Proposed Government Plan 2024-2027 (P.72/2023): thirteenth amendment. Violence against Women and Girls Taskforce recommendations - annual progress report.

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2024- 2027 (P.72/2023): THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS TASKFORCE RECOMMENDATIONS - ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT

Lodged au Greffe on 24th November 2023 by the Connétable of St. Martin

STATES GREFFE

2023  P.72 Amd.(13)

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2024-2027 (P.72/2023): THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT

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1  PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (k) –

After paragraph (k), insert the following new paragraphs and re-designate the subsequent paragraph accordingly –

"(l)  to  commit  to  the  annual  publication  of  a  report  alongside  all  future Government Plans, such report to provide updates on the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls and the impact they have had on preventing violence against women and girls and improving gender equality in Jersey, and include the publication of a timeline of the Government of Jersey's work programme on these areas for the following year;"

"(m) to agree that future Government Plans for this States Assembly must give reference to how they apply to improving gender equality in Jersey, with a focus on establishing an intersectional approach to all future strategies and other work by the Government of Jersey to address Violence Against Women and Girls, as outlined in Recommendation 2 of the  report by the  Taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls; and"

CONNÉTABLE OF ST. MARTIN

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

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to receive the Government Plan 2024 – 2027 specified in Article 9(1) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2019 ("the Law") and specifically –

1. to  approve  the  estimate  of  total  States  income  to  be  paid  into  the Consolidated Fund in 2024 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 1 to the Report, which is inclusive of the proposed taxation and impôts duties changes outlined in the Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(a) of the Law;
2. to  refer  to  their  Act  dated  30th September  2016  and  to  approve  the application of existing resources for work on the development of user pays' charges  in  relation  to  all  aspects  of  waste,  including  commercial  and domestic liquid and solid waste;
3. to approve the proposed Changes to Approval for financing/borrowing for 2024, as shown in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 2 to the Report, which may be obtained by the Minister for Treasury and Resources, as and when required, in line with Article 9 (2)(c) of the Law, of up to those revised approvals;

4. to approve the extension of the use of the existing Revolving Credit Facility to include the provision of funds that would otherwise be implemented through bank overdraft or bank overdraft facilities under Article 26 (1)(a) of the Law, should they be needed, subject to the limits outlined in that article;
5. to approve the transfers from one States fund to another for 2024 of up to and including the amounts set in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 3 in line with Article 9(2)(b) of the Law;
6. to approve a transfer from the Consolidated Fund to the Stabilisation Fund in 2024 of up to £25 million, subject to a decision of the Minister for Treasury  and  Resources  based  on  the  availability  of  funds  in  the Consolidated Fund as at 31 December 2023 in excess of the estimates provided in this plan, or from budgeted underspends identified before 31 December 2024;
7. to approve each major project that is to be started or continued in 2024 and the total cost of each such project and any amendments to the proposed total cost of a major project under a previously approved Government Plan, in line with Article 9(2)(d), (e) and (f) of the Law and as set out in Appendix 2 - Summary Table 4 to the Report;
8. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from the Consolidated Fund for 2024, for each Head of Expenditure, being gross expenditure less estimated income (if any), in line with Articles 9(2)(g), 10(1) and 10(2) of the Law, and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Tables 5(i) and (ii) of the Report;
9. to  approve  the  estimated  income,  being  estimated  gross  income  less expenditure, that each States trading operation will pay into its trading fund in 2024 in line with Article 9(2)(h) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 6 to the Report;
10. to approve the proposed amount to be appropriated from each States trading operation's trading fund for 2024 for each head of expenditure in line with Article 9(2)(i) of the Law and set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 7 to the Report;
11. to approve the estimated income and expenditure proposals for the Climate Emergency Fund for 2024 as set out in Appendix 2 – Summary Table 8 to the Report;
12. to  commit  to  the  annual  publication  of  a  report  alongside  all  future Government Plans, such report to provide updates on the progress made inimplementing the recommendations of the Report of the Taskforce onViolence Against Women and Girls and the impact they have had onpreventing  violence  against  women  and  girls  and  improving  gender equality  in  Jersey,  and  include  the  publication  of  a  timeline  of  the Government of Jersey's work programme on these areas for the following year;"

13. to agree that future Government Plans for this States Assembly must give reference to how they apply to improving gender equality in Jersey, with afocus on establishing an intersectional approach to all future strategies andother work by the Government of Jersey to address Violence Against Women and Girls, as outlined in Recommendation 2 of the report by the Taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls; and
14. to approve, in accordance with Article 9(1) of the Law, the Government Plan 2024-2027, as set out at Appendix 3 to the Report.

REPORT

This amendment asks the States Assembly to agree to two make improvements to future Government Plans. Firstly, I am seeking the Assembly's agreement to the development and publication of an annual report - to be published alongside future Government Plans - that would update both Members of the States Assembly and Islanders on the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls and understand its relevant priorities for the following year. This will provide an opportunity for States Members and Islanders to scrutinise the progress made on this issue, and accordingly amend future Government Plans if Members believe that further progress can be made.,

The second part seeks the States Assembly's agreement that future Government Plans of this States Assembly will reference how they are seeking to improve gender equality in Jersey and respond to the findings and recommendations of the Taskforce.

This amendment will ensure that the current States Assembly uses the time it has left to explicitly commit itself to confronting these essential issues and commits itself to building a safer and more equal Island.

Financial and staffing implications

Funding has been allocated for the implementation of the VAWG recommendations in 2024, though additional funding may be required to ensure that these are taken forward. This amendment asks only for a report to be published of the actions taken during the year and provided to Members for full transparency. It is considered that production of such a report would fall under the business as usual activities involved in implementing the VAWG recommendations.