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States Meeting Summary: 13-15 June

Tuesday 13 June

Question Time 

Questions with notice 

To begin this week's States Meeting, the Ministers answered 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 morning's recording to hear questions with notice in full. 

Questions without notice 

States Members then asked the Minister for Housing and Communities, Deputy David Warr, the Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, and the Minister for External Relations, Deputy Philip Ozouf, questions without notice for 15 minutes each.

Skip to 2 hours and 24 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the questions without notice.

Statement 

The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, then made a statement regarding the 2023 Annual Report on the Common Population Policy, followed by questions. Go to the beginning of this afternoon's recording to watch the Minister's statement and accompanying questions.

Public Business

Health and Community Services Interim Board

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Karen Wilson, proposed to establish a new, non-statutory, independently chaired Health and Community Services Interim Board. The proposition was proposed as amended by Deputy Karen Wilson and Deputy Lyndsey Feltham.

Deputy Lyndsey Feltham's amendment will reduce the initial appointment of the Board to 18 months, to reduce any risks or costs that may occur should the structure of the Board not be fit for purpose or meeting objectives. Deputy Karen Wilson's second amendment provides clarity on a number of matters related to the proposed Board, including its role as an advisory Board, the potential for the Board to have an extended remit, and the relationship between the Board and the Council of Ministers.

Go to 40 minutes into this afternoon's recording to watch the beginning of the debate, which will continue tomorrow morning at 09:30am.

Wednesday 14 June

Public Business

Continuation of Debate: Health and Community Services Interim Board

This morning's States Meeting began with the continuation of the debate on the Minister for Health and Social Services' proposition to establish a new, non-statutory, independently chaired Health and Community Services Interim Board. The proposition was proposed as amended by Deputy Karen Wilson and Deputy Lyndsey Feltham.

Deputy Lyndsey Feltham's amendment is to reduce the initial appointment of the Board to 18 months, to reduce any risks or costs that may occur should the structure of the Board not be fit for purpose or meeting objectives. Deputy Karen Wilson's second amendment provides clarity on a number of matters related to the proposed Board, including its role as an advisory Board, the potential for the Board to have an extended remit, and the relationship between the Board and the Council of Ministers.

The State Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Wilson's proposal, with 28 votes for and 16 votes against.

Watch from the beginning of this morning's recording to watch the continuation of the debate.

Removal of Jackets within the States Chamber

Deputy Moz Scott proposed that male States Members should be allowed to remove their jackets during this sitting due to the temperature in the Chamber.

The State Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Scott's proposition, with 29 votes for, and 13 votes against, and 1 abstention.

Draft Stamp Duties

The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, proposed amendments to the Stamp Duties and Fees (Jersey) Law 1998. These Regulations will introduce new judicial fees that relate to the Viscount's involvement in civil actions in the Jersey courts.

The State Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Moore's proposition, with 40 votes for and 0 votes against.

Watch from the 31 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the debate.

Draft Domestic Abuse (Jersey) Law

Minister for Home Affairs, Deputy Helen Miles, proposed to bring the Domestic Abuse (Jersey) Law 2022 into force. The Law, passed by the Assembly in 2022, creates a new offence of domestic abuse and allows courts to issue domestic abuse protection orders.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Miles's proposition, with 42 votes for, 0 votes against and 0 abstentions.

Watch from 36 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the debate.

Draft Social Security Regulations

Minister for Social Security, Deputy Elaine Millar, proposed two amendments to the Social Security (Jersey) Law 1974. These two changes are intended to clarify certain references relating to different aspects of the law.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Millar's proposition, with 44 votes for, no votes against and no abstentions.

Watch from 44 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the debate.

Draft Limited Partnerships Regulations

The Chief Minister, Deputy Kristina Moore, proposed to renew existing triennial Regulations for a final 3-year term to enable eligible foreign limited partnerships to continue as limited partnerships within Jersey if certain requirements are met.

Deputy Elaine Millar acted as Rapporteur for this proposition.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Moore's proposition, with 43 votes for, no votes against and no abstentions.

Watch from 1 hour and 10 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the debate.

Jersey Overseas Aid Commission: Re-appointment of Commissioner

Minister for International Development, Deputy Carolyn Labey has lodged a proposition to re-appoint Mr. Douglas Melville as a non-States Commissioner of the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission for a further three years.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Labey's proposition, with 37 votes for, no votes against and no abstentions.

Watch from 1 hour and 23 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the debate.

F.B. Playing Fields (Jersey) Law

Minister for Infrastructure, Tom Binet proposed a new law, 'F.B. Playing Fields (Jersey) Law 202-'. If passed, this law will allow the public access to F.B. Fields for playing sports and future development, enabling the creation of a community open recreation active space.

Deputy Lucy Stephenson acted as Rapporteur for this proposition.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Binet's proposition in a standing vote.

Watch from 1 hour and 27 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the debate.

Provision of free hopper bus service for active card holders to Springfield Stadium

Deputy Rob Ward proposed that LibertyBus should enable free access to the town Hopper bus for Active Card holders travelling to Springfield Gym and exercise facilities. This would/will start with immediate effect for an initial trial period to 31st Dec 2023.

The States Assembly voted to REJECT Deputy Ward's proposition, with 19 votes for and 25 votes against.

Watch from 2 hours and 34 minutes into this morning's recording to watch the start of the debate and from the beginning of this afternoon's recording for the end of the debate.

Breakdown of Gender Pay

Deputy Max Andrews proposed that the States Employment Board annually publish the income ratio of the highest & lowest earners within each Government department, and a breakdown of gender pay relative to salary bands for full-time & part-time staff.

The proposition was debated as amended by the Council of Ministers' amendment, which specified that the States Employment Board should also annually publish all Arm's Length Organisations and Specified Organisations gender pay and income ratio information.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Andrews' proposition, with 33 votes for, no votes against and no abstentions.

Watch 45 minutes into this afternoon's recording to watch the debate.

Provision of carpets in Andium Homes Properties

Deputy Rob Ward proposed to replace existing loans to Andium tenants for carpets with grants, and provide the facility to clean existing carpets that are in good repair. This was proposed as amended by the Minister for Social Security, Deputy Elaine Millar's amendment, as well as a second amendment from Deputy Ward.   

Deputy Millar's amendment is to provide grants, rather than loans, to Andium tenants receiving Income Support when they move into a new rental property which requires flooring to be laid. It also brings forward the start date from September to July of this year.

Deputy Ward's second amendment is to implement provision of special payment grants to any Andium Homes tenants who require carpets in new rentals and who would otherwise be eligible for a loan from the States of Jersey for such purpose. It also proposes to terminate any outstanding loan payments relating to the provision of carpets and asks Andium to review their policy relating to the provision of flooring as standard in all properties and the reuse of carpets after cleaning.

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE parts A and B of Deputy Ward's proposition unanimously. Part C was REJECTED, with 13 votes for, 31 votes against and 0 abstentions.

Watch from 1 hour and 7 minutes into this afternoon's recording to watch the debate in full.

The Grindadrap Festival in the Faroe Islands – condemnation of the hunting of sea mammals

Deputy Lyndon Farnham proposed the States Assembly should condemn the Faroe Island Government's annual Grindadrap Festival, and for the Chief Minister to express this view to the Faroe Islands Government. This was proposed as amended by the Deputy's own amendment, which changes the text, but not the substance of the Proposition, to ensure it can be communicated to the relevant parties in the most appropriate and effective way.

Watch from 1 hour and 56 minutes into this afternoon's recording to watch the debate beginning of the debate, which will continue in tomorrow morning's meeting at 09:30am.

Watch the recording of this morning's States Meeting and this afternoon's States Meeting.

States Meeting Summary 15 June

Public Business

The Grindadrap Festival in the Faroe Islands – condemnation of the hunting of sea mammals

The debate continued on Deputy Lyndon Farnham's proposition that the States Assembly should condemn the Faroe Island Government's annual Grindadrap Festival, and for the Chief Minister to express this view to the Faroe Islands Government. 

The States Assembly voted to APPROVE Deputy Farnham's proposition, with 22 votes for, 12 votes against and 12 abstentions.

Watch from the beginning of the recording to watch the debate in full.

The States Meeting now stands adjourned until Tuesday 04 July at 09:30am.