States Meeting Transcript - 14th December 2015

[WORK IN PROGRESS 16.12.15] STATES OF JERSEY

OFFICIAL REPORT MONDAY, 14th DECEMBER 2015

COMMUNICATIONS BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER ......................................6

1. The Bailiff :..............................................................................6

APPOINTMENT OF MINISTERS, COMMITTEES AND PANELS..........................6

2. Nomination of the Deputy of St. John as a member of the Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel........................................................6

2.1 Connétable A.S. Crowcroft of St. Helier (Chairman, Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel):......................................................6

QUESTIONS......................................................................................6

3. Written Questions........................................................................6

1. SENATOR Z.A. CAMERON OF THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES REGARDING THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES:....................6
2. THE DEPUTY OF ST. JOHN OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING CORPORATE CONTROLS AND PROCESSES:........................7
3. DEPUTY S.M. WICKENDEN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE ANNUAL RUNNING COST OF THE JERSEY APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION: .........................................................................8
4. DEPUTY S.M. WICKENDEN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE NUMBER OF STAFF IN EACH CIVIL SERVICE WITHIN THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT:........................................10
5. DEPUTY S.Y. MÉZEC OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY REGARDING THE IMPACT ON PENSION INCOME OF CHANGES TO THE INCOME SUPPORT DISREGARD: .............................................10
6. DEPUTY S.Y. MÉZEC OF ST. HELIER OF H.M. ATTORNEY GENERAL REGARDING THE LAW GOVERNING THE CRIME OF INCITING RACIAL HATRED: ..............................................................................11
7. DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING SEARCHES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE IMPORT OF ILLEGAL DRUGS:....................................................................12

8. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING LOW LEVELS OF SPENDING AS A PROPORTION OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT ON EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES:.............13
9. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVES OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES OVER PAY AND CONDITIONS: ........................................................................14
10. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING GRANT REDUCTIONS TO THE JERSEY EMPLOYMENT TRUST:15
11. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE INCOME INEQUALITY GAP:...................................15
12. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING REGARDING TARGETS FOR THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL UNITS OF ACCOMMODATION IN THE SOCIAL RENTAL AND SUBSIDISED PURCHASE SECTORS:.............................................................................18
13. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE SHARP REPORT: ................................................................19
14. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING INCREASED INCOME RESULTING FROM CHARGES AND FEES:...............19
15. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING OPERATION RECTANGLE:...............................20
16. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING THE CASE OF BOSCHAT V. CHIEF OF STATES OF JERSEY POLICE:......................................................................21
17. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMITÉ DES CONNÉTABLES REGARDING PAYMENTS MADE TO HONORARY POLICE OFFICERS:............................................................................22

4. Oral Questions...........................................................................23

Senator A.K.F. Green (The Minister for Health and Social Services):........................23

1. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................23
2. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................24
3. Deputy K.C. Lewis of St. Saviour:......................................................24
4. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St Helier:........................................................24
5. Deputy M.R. Higgins of St. Helier:.....................................................25
6. Deputy S.M. Wickenden of St. Helier:..................................................25
7. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................25

2. Deputy J.A. Hilton of St. Helier of the Minister for Home Affairs regarding investigations into the circumstances of the death of a young man in Trinity in July 2015: .........................................................................................25 Deputy K.L. Moore of St. Peter (The Minister for Home Affairs):............................25

4.2.1 Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................26

3. Deputy M.R. Higgins of the Minister for Home Affairs regarding inspections of the States of Jersey Police by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary: ................26 The Deputy of St. Peter (The Minister for Home Affairs): ....................................26

1. Deputy M.R.Higgins:..................................................................26
2. Deputy J.M. Maçon of St. Brelade:.....................................................27
3. Deputy M.R.Higgins:..................................................................27
4. Deputy M.R.Higgins:..................................................................27

4. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of the Minister for Social Security regarding the effect of the phasing out of the lone-parent component of Income Support:..........................27 Deputy S.J. Pinel of St. Clement (The Minister for Social Security):..........................27

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec :....................................................................28
2. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................28
3. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................28
4. Deputy S.Y. Mézec :....................................................................28
   5. Deputy G.P. Southern of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services regarding proposals to outsource sectors of Transport and Technical Services' work:.............29 Deputy E.J. Noel of St. Lawrence (The Minister for Transport and Technical Services):......29

1. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................29
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec :....................................................................30
3. Deputy S.Y. Mézec :....................................................................30
4. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................30
5. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................31
   6. Deputy J.A. Hilton of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the reasons behind the recent announcement to close The Limes:...................................31 Senator A.K.F. Green (The Minister for Health and Social Services):........................31

1. Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................31
2. Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................32
3. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................32
4. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................32
5. Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................32

7. Deputy M.R. Higgins of the Chief Minister regarding expenditure by the Data Protection Commissioner's Office on court proceedings involving former Senator Stuart Syvret:..33 Senator P.F. Routier (Assistant Chief Minister - rapporteur):.................................33

1. Deputy M.R. Higgins:..................................................................33
2. Deputy M.R.Higgins:..................................................................33

8. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of the Chief Minister regarding reductions in grants to third sector providers: ..............................................................................34 Senator I.J. Gorst (The Chief Minister):......................................................34

1. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................34
2. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................34

5. Questions to Ministers Without Notice - The Minister for Health and Social Services ...........................................................................................34

1. The Connétable of St. Helier:...........................................................34 Senator A.K.F. Green (The Minister for Health and Social Services):........................35

1. The Connétable of St. Helier:...........................................................35
   2. Connétable J. Gallichan of St. Mary : ...................................................35
   3. Deputy M.R.Higgins:..................................................................35
   4. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................35
   5. Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................36
   6. Deputy R. Labey of St. Helier:..........................................................36
   7. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour:.................................................36
   8. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................36

5.8.1 Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................37

9. Deputy R.J. Renouf of St. Ouen:........................................................37
10. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................37
11. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :................................................................37

12. Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................38
13. Deputy S.M. Wickenden:...............................................................38

14. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................38
15. Deputy J.A. Hilton:.....................................................................38

6. Questions to Ministers Without Notice - The Minister for Economic Development..39

1. Deputy S.M. Wickenden:...............................................................39 Senator L.J. Farnham (The Minister for Economic Development):............................39
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec :....................................................................39
3. Deputy J.M. Maçon:....................................................................39
4. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet :................................................................39
5. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................40
6. Deputy S.M. Wickenden:...............................................................40
7. Connétable J.E. Le Maistre of Grouville :...............................................40
8. Deputy J.M. Maçon:....................................................................40
9. Deputy A.D. Lewis of St. Helier:.......................................................41
10. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................41

STATEMENTS ON A MATTER OF OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY........................41

7. The Assistant Chief Minister will make a statement regarding the Fuel Market Review....................................................................................41

7.1 Senator P.F.C. Ozouf (Assistant Chief Minister):.......................................41

1. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................43
2. Deputy C.F. Labey of Grouville :........................................................43
3. Deputy K.C. Lewis :....................................................................43
4. Deputy A.D. Lewis :....................................................................44
5. Deputy S.M. Wickenden:...............................................................44
6. Connétable L. Norman of St. Clement:.................................................44
7. Deputy G.P. Southern :..................................................................45

PUBLIC BUSINESS.............................................................................45 Senator I.J. Gorst :............................................................................45

8. Data Protection Commissioner and vice-Data Protection Commissioner: renewal of appointments (P.151/2015)..............................................................46

8.1 Senator I.J. Gorst (The Chief Minister):................................................46

1. Deputy M.R.Higgins:..................................................................47
2. Deputy S.M. Wickenden:...............................................................47
3. Deputy J.M. Maçon:....................................................................47
4. Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :..................................................................47
5. Senator I.J. Gorst :......................................................................48

9. Draft Currency Notes (Variation of Maximum Amount of Issue) (Jersey) Regulations 201- (P.146/2015)........................................................................50

1. Connétable J.M. Refault of St. Peter (Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources - rapporteur):.............................................................................50
2. The Connétable of St. Peter:............................................................51

1. Senator P.F.C. Ozouf :..................................................................51
2. The Connétable of St. Peter:............................................................51

ADJOURNMENT................................................................................52

The Roll was called and the Dean led the Assembly in Prayer. [14:30]

COMMUNICATIONS BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER

1. The Bailiff :

The more hawk-eyed of Members will have noted that we have a stranger in our midst today. He is not going to be a stranger for very much longer but Dr. Mark Egan, who will be taking over as Greffier next year - sworn in next year - is here to observe what is happening in the States and to keep a hawk-eye on the Greffe's clerking in the front there, which he can just about see from where he is sitting. So I have agreed that he may be in the Assembly for the sitting this time. [Approbation] There is nothing more under A.

APPOINTMENT OF MINISTERS, COMMITTEES AND PANELS

2. Nomination of the Deputy of St. John as a member of the Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel.

The Bailiff :

The nomination of the Deputy of St. John as a member of the Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel.

2.1 Connétable A.S. Crowcroft of St. Helier (Chairman, Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel):

I would like to nominate the Deputy of St. John to join the Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel.

The Bailiff :

Seconded? [Seconded] Are there any other nominations? Then I congratulate the Deputy and announce that she is elected as a member of the Environment, Housing and Technical Services Scrutiny Panel. [Approbation]

QUESTIONS

3. Written Questions

1. SENATOR Z.A. CAMERON OF THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES REGARDING THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES:

Question

Given that it is important for recruitment that doctors and nurses coming to work in Jersey do not need to retrain to be able to return to the UK should they wish to do so, is the regulatory framework that Jersey has put in place to guarantee professional standards for doctors and nurses consistent with the UK performers list?

Answer

The UK Performers List does not apply to nursing. However, all nurses working in Jersey must be registered with the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The regulatory framework for doctors in Jersey relies on doctors having a licence to practise with the General Medical Council. The standards are identical to those for any other doctor registered with the GMC and are the basis for assuring the standard and the quality of care that a doctor provides.

The Performers List applies only to doctors who are working as general practitioners (GPs). It is a list of doctors with the qualifications and experience to provide general practice services to patients.

The criteria for entrance to, and maintenance on, the Performers Lists have been very similar in each of the countries in the United Kingdom, as well as in Jersey.

However, the policy that supports the English Performers List was changed in April 2015 and NHS England has since required general practitioners to sit an examination before being able to practise as a GP in England.

This entry requirement applies only to the English Performers List. However the same requirements apply to any GP wishing to practise as a GP in England, whether they come from Jersey or, for example, from Scotland or Wales.

The Primary Care Governance Team in Jersey has been working closely with NHS England since the examination was introduced and a more appropriate route for experienced GPs to join the English Performers List is now under consideration and is expected to be introduced in the near future.

The regulatory framework in Jersey is therefore entirely consistent with other parts of the British Isles.

2. THE DEPUTY OF ST. JOHN OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING CORPORATE CONTROLS AND PROCESSES:

Question

Further to page 18 of the Home Affairs 2015 Business Plan in which a specific key risk is "workforce modernisation and process re-engineering hindered by corporate controls and processes", could the Minister explain whether this has been an issue on the department's ability to perform during 2015 and, if so, what hindrance in particular corporate controls and processes may have had?

Answer

This risk has not been an influence on the Department's ability to perform during 2015. The Home Affairs Department has delivered savings of £1,033,200 in 2015 and is proactively engaged with the Public Sector Reform Programme to identify and deliver savings in the MTFP (2016-2019), including through the use of LEAN techniques, Service Redesign and e-gov.

The risk was first identified in the 2010 Departmental Business Plan as a risk to be aware of, but of course, this does not mean that it will happen. Risk Management is a quarterly standing item on the agenda of the Home Affairs Departmental Management Board (DMB) in order to keep the Department Risk Register updated and ensure that individual Service areas implement the current and additional risk controls and/or mitigations for each of the applicable risks. Risk assessment scores are reviewed along with risk control measures. The current assessment is that this risk is manageable.

3. DEPUTY S.M. WICKENDEN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE ANNUAL RUNNING COST OF THE JERSEY APPOINTMENTS COMMISSION:

Question

Would the Chief Minister provide a list of costs year on year for the running of the Jersey Appointments Commission since it was started in 2002 up until the current day with the figures broken down by Chairperson remuneration, Commissioner remuneration and expenses?

Answer

The attached spreadsheet shows the costs from 2004 which can be clearly identified and verified. The combined payments to all commissioners (excluding expenses) are shown under the heading of professional fees.

The costs of the Jersey Appointments Commission are met from the HR budget.

9

4. DEPUTY  S.M. WICKENDEN  OF  ST.  HELIER  OF  THE  CHIEF  MINISTER REGARDING THE NUMBER OF STAFF IN EACH CIVIL SERVICE WITHIN THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT:

Question

Would the Chief Minister provide a breakdown of the number of staff in each civil service grade for the 108.4 FTE's within the Information Services Department?

Answer

The 108.4 FTEs  quoted  in the question show  the Information Services  Department budgeted headcount figure. However, as of the 30/11/2015 the FTE within Information Services was 94.6.

This figure includes the Freedom of Information staff currently working within the departments, of which 5.0 FTE are on fixed term contracts due to end in December 2015.

The  table  below  shows the  Information  Services  Department,  by  grade.  For  data  protection purposes some grades have been consolidated to ensure staff cannot be identified.

5. DEPUTY  S.Y. MÉZEC  OF ST.  HELIER  OF  THE  MINISTER  FOR  SOCIAL SECURITY REGARDING THE IMPACT ON PENSION INCOME OF CHANGES TO THE INCOME SUPPORT DISREGARD:

Question

Following the results of the Household Income Distribution Survey 2014/15 which showed that 28 percent of pensioners live in Relative Low Income, what work, if any, has the Minister undertaken to estimate what effect there will be on this figure by the recent changes to the Income Support disregard for pension income?

If she has not done any work on this, why not? Answer

The relative low income threshold after housing costs (AHC) in Jersey is £340 per week (£17,680 per  annum)  for  an  adult  couple,  including  a  pensioner  couple.   Using  the  modified  OECD equivalence scale (AHC), this is equivalent to £200 for a single pensioner (£10,200 per annum). These are weekly amounts after housing costs, e.g. after rent, building insurance and parish rates have been paid.

Other  reports  published  by  the  Statistics  Unit  provide  additional  information  on  financial circumstances.   For  example  the  2014  annual  social  survey  reported  on  the  question  "As  a household, how easy or difficult do you find it to cope financially?" Whereas 29% of non- pensioner households considered that it was quite difficult or very difficult to cope financially, the

proportion of pensioner households in this category was much lower at 10%. Alongside financial parameters, services such as the provision of social housing and healthcare can also have a significant impact on the quality of life for pensioners.

It is therefore important to take a rounded view of government policy and spending decisions. As part of the MTFP process, my Department has thought carefully about the steps needed to ensure that our benefit system remains sustainable in the face of the demographic changes that the Island faces. As our population ages, we will need to make further changes that take into account the decreasing percentage of Islanders who are at working age when compared to pensioners and the increasing costs of health care and pensions.

The States will look at incentives for all workers to save towards pension schemes to encourage higher levels of income and self-reliance in old age over the next few years. The States will also develop the Discrimination Law to protect against age discrimination during 2016.

Against this background, the support for income support pensioners was reviewed earlier in the year.

From 1 January 2016, the fixed value pension allowance will be replaced with a percentage allowance, similar to the treatment of earned income. This will promote financial independence in old age by encouraging working age people to save towards a pension. At the moment, if someone expects to claim Income Support in old age, there is little incentive for that person to maximise their pension income. Under the current rules, the total income, including benefit, is the same for a household claiming Income Support whether it has a small amount of pension income, or a large amount of pension income. In future, people will be rewarded for providing for their retirement in proportion to the amount of pension income they have saved for during their working lives.

The new Income Support disregard for pension income will apply to people who reach pension age from 1 January 2016. Current pensioners who claim Income Support will not be made worse off by the change, and in some cases will be better off. The new Income support disregard of 23% will incentivise working age people to provide more for their old age, whether it be through saving and building a bigger pension, or working a bit longer after reaching pension age.

The effect of the changes to income support on people who attain pension age over the next few years will be considered as part of the overall impact of the work being undertaken across government towards the agreed strategic priorities and the funding provided to support those goals through the MTFP and this will need to be judged over the course of the next four years. A return to economic growth, improved health services, a refurbished social housing stock and more employment opportunities for older workers will all be of benefit to pensioners.

6. DEPUTY S.Y. MÉZEC OF ST. HELIER OF H.M. ATTORNEY GENERAL REGARDING THE LAW GOVERNING THE CRIME OF INCITING RACIAL HATRED:

Question

Would H.M. Attorney General clarify the current law in Jersey governing the crime of inciting racial hatred and inform members whether there have been any prosecutions since it was introduced?

Answer

Under Jersey Law, there is no specific offence of inciting racial hatred. There have, therefore, not been any prosecutions.

Activity which might be charged as inciting racial hatred under the specific legislation which exists in England and Wales may still constitute an offence in Jersey, both contrary to customary law and under existing legislation. For example, it is an offence contrary to Article 2 Crime (Disorderly Conduct and Harassment) (Jersey) Law 2008 to use threatening or abusive words or behave in a threatening or abusive way and a person using racially inflammatory language in public may be prosecuted under that legalisation. Such conduct might also be charged as a Breach of the Peace under Jersey customary law.

In their sentencing policy, the Jersey courts have made it clear that if an offence appears to the court to be racially motivated then that is regarded as a significant aggravating feature.

7. DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING SEARCHES CONDUCTED IN RELATION TO THE IMPORT OF ILLEGAL DRUGS:

Question

Will the Minister state how many individuals have been subject to -

1. baggage searches;
2. personal searches;
3. strip searches, including cavity searches;
4. X-Rays

in the past 3 years to-date (2013 to 2015), on the suspicion of importing illegal drugs;

How many of these were (1) charged and (2) not charged and (3) how many of these convicted of a subsequent offence?

Answer

The information below is as full and accurate as the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service's information technology systems allow in terms of statistical reporting. To enable the statistics to be put into context, the total number of passengers arriving at the ports has also been included.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to report the number of baggage searches conducted solely relating to the importation of illegal drugs, as there may be a number of reasons why a person is questioned or their baggage searched. In addition to the import/export of illegal drugs, Officers have regard to all assigned Customs and Immigration matters, including the import/export of prohibited or restricted goods, evasion of revenue and the proceeds of drug trafficking.

Intimate searches are only undertaken by medical practitioners.

Note: *Arrivals figures are sourced from www.jersey.com. 2015 arrivals figures are to the end of October 2015. All other 2015 figures are to 10 December 2015.

8. DEPUTY  G.P.  SOUTHERN  OF  ST.  HELIER  OF THE  CHIEF  MINISTER REGARDING  LOW  LEVELS  OF SPENDING  AS  A  PROPORTION  OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT ON EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES:

Question

What justification does the Chief Minister offer for the low levels of spending as a proportion of GDP on the Council of Ministers' priority' services of education (2.5%) and health (3.5%) in comparison with the OECD averages (6.2% and 9% respectively)?

What further explanation does he have for figures from Standard and Poor which suggest that total government spending will reduce from 18.4% of GDP to just 17.3% by 2018?

Does he consider that such low levels will inevitably damage the level and quality of public services essential to maintain the quality of life of residents and reduce the Island to third world standards?

Answer

Comparing government spending on particular services as a share of GDP needs to be carefully interpreted. In economies like Jersey, where GDP per head is high, this does not mean that spending is lower or that the services are of lower quality. In addition, it does not necessarily reflect what society spends on these services because it does not include spending in the private and third sectors.

The  Innovation  Review,  published  by  Tera  Allas,  highlighted  that  government  spending  on education in Jersey was 2.5% of GDP. This percentage is not that different from Switzerland and Luxembourg, which are also successful economies with high GDP per head. The conclusion of that review was not to set an arbitrary target level of education spending as a share of GDP, but rather that the  Education  Department  should  work  with  businesses  to  raise  standards  and  align  the curriculum with future skills requirements of innovative businesses.

This is one of the key focuses of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). Jersey's economy is globally competitive and needs a highly skilled workforce so we are focusing on standards and skills. Stronger links between schools and businesses are being established so head teachers have the autonomy to lead creatively and inspire their students, and so young people leave school with an understanding of the world of employment, a good grasp of technology and a ready for work' approach.

Over the four years of the plan Education will receive an extra £27 million. That's £14 million to raise standards and fund the ICT strategy and £13million to cater for the predicted increase in school age children. As well as that £27million there's an extra £55m for capital investment – £40m for Les Quennevais, and £15m for Grainville and St Mary.

It is not clear how the Deputy has calculated that health spending as share of GDP in Jersey is 3.5%. The MTFP shows that net revenue spending by health and social services in 2016 will be £204 million. If the economy performs in line with the assumptions of the Fiscal Policy Panel this would amount to 5% of GDP. Such a figure has all the caveats mentioned above and does not include government spending on health through the Health Insurance Fund.

Council of Ministers recognises the importance of health spending and that is why the MTFP has allocated a total of £96 million of extra funding for health and social services over the 4 years of the plan. That includes £46million to meet rising costs of drugs, improved standards and ageing demographics; £11million on early intervention services for children – improving the life chances of our youngest and most vulnerable islanders; £850,000 on healthy lifestyle programmes – investing to reduce spending further down the line; £4million to improve mental health services; £15million on community healthcare – keeping people in their own homes for as long as possible and £20million on acute services, keeping hospital treatment safe and sustainable as more older people need these vital services

The Council of Ministers' intention is that through the reallocation of funding from savings in other areas to important services such as health and education that overall revenue spending will remain flat in nominal terms over the course of the MTFP.

Given that the economy is expected to grow over the life of the MTFP this would lead to a fall in revenue spending as share of GDP, but does not include the significant capital investment we will make over the period.

A growing economy where we get the best from the resources government spends shows we are adapting to the challenges we face. This is a far cry from reducing the Island to the status of a developing country.

9. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE STATES EMPLOYMENT BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVES OF PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES OVER PAY AND CONDITIONS:

Question

Will the Chief Minister inform members what progress, if any, has been made towards solving the ongoing dispute between the States Employment Board and representatives of public sector employees over pay and conditions in the light of above inflation pay rises in the private sector?

Answer

The States Employment Board`s Officers continue to negotiate with the Joint Trade Unions on a revised offer for a two year pay settlement, covering 2015 and 2016 . A meeting took place between officers and trade unions last week and another meeting is planned for this week.

One of the pay groups has responded via their executive, indicating rejection of the offer. However the respective staff have not been formally balloted.

Officers will continue to work actively to resolve the pay negotiations.

10. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING GRANT REDUCTIONS TO THE JERSEY EMPLOYMENT TRUST:

Question

Given that during the course of 2015, the Jersey Employment Trust (JET), a third sector provider, was subject to grant reductions on 4 different occasions in January, June, July and November taking its forecast deficit from £40,000 to £370,000, does the Chief Minister consider that this process was efficient or effective and, if not, would he assure members that this did not happen to other third sector organisations supported by the States nor will it happen again in the future?

Answer

The Jersey Employment Trust (JET) receives funding from the Social Security and Health and Social Services departments. The 2015 grant has been maintained at 2014 levels. In each of these years JET has received £141,180 from Health and Social Services and £1.8 million from Social Security.

Cash limits for the next 4 years are set as part of the Medium-Term Financial Plan. Departmental officers have a good working relationship with the Trust and discussions are continuing on the grant for 2016 and the following three years.

As the Social Security Minister confirmed at the last States sitting, we remain committed to the provision of a full range of employment opportunities, including sheltered employment. The Minister will be encouraging all States departments to consider suitable projects in their own areas.

11. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE INCOME INEQUALITY GAP:

Question

Given that the latest Income Distribution Survey points to a growing income inequality gap in Jersey to the extent that the Island has now overtaken the United Kingdom in terms of inequality, what specific targets in relation to pensioners, children in relative low income or 90/10 ratios does the Chief Minister have for the rest of his time in office and, if none, why?

Answer

We all share the goal of reducing the number of Islanders living in relative low income and we need to use all the available data to develop policies that are best suited to achieving this goal.

The 2009/10 and 2014/15 Income Distribution Surveys provide a snapshot of two moments in time. Focussing on change between these two surveys reflects the impact of a global financial crisis on Jersey's economy. Real socio-economic change tends to evolve over a longer period so it is important to refer to all the available information to inform our judgement.

The 2002 Income Distribution Survey, for example, provides a different perspective. [1]

Table 1: % of individuals living in household below relative low income threshold, before/after housing costs, 2002-15

Table 1 shows that Jersey was reducing income inequality up to 2009/10 but then lost some of this ground during the global economic downturn.

The next step is to use the data provided by the 2015 Income Distribution Survey to develop our understanding of what has happened, who has been affected and why. Initial analysis of the 2015 Income Distribution Survey provides some key insights -

• Before housing costs the trends on 3 measures of inequality (90-10 ratios and shares and Gini coefficient) in Jersey have been stable. The widening in inequality shown by the after housing costs measures seems to be a result of persistently low interest rates for mortgage holders and increasing rents for those in rental accommodation.
• The suggested rise in inequality relative to the UK is only shown by the measures after housing costs. Before housing costs, the picture was similar to that in the UK. This suggests that the impact of lower interest rates on mortgage payments and increases in rent have had a bigger impact in Jersey than in the UK. This could be due to different home ownership rates/mortgage sizes and trends in rental sectors.

It is also important to acknowledge that increasing GVA in 2014, real earnings growth for the last three years, record employment and reducing numbers of people actively seeking work are all positive  economic  indicators  that  should  trigger  an  improvement  in  the  income  inequality indicators.

Realistic Targets to reduce Income Inequality

States Members were briefed on the proposed development of a 2035 Island Vision for Jersey at a meeting on 19th November. The new approach is designed to –

• facilitate a dialogue about our aspirations, as a community, for Jersey's future;
• define the level of change required across a set of Strategic Goals, and;
• monitor progress over time.

The  new  framework  is  based  on  three  strategic  themes'  of  Community,  Economy  and Environment. These are broken down into a set of enduring Strategic Goals.

Affordable Living' is one of these Strategic Goals. Embedding an Affordable Living' Goal into our strategic planning process means we can define what we hope to achieve and monitor progress over time. The  headline performance indicators designed for this purpose already include the number of Islanders living in relative low income households.

The Council intends that the proposed Island Vision should comprise a set of realistic, long term stretch targets across the Strategic Goals which will identify the scale of change we hope to achieve by 2035. This provides the opportunity to set a meaningful target to reduce the number of Islanders living in relative low income households.

Income Distribution Surveys at regular intervals, supported by other measures such as material deprivation indicators in Jersey Annual Social Surveys, will enable future Councils to review progress. They will be able to take into account whether strategies are working as intended, whether factors outside of Jersey's control have changed the situation, and recalibrate the targets as they see fit.

In this way the Council of Ministers is already proposing to set a long term target for the number of Islanders who are living in relative low income. Such a target will need to take into account the number of children and pensioners affected and will require a rational assessment of the strategies and resources required to deliver the proposed level of change.

Focusing on outcomes, which has been widely adopted in other jurisdictions, will require a change in our approach to strategic planning. Taking the example of relative low income, it is important to recognise that -

• Sustainable socio-economic change takes time. Arbitrary outcome targets to match a political election cycle make no sense.
• Each Income Distribution Survey carries an element of statistical uncertainty because it is based on a representative sample and not the entire population. The methodology is explicit on this point and identifies the margin of error which must be taken into account. A change target must, therefore, be of sufficient magnitude to sit outside this margin of statistical uncertainty if it is to be meaningful. Again, this points to the necessity of setting targets with a realistic timescale.
• Outcome targets are not directly deliverable. Governments can put interventions in place to try to achieve a desired outcome but cannot control all the variable factors (eg; global recession, mortgage rates) that determine the result.

In summary, the Council believes there is merit in setting long term targets as part of the new Island Vision. Such targets will measure the impact of government policy on social, economic and environmental goals.

At the same time, the Council considers that the notion of setting outcome targets with an unrealistic timescale is fundamentally flawed. Furthermore, the next Income Distribution Survey will probably not be published until 2021. Even if there were any value in setting outcome targets for 2018, there would be no means of measuring progress.

In the meantime Ministers are implementing changes designed to improve the profile of relative low income in Jersey. The direction set in the 2015-18 Strategic Plan is now being translated into concrete delivery.[2] These interventions include, for example -

• Planned investment of more than £7 million over the next four years in a targeted Jersey Premium' programme to support the needs of individual children who are at risk of under- achieving due to their socio-economic circumstances.
• Investment in the development of nearly a thousand new affordable homes by 2020.
• Ongoing investment in ensuring that social rental accommodation meets the Decent Homes Standard. By 2018, 90% of Andium Homes' housing stock will have achieved this standard.
• Significant investment in the transformation of health and social care. New Mental Health and Primary Care Strategies have been published. Poor health and relative low income are inextricably linked.

Strategic planning is not about delivering instant results. It is about making long term investments designed to create sustainable change. Economic growth, improved productivity, growth in real earnings and investment in education are key to improving the profile of relative low income in Jersey.

Putting Jersey on a sound path to fiscal balance ensures that we can continue to invest in social protection in the future and also sustain the quality services, infrastructure and amenities that help improve people's lives.

12. DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING REGARDING TARGETS FOR THE PROVISION OF ADDITIONALUNITS OF ACCOMMODATION IN THE SOCIAL RENTAL AND SUBSIDISED PURCHASE SECTORS:

Question

What specific targets for additional units of accommodation in the social rental and subsidised purchase sectors does the Minister have for the coming 4 years of the Medium Term Financial Plan in order to bring down housing costs which are pushing households into relative low income?

Can she further indicate what effect, if any, the decision to move to 90% of private sector rentals levels had on the increase in the proportion of social rental households (from 50% to 66%) in relative low income over the period of the Income Distribution Survey 2014/15?

Answer

The primary means of supporting affordability is to deliver an adequate supply of new, good standard housing for our population, while also getting the most out of our existing housing, including reviewing options to get empty homes back into use.

Over the life of the Island Plan, 1,000 units of affordable were planned. An analysis is underway to provide details on delivery to date and expected delivery over the life of the Plan, across all tenures, including for rent and affordable purchase, with this to be published in early 2016 (with initial indications suggesting a further 750+ affordable units over the next 4 years).

Alongside this, the Council of Ministers is focussed on supporting a strong economy to help with the delivery of new private sector housing. The Scrutiny Panel have been very clear that we need deliver more housing. This is why the Housing Strategy is so important.

The Income Distribution Survey shows that people in social housing, in particular those of working age, have found the recent economic climate difficult. This needs further, detailed analysis. The forthcoming rental price index, which will be published by the Statistics Unit in February 2016, will further inform this analysis.

At the same time, the 90% rent model enables us to invest in more and better housing, delivering decent homes. This is important, and reflects States decisions. At this stage, 20% of tenants in the largest social housing provider are on 90% rents, some of whom will be fully supported by Income Support, being unable to meet these costs. For the people who are not supported by Income Support, we need to deliver not just better homes, but continue to improve our economic performance, improving standard of livings – which is why it has been so welcome to more recently have experienced record employment growth, earnings above inflation, and unemployment falling.

13. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING THE SHARP REPORT:

Question

Will the Chief Minister confirm with regard to the Sharp Report:

1. how many pages were contained in the full report not including appendices;
2. how many appendices were produced to the report, the title of each appendix and the number of pages in each appendix;
3. the date the main report was sent to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry; and,
4. the date(s) on which the appendices were sent to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry and the number(s) of appendices which were sent on each date?

Answer

1. The full report contained 41 pages not including the appendix.
2. One appendix was produced to the report. The title of the appendix is "The Attorney General's Questions and My Answers" and it contains 2 pages.
3. The main report was sent to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry on the 27th February 2014.
4. The one appendix was also sent to the Inquiry on the 27th February 2014.

The author of the report has been contacted and he has confirmed as follows: "I have looked out my printed copy of my report, which is labelled strictly confidential and numbered 19. It has 41 pages and one two-page appendix, containing the Attorney General's questions and my answers."

14. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHIEF MINISTER REGARDING INCREASED INCOME RESULTING FROM CHARGES AND FEES:

Question

Will the Chief Minister provide the following information for members for each States Department (breaking down the Chief Minister's Department into its individual operational or administrative units) for each year from 2008 to November 2015 -

1. every charge, fee or item that resulted in an increase income from members of the public or companies (ie. a charge by any other name) raised in that year together with its percentage rise; and,

2. the annual rate of inflation for each year (in the case of 2015 using November 2014 to November 2015)

Answer

The Chief Minister has advised that, due to the comprehensive nature of the question, it has not been possible to collate all the information prior to the deadline. The Chief Minister will endeavour to provide a full answer during the States siting, although this may not be until Wednesday 16th December 2015.

15. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING OPERATION RECTANGLE:

Question

With reference to Operation Rectangle will the Home Affairs Minister explain to Members -

1. the chain of evidence requirements for all bone or suspected bone fragments recovered from Haut de la Garenne; and,
2. whether there were breaches in the chain of evidence that occurred in their handling, examination and testing and, if so, how many breaches, who was responsible for themand what effect these breaches would have had on their admissibility had they been used as evidence in court?

Answer

1. All material that was excavated from the grounds and building ofHaut de la Garenne was searched using appropriate methods including careful archaeological excavation, visual search and sieving.

Any items that were identified as being possible bone or teeth were set to one side for assessment by an on-site anthropologist. These assessments were carried out periodically throughout the day. If an item was identified as being of human origin (e.g. as occurred with teeth), or it was not possible to immediately identify the source of the material (e.g. as occurred with numerous bone fragments) that item was packaged in a suitable tamper proof evidence bag giving details of the nature of the item, and the location in which it was found in terms of room, area, archaeological context (layer). Each item or exhibit was sealed, labelled and documented in an Exhibits Register as soon as possible after identification. This was all carried out onsite at Haut de la Garenne.

If an item was confirmed as not coming from a human source, it was still retained in the same way with appropriate annotation. In addition, items within each context which could be considered as suitable for dating a particular layer or context were also recovered in the same way.

A dedicated temporary property store was set up within the premises of Haut de la Garenne. Access to this was very limited and could only be gained by a key which was held by the Forensic Co- ordinator or their representative. Anyone entering the store had to obtain the key, break a unique numbered seal on the door and sign a register. When completed in the store, they would then lock the room on their exit before placing a new numbered seal on the door/frame and return the key. Any movement of exhibits from the store was logged in the appropriate exhibits register. When the forensic teams were not on site, the key was removed from the building and scene guards ensured that no one entered the site. Access to the whole site by any personnel was logged throughout the investigation.

At the end of the work at Haut de la Garenne all exhibits were packed into sealed crates and transferred to the main property store at the Police Station where any exhibits of potential relevance are still held. The only exception to this were a number of sealed wheelie bins containing soil which were retained off site in case further examination was deemed necessary.

A number of exhibits were submitted for further examination by suitably qualified experts. Examinations included carbon dating tests, histology examinations and assessments of teeth in terms of type, condition and ageing. These tests were carried out either in Jersey or in the UK. In all cases, the exhibits remained sealed until they were delivered to the appropriate expert who handled them in line with recognised forensic methods ensuring that their continuity (chain of evidence) was assured at all times.

2. Breaches in the chain of evidence have the potential to significantly impact on the admissibility of evidence in an investigation orat court. For this reason, continuity is vitally important and carefully regulated and recorded. If there had been any breaches, these would have been recorded and communicated to the relevant expert before any evidence was put forward so that those breaches could be taken into account.

In the case of Operation Rectangle, there are no known breaches to the continuity of evidence.

16. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS REGARDING THE CASE OF BOSCHAT V. CHIEF OF STATES OF JERSEY POLICE:

Question

Following the criticism of the States of Jersey Police by the Master of the Royal Court in Boschat v. Chief of States of Jersey Police (JRC 220A (2015)) regarding the failure to supply timely information when requested, and further to the answer given to written question 1240/5(9068) on 17th November 2015 which showed that the States of Jersey Police, uniquely of all States departments, were failing to meet the 40 day response time to subject access requests, will the Minister -

1. explain what steps she will be taking toensure that the Police will, in future, respond toall subject access requests within the 40 day period prescribed in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005;
2. publish in an anonymised format the nature ofall outstanding subject access requests over 40 days in each ofthe years listed in the previous written question, explaining the reasons why the information has not been supplied to date; and,
3. advise all States members within 40 days ofthis question how many of these outstanding information requests have, and have not, been cleared and, for those that have not been cleared, the reason(s) why?

Answer

1. The Statesof Jersey Police appointed a dedicated Data Protection officer in June 2014. Previously the role was combined within the Information Security manager's role. As a result, all outstanding subject access requests have been answered and none are still outstanding. Since June 2014, all subject access requests have been answered within the 40 day limit except for one which was extended with the permission of the requestor due to the extremely large amount of data requested (Over 10 years of redacted' e-mail trafficrequestedby a retired policeofficer).Thisrequestwas completed within 108days although information was released in batches over that period, to the satisfaction of the requestor.

2. There are no outstanding subject access requests over 40 days.
3. As b.

17. DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMITÉ DES CONNÉTABLES REGARDING PAYMENTS MADE TO HONORARY POLICE OFFICERS:

Question

Would the Committee set out for each Parish the number and type of each type of honorary police officers together with details of any payments of expenses and honorarium made to each class of honorary officer?

Answer

The number of honorary police officers (prescribed in statute) and the payment of expenses and honorarium are as follows –

4. Oral Questions

1. Deputy  G.P. Southern  of St. Helier of  the  Minister for Health and  Social Services regarding  the  cost  of  providing  alternative  care  in  the  independent  sector  for  the residents of The Limes:

What is the annual cost of providing alternative care in the independent sector for the 25 residents of the Limes due for closure by April 2016 and, since there are no redundancies involved, what savings, if any, are envisaged and what costs were estimated for bringing the home up to modern standards?

Senator A.K.F. Green (The Minister for Health and Social Services):

The annual cost of providing alternative care in the independent sector for residents of the Limes will continue - and I stress continue - to be based on their assessed needs through the long-term care benefit scheme. Each resident will have an updated needs assessment which identifies the level of care from the scheme and the charge that is applied accordingly. Health and Social Services charge the same as the long-term care benefit scheme and same as the rates in the independent sector, and these are specified in Article 8 of the Long-Term Care (Benefits) (Jersey) Order 2014. The savings are £770,000 - most of that is to do with building and infrastructure. The cost of refurbishing the Limes to make it suitable and safe - I have to stress that this is not in relation to the care provided by the care staff - but to make the environment safe and suitable. There is a budget allocated of £1.7 million and I am told now that the estimated cost is somewhere in the region of £3 million.

1. Deputy G.P. Southern :

Is it not the case that this £1.7 million was allocated or was a submission of the department back in 2012 where they put aside £700,000 for refurbishing all 32 bedrooms, installing 4 new bathrooms, to install and upgrade sluices, and completely redecorate the building inside and out, along with £1 million to balance with that from the H.G. Le Seelleur Fund? What has changed since that this planned projected  development  refurbishment  of  the  Limes  has  been  abandoned?   What  has changed?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

The Limes was designed and built as a residential home. It is now being used as a nursing home and, as such, the corridors are not big enough; the normal size domestic doors are not wheelchair friendly and, frankly, while the care that the nursing staff and the other staff provide is absolutely first class, it is not the correct environment in which to provide nursing care for the elderly. What has changed is a number of things. First of all, we know that there is going to be capacity within the care sector to be able to accommodate our patients. Secondly, the work is so substantial, you are virtually talking about knocking the building down and, therefore, everybody would have to move out anyway, and then would move back in one and a half, 2 years' time when the work had been completed, and that is not the best way to do it. As I say, there is spare capacity. We have got the care regulations from 2014 which come into effect in my department in 2016 and 2017, quite rightly. We just would not be able to meet that standard given the current building. This is a much better way of providing care for those who need it.

2. Deputy G.P. Southern :

The Minister failed to even address the question. What has changed between 2012 and now? Senator A.K.F. Green:

What I said was that the costs now are higher than the money allocated, that there is capacity within the care sector, that patients would have to move out anyway, and I also know that the fire precautions in the building need substantial investment. So a lot has changed and we can do better than we are doing currently. I have a very simple rule when providing services that has taken me right through my public sector. If it is not good enough for a member of my family, then it is not good enough for somebody else's family. This falls woefully behind that which you would require in a well-regulated nursing home.

[14:45]

3. Deputy K.C. Lewis of St. Saviour :

I do have constituents residing at the Limes at present. I would like to ask the Minister what are the plans for the site? Will it be rebuilt as a care home or will it become an office block or a police car park?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

You can jest about the latter, I do not think there is any intention of it becoming a police car park. At the moment, I have brought forward the closure of the home because of the points that I have raised in answering Deputy Southern . What becomes of the site I do not know. It could become a different home for people who are mobile with mental health needs. It could become a site to provide true sheltered housing. That would be a matter for departments to discuss with Property Holdings, to whom the building will go to. It could be that the site will be sold. I do not know. That is the truth. What I do know is it is not fit for purpose. In case people are listening, I would just like to separate the Willows and the social housing that sit on the same site. No changes there.

4. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St Helier:

Could the Minister explain to the Assembly why it was that the media were briefed on what was happening to the Limes before the residents were and before we, as Members of this Assembly, were briefed?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

Entirely down to me as it happened, because there was a "leak", if you want to call it that, and the fact that the Limes was closing was being bandied about on social media so I moved a week forward to that which I had intended to do, made sure that the trade union reps were told, the media was told and embargoed, and then the residents were told about 4 hours later.

5. Deputy M.R. Higgins of St. Helier :

Can the Minister tell us when he says "the building is not fit for use", I assume he means as a nursing home? The building itself though, do you have any estimates on what it would cost to refurbish the building for other uses?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

I do not, because it does depend what you use that building for. What we know is the Deputy is absolutely right: it is just not suitable for use as a nursing home and as such we will be handing it back to Property Holdings and then departments can bid for it and maybe vacate other sites. It is pure conjecture at the moment.

6. Deputy S.M. Wickenden of St. Helier :

Could the Minister explain how often these fit-for-purpose reviews are done on care homes in the Island by his department please?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

There are regular reviews but I have to say that there is more emphasis at the moment because of the need for the department, quite rightly, to comply with the care regulations.

7. Deputy G.P. Southern :

Does the Minister have a shortage of candidates, who are ambulatory, and might have very well been catered for in this building, without such a comprehensive rebuild as he is making out? Or is the fact that we are increasing the numbers of elderly, ambulatory or not, and we are going to need greater facilities in the future? Why is he solely reliant on the private sector?

Senator A.K.F. Green:

P.82 - when people were consulted about that, they replied in the main, where possible, they would like to remain in their homes. The majority of treatment, I think, will take place in people's homes while they are able to move around and while they can be supported. The problem is the Limes is just not suitable for nursing, and that is where the greater demand is within the services at the moment. As I say, while the care is absolutely first class provided by the staff, the environment is not and it is right that we close it.

2. Deputy J.A. Hilton of St. Helier of the Minister for Home Affairs regarding investigations into the circumstances of the death of a young man in Trinity in July 2015:

Can the Minister confirm whether the States of Jersey Police have concluded their investigations into the circumstances in relation to the death of a young man in Trinity in July of this year?"

Deputy K.L. Moore of St. Peter (The Minister for Home Affairs):

The States of Jersey Police concluded their main investigative work last month and a detailed case file remained with the Law Officers' Department since mid-November. There has been a requirement for a small number of final enquiries, which, I am advised, will be concluded this week. As proceedings remain live, it is, of course, important to remember that this case remains a matter of sub judice. The deceased young man's family have been kept apprised, as have those who remain under investigation.

4.2.1 Deputy J.A. Hilton:

Does the Minister agree with me that to remand on bail five 15 to 16 year-olds for a period of 23 weeks without charge is an unacceptable delay?

The Bailiff :

If it is sub judice, it seems to me that is going to be an end to the matter, Deputy . I am looking at you in case you wanted to object but I think that must be the position.

Deputy J.A. Hilton:

Is it worth objecting?

The Bailiff :

Not really, no. [Laughter]

Deputy J.A. Hilton:

Maybe I could direct a question to the Attorney General.

The Bailiff :

If you give notice in the usual way I am sure you could try, but not today.

3. Deputy M.R. Higgins of the Minister for Home Affairs regarding inspections of the States of Jersey Police by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary:

Will the Minister advise Members the date when the States of Jersey Police last underwent an inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and also when it underwent a peer review of one of its major investigations, such as murder, by an independent police force, and if it has not had one in the last 5 years, why?

The Deputy of St. Peter (The Minister for Home Affairs):

While there is no statutory requirement for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to undertake inspections of policing in Jersey, the States of Jersey Police was last inspected in March 2008 at the invitation of the Island authorities. Since then, the force has established arrangements with other Crown Dependencies and other U.K. (United Kingdom) police forces to periodically undertake peer reviews in particular areas of practice, which has included reviews into police use of firearms, managing sex offenders and domestic abuse, police custody and public order. In addition, following the Island's 2 most recent homicide investigations in 2011 and 2014, the States of Jersey Police have called upon the National Police lead officer with responsibility nationally for a particular discipline for some bespoke elements of the investigations and in order to provide advice and guidance in accordance with the College of Policing good practice.

1. Deputy M.R. Higgins:

The last inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, who obviously are reviewing all police forces throughout the U.K., was in 2008. Does the Minister not think it is time that perhaps they should come in and do another inspection and these ad hoc ones are not going to be as comprehensive as a full H.M.I.C. (Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary) inspection? Does the Minister not agree it is time for another inspection?

The Deputy of St. Peter :

Since 2008 a lot has happened and the Police Authority has been set up in Jersey, which provides an additional level of oversight. The question of whether or not to invite Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary is one that I would take with the Police Authority if deemed appropriate. But, also, one would have to be mindful of the cost, which would be in the region of £30,000.

2. Deputy J.M. Maçon of St. Saviour :

I do not know if this is going a bit too far, but can the Minister advise when the police force was last externally audited?

The Deputy of St. Peter :

That is not a piece of information I have at my fingertips. Deputy J.M. Maçon:

Could the Minister please provide that in due course? The Deputy of St. Peter :

Of course.

3. Deputy M.R. Higgins:

Considering that the Police Authority has no real expertise of policing, I do not think it is good enough to say that they have not felt the need for one. Will the Minister consult before the end of the year with the Police Authority and see if they are willing to call for an H.M.I.C. inspection, as it is long overdue?

The Deputy of St. Peter :

I am not willing or able to meet with the Police Authority before the end of this year, as we have only a matter of a couple of weeks left before the end of the year. But it is a constant point of review and discussion between ourselves and, at the moment, it is not considered necessary, or we would have called for one.

4. Deputy M.R. Higgins:

I will go back to my request: will the Minister speak with the Police Authority, review this situation of an H.M.I.C. inspection before the end of January, which gives her more time to do so?

The Deputy of St. Peter :

I meet regularly with the chairman of the Jersey Police Authority and I will raise the point at our next meeting, but I am assured from my colleague on the Police Authority, in front of me, that this has been discussed recently with the Police Authority and they drew the same conclusion as myself, which is there is no need. But we can have that conversation between ourselves, I am sure.

4. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of the Minister for Social Security regarding the effect of the phasing out of the lone-parent component of Income Support:

Further to the Minister's answers to questions asked by Deputy Southern and myself during the States sitting of 1st December 2015 in which the Minister stated that the department had conducted research into the effect of the phasing out of the lone-parent component of income support upon the number of people living in relative low income, which currently stands at 56 per cent, could the Minister advise what that research concluded?

Deputy S.J. Pinel of St. Clement (The Minister for Social Security):

Deputy Mézec has asked me to comment on the impact of a change of one component within income support on the future household income of single parents. The change to the lone-parent component, as approved by the States, is one of a number of changes to benefits. The package of benefit changes is just one of a wide range of decisions agreed as part of the approval of the Medium Term Financial Plan. These changes must be taken as a whole and any judgment on the success of the policies will need to be taken in future years as their impact is assessed. For example, the investment in economic growth is designed to stimulate the economy and create more job opportunities for local people, including single parents. The continued support for the Back-to- Work teams at Social Security allows us to provide tailored support for all income parents. The investment in education is designed to raise standards and the pupil premium will provide extra targeted support for vulnerable pupils to help them achieve their potential. I am confident that the package of measures endorsed by the Assembly will have a positive impact on single parents over the next 4 years, helping to lift them and their children out of relative low income.

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec :

What I would like to know from the Minister then is this figure of relative low income is based on a very defined formula. My question is: is she anticipating that over the next few years, with the reduction of the lone-parent component of income support, the phasing out of it, which once has been completed will see those families £2,000 a year worse off, does she anticipate that the number of people living in relative low income in the Island is going to go up as a result of the phasing out of that income support component?

Deputy S.J. Pinel:

I think I answered that in my initial comments: that we will have to wait to see what the impact is before we can assess any of it.

2. Deputy G.P. Southern :

We will have to wait and see what the impact of removing £2,000 from people's income produces, whether it produces more income or less. Was the Minister aware that over one in 2 lone parents was in relative low income when she proposed to reduce the one-parent family supplement?