Proposed Government Plan 2024-2027 (P.72/2023): thirtieth amendment (P.72/2023 Amd.(30)) – second amendment. Freeze on Public Health Staff Appointments

STATES OF JERSEY

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2024- 2027 (P.72/2023): THIRTIETH AMENDMENT (P.72/2023 AMD.(30))– SECOND AMENDMENT

FREEZE ON PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF APPOINTMENTS

Lodged au Greffe on 7th December 2023

by Deputy A. Howell of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity

STATES GREFFE

2023  P.72 Amd.(30) Amd.(2)

PROPOSED GOVERNMENT PLAN 2024-2027 (P.72/2023): THIRTIETH AMENDMENT (P.72/2023 AMD.(30)) – SECOND AMENDMENT ____________

1  PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH 1 –

After the words "within the service" insert the words "excluding legally required positions,".

DEPUTY A HOWELL OF ST. JOHN, ST. LAWRENCE AND TRINITY Note:  After this amendment, the amendment would read as follows –

1  PAGE 3, PARAGRAPH (l) –

After the words "as set out at Appendix 3 of the Report" insert the words –

", except that, on Page 10, after the words "£3m on an ongoing basis." there should be inserted the following, "The funding provided for the public health function is predicated upon a freeze on any recruitment within the service, excluding legally required positions, whether due to increases in staff numbers or fulfilment of vacancies, until a full business case for the public health function has been produced, scrutinised, and approved."".

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; and
12. 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, except that, onPage 10, after the words "£3m on an ongoing basis." there should beinserted  the  following,  "The  funding  provided  for  the  public  health function is predicated upon a freeze on any recruitment within the service,excluding legally required positions, whether due to increases in staff

numbers or fulfilment of vacancies, until a full business case for the public health function has been produced, scrutinised, and approved".

REPORT

The impact of this amendment to the 30th Amendment is minor and intended only to ensure that the Public Health team do not find themselves in a legally untenable position, should  someone  vacate  a  legally  required  role  (for  example  the  Crematorium Administrator) and not be able to fill this position.

Financial and staffing implications

There  will  be  no  additional  financial  or  staffing  implications  arising  from  this amendment to the 30th Amendment.