News

States Meeting summary: 25-27 November

Monday 25 November

Question Time 

Questions with notice 

This week’s States Meeting began with Ministers answering States Members’ questions with notice.   

Skip to page 9 of the Order Paper to find out which questions were asked and watch from 11 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to hear questions with notice in full.  

Questions without notice 

States Members then asked the Minister for Infrastructure, Connétable Andy Jehan, Minister for Housing, Deputy Sam Mézec and the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, questions without notice for 15 minutes each. 

Skip to 2 hours and 16 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch questions without notice in full.  

Tuesday 26 November

Public Business 

P.51 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 

This morning’s sessions began with a proposal from the Council of Ministers that the States Assembly approve their Government Budget 2025-2028, as amended. 

There were 29 amendments lodged, ten of which were accepted or partially accepted by the Council of Ministers, and two were withdrawn. 

Skip to 6 minutes into this morning’s recording to learn which amendments were accepted or partially accepted by the Council of Ministers.

Please note: The amendments or parts of amendments which have not been accepted are debated in the order in which they effect the proposed Budget, not necessarily in the order in which they were lodged. 
 

P.51 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 - twenty-fifth amendment 

Deputy Philip Ozouf lodged an amendment to the Government Budget asking for a Stamp Duty holiday in 2025 that would allow 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 £1million, and a taper for properties valued between £1million and £1.2million. Properties over £1.2million will remain subject to Stamp Duty at the full rate.  

A further amendment from the Deputy asked to exclude buy-to-let properties, reducing the income from Stamp Duty by £10.5million. 

The States Assembly voted to REJECT the amendment with 7 votes for, 36 votes against, and 1 abstention. 

Skip to 31 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the debate in full. 
 

P.51 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 - twenty-eighth amendment 

Deputy Philip Ozouf lodged an amendment to the Government Plan asking that Stamp Duty in 2025 is reduced by £2million 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. 

The Council of Ministers lodged an amendment to the amendment which would see the higher rate surcharge reduced to 2% instead of the Deputy’s request of 3%, therefore reducing the income to £665,000 rather than £2million. 

The States Assembly voted to ACCEPT the Council of Ministers’ amendment to the amendment with 30 votes for, 14 votes against, and 0 abstentions. 

The States Assembly voted to REJECT Deputy Ozouf’s amendment, as amended, with 23 votes for, 24 votes against, and 0 abstentions. 

Skip to 2 hours and 6 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the beginning of the debate and from the start of this afternoon’s recording for the conclusion.  
 

P.51 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 – twenty-fourth amendment 

Deputy Philip Ozouf lodged an amendment to the Government Budget to restrict the provision of Agricultural Loans from being used for the purposes related to the cultivation of cannabis. 

Deputy Hiliary Jeune lodged an amendment to the amendment which would clarify that Agricultural Loans are not to be used for the cultivation of cannabis that will be used in cannabis-based products for medical use. 

The States Assembly voted to ACCEPT Deputy Jeune’s amendment with 27 votes for, 18 votes against, and 0 abstentions. 

The Council of Ministers lodged a second amendment to the 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. 

However, the Deputy Bailiff ruled that following the States Assembly’s adoption of the first amendment to Amendment 24, the second amendment from the Council of Ministers should fall away 

The States Assembly voted to REJECT Deputy Ozouf’s amendment, as amended with 18 votes for, 25 votes against, and 3 abstentions. 

Skip to 37 minutes into this afternoon’s recording to watch the debate in full. 

Wednesday 27 November

Public Business 

P.51 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 - twentieth amendment 

The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel lodged an amendment to the Government Budget seeking to lessen the proposed cut to Jersey Business and Digital Jersey’s funding by £286,000 each year, by transferring it from the Central Reserve.   

The States Assembly voted to REJECT the Panel’s amendment with 18 votes for, 27 votes against, and no abstentions. 

Skip to 6 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the debate in full. 

P.51 Proposed Budget (Government Plan) 2025-2028 – first amendment  

Sir Philip Bailhache 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. 

The States Assembly voted to REJECT the Deputy’s amendment with 21 votes for, 25 votes against, and no abstentions. 

Skip to 2 hours and 27 minutes into this morning’s recording to watch the beginning of the debate and from 9 minutes into this afternoon’s recording for the conclusion. 

Adjournment  

The States Assembly then adjourned and will reconvene at 9:30am on Thursday 28 November, when they will continue to debate the proposed Government Budget 2025-2028. 

If you would like to see the running order of the Government Budget debate - the order in which the Amendments will be taken - you can view it on our website. 

Please note, the States Assembly has agreed to sit until 8:30pm on Thursday 28 November.