develop their home language skills; that all mainstream provided secondary schools should continue to offer a choice of at least two modern languages, one of which must be French; and that from September 2026, students are required to study at least one modern language until Key Stage 4. This was proposed as amended.
Skip to 8 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate in full.
P.74 Modern Languages in Schools – amendment
The Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward proposed an amendment to the proposition to ensure the Jersey Curriculum Council leads on any reviews and that any reviews include details of the costings of any staff and non-staff resources and the effect on option choices in schools.
Skip to 39 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate on the amendment in full.
Wednesday 5 February
P.74 Modern Languages in Schools – amendment
The Assembly resumed at 9.30am to continue a debate from the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, who proposed an amendment to Deputy Tadier’s proposition to ensure the Jersey Curriculum Council leads on any reviews and that any reviews include details of the costings of any staff and non-staff resources and the effect on option choices in schools.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s amendment with 24 votes for, 20 votes against, and one abstention.
Skip to five minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the continuation of the debate.
Deputy Tadier then sought leave from the Assembly to withdraw the amended paragraph D from his proposition. Members voted to APPROVE to withdraw paragraph D with 34 votes for, five votes against and two abstentions.
Skip to one hour and 14 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the debate on the withdrawal of paragraph D in full.
P.74 Modern Languages in Schools
The Assembly then resumed the debate on Deputy Montfort Tadier’s proposition, as amended, that all primary and secondary school students receive support from their school to access and develop their home language skills and that all mainstream provided secondary schools should continue to offer a choice of at least two modern languages, one of which must be French.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Tadier’s proposition with 46 votes for, one vote against, and no abstentions.
Skip to one hour and 30 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the continuation of the debate.
P.87/2024 Draft Children and Young People (Independent Advocates) (Jersey) Regulations 202-.
The Minister for Children and Families, Connétable Richard Vibert, proposed to introduce new Regulations that would require the appointment of independent advocates to provide support and representation services to children and young people who have a health or development need, are looked after by the Minister, are subject to safeguarding arrangements or who have left care.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s proposition with 43 votes for, no votes against, and no abstentions.
Skip to two hours and 13 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the debate in full.
The Minister for Children and Families, Connétable Richard Vibert, proposed to introduce new Regulations to ensure the policy intentions of the Children and Civil Status (Amendments) (Jersey) Law 2024 can be fully enacted. The Law aims to give legal parental status and responsibility to the parents of children born to same-sex couples, mixed-sex couples who conceive using donor sperm or eggs, and those born as a result of surrogacy.
The States Assembly voted to APPROVE the Minister’s proposition with 46 votes for, no votes against and no abstentions.
Skip to two hours and 36 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the debate in full.
Adjourned
The States Assembly then adjourned and will reconvene at 9.30am on Tuesday 25 February.
