Jèrriais: promotion by the Public Sector (P.143/2018) – second amendment (P.143/2018 Amd.(2))

STATES OF JERSEY

JÈRRIAIS: PROMOTION BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR (P.143/2018) – SECOND AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 5th February 2019 by Deputy J.M. Maçon of St. Saviour

STATES GREFFE

2018  P.143 Amd.(2)

JÈRRIAIS: PROMOTION BY THE PUBLIC SECTOR (P.143/2018) – SECOND AMENDMENT

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1  PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (a) –

Delete the word "signage" and after the words "in Jersey" delete the words "with an English translation beneath;" and insert the words "should include Jèrriais as well as English, subject to paragraph (b);".

2  PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (b) –

After paragraph (a) insert the following new paragraphs –

"(b)  that within 4 months, it will produce guidelines for how Jèrriais will

be incorporated into all official signage and letter headings produced and used by the Public Sector in Jersey;

(c)  that the aforementioned guidelines should have the default position that Jèrriais is used, and will seek to incorporate Jèrriais as much as is reasonably possible;"

and re-letter the remaining paragraphs accordingly.

DEPUTY J.M. MAÇON OF ST. SAVIOUR

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to request the Council of Ministers to agree –

1. that all official and departmental letter-headings produced and used by the Public Sector in Jersey should include Jèrriais as well as English, subject to paragraph (b);
2. that within 4 months, it will produce guidelines for how Jèrriais will be incorporated into all official signage and letter headings produced and used by the Public Sector in Jersey;
3. that the aforementioned guidelines should have the default position that Jèrriais is  used, and  will seek to incorporate Jèrriais as much as is reasonably possible;
4. that, in so far as is reasonably practicable, this policy should also extend to the courts and those bodies wholly or partly owned  by the  States  or in receipt of States funding, with implementation  plans  to  be  included  in  their  next  annual reports;

5. that the implementation of the aforementioned should be as and when materials are renewed, replaced or rebranded;
6. that L'Office du Jèrriais should be consulted for any translation service as an official authoritative body;
7. that the practicalities of implementing the above policy for publications, websites and social media should be explored and a report presented by the Council of Ministers to the Assembly within 12 months of this proposition being approved.

Page - 3

P.143/2018 Amd.(2)

REPORT

Following discussions with me, the Council of Ministers, whilst broadly supportive, raised some concerns regarding the use of the word all' in the original proposition. I agreed that a good compromise would be for the Council of Ministers to produce some guidelines for the use of signage. This would address any practical difficulties.

I would hope that the guidelines would follow the principles that signage in public spaces would use Jèrriais first before English; that welcome' and entrance' signs would be in Jèrriais; and other signs for technical or regulatory matters (such as fishing size limits) would have the regulatory text in English, but the titles would be in Jèrriais with an English translation underneath.

Ultimately, I want to change the mindset in departments' thinking, so that we use Jèrriais first in public spaces; and seek to incorporate Jèrriais, where practical, on signage, whilst still applying some commonsense in relation to regulatory or technical matters, such as hospital signage, for example.

I've lodged this amendment as I'm waiting for something to come from the Council of Ministers. I've already deferred my proposition twice, and want to progress with it. Should  something  be  lodged  by  the  Council  of  Ministers,  I  may  withdraw  this, depending upon which one I think is better.

Financial and manpower implications

Some officer time will be required to develop and produce the guidelines, but this should be able to be met within the existing budget.