States Meeting Transcript - 7th November 2023

STATES OF JERSEY OFFICIAL REPORT

TUESDAY, 7th NOVEMBER 2023

QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 10

1. Written Questions .......................................................................... 10

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South of the Chief Minister regarding a register of all units of dwelling accommodation, following a decision by the Bailiff under Standing Order 12(4)(c) that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked. (WQ.378/2023) ........................................................ 10
2. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Social Security regarding short term incapacity claims. (WQ.382/2023) ............................. 11
3. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chief Minister regarding the inquiries into the explosion at Haut du Mont and the Collision of L'Ecume II, following a decision by the Bailiff under Standing Order 12(4)(c). (WQ.390/2023) ....................... 13
4. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for the Environment regarding the Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive (EVPI) Scheme. (WQ.395/2023 14
5. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding Government supplier invoices. (WQ.396/2023) ............................ 14
6. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding the current investigations of the Commissioner for Standards. (WQ.397/2023) .......................................................... 15
7. Deputy T.A. Coles of St. Helier South of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding outstanding 2023 tax assessments. (WQ.398/2023) ........................ 16
8. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Minister for the Environment regarding the patrolling of Jersey's territorial waters and monitoring of fishing activities. (WQ.399/2023) ........................................................................... 16
9. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South of the Minister for Housing and Communities regarding the Empty Homes Service. (WQ.400/2023) ................ 21
10. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chair of the States Employment Board regarding the employment of individuals in the public sector. (WQ.401/2023)..... 22
11. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Chief Minister regarding the Public Sector Ombudsman Redress Scheme and Inquiries (PSORSI). (WQ.402/2023) ............ 22
12. Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the waiting lists for ophthalmic interventions. (WQ.403/2023) 23
13. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Chief Minister regarding Cabinet Office budget. (WQ.405/2023) .......................................................... 24
14. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Chief Minister regarding suspended employees within the Health and Community Services department. (WQ.406/2023) ........................................................................... 25
15. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding the abolition of the Upper and Lower Earnings Limits on Social Security contributions. (WQ.407/2023) ........................................ 25

16. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding the Constituency Office Support Team. (WQ.408/2023) .... 26
17. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding growth bids in the Government Plan 2024-2027. (WQ.409/2023) ........................................................................... 29
18. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture regarding Economic Impact Assessments, following a decision by the Bailiff , under Standing Order 12(4)(c), that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked. (WQ.410/2023) .......................... 31
19. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the Liberty Bus Avanchicard unlimited annual pass. (WQ.411/2023 ................ 32
20. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the tax income received from High Value Residents for 2022. (WQ.412/2023) ..... 33
21. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for the Environment regarding the reduction in duty on biofuels. (WQ.413/2023) ........................ 33
22. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chief Minister regarding inquiries into the explosion at Haut du Mont and the collision of L'Ecume II. (WQ.414/2023) ....... 33
23. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Minister for External Relations regarding Consuls in Jersey. (WQ.415/2023) ...................................................... 34
24. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding the Independent Review of States Members' pay. (WQ.416/2023) ........................................................................... 36
25. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Social Security regarding Government funding for wound dressings. (WQ.417/2023) .......................... 36
26. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the funding for their department within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027. (WQ.418/2023) .............................................................. 38
27. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Social Security regarding the funding for their department within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027. (WQ.419/2023) ........................................................................... 39

29. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Children and Education regarding support for the families of children that are diagnosed with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses. (WQ.421/2023) ..................... 41
30. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding support for the families of children that are diagnosed with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses. (WQ.422/2023) ..................... 42
31. Deputy A. Howell of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding staff employed within the Public Health Team. (WQ.404/2023) ........................................................................... 44
32. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding residential dwellings owned by the Government. (WQ.424/2023) ........................................................................... 49
33. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding the annual revenue from personal income taxation. (WQ.425/2023) ........................................................................... 49
34. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs regarding missing persons. (WQ.426/2023 .................................... 50
35. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Minister for the Environment regarding fishing incidents between French and Jersey boats. (WQ.427/2023) ................ 51

36. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Minister for the Environment regarding Articles 59 and 60 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002. (WQ.429/2023)

  53

37. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Social Security regarding free period products. (WQ.430/2023) ...................................... 55
38. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs regarding the States of Jersey Police use of body worn cameras. (WQ.432/2023 ............................................................................ 56
39. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Children and Education regarding absences of pupils from school. (WQ.433 /2023) .......................... 58
40. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Children and Education regarding warning letters to parents for unauthorised holidays. (WQ.434/2023) .. 66
41. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Social Security regarding the current daily allowance for food for those undertaking off-Island treatment for cancer and other conditions. (WQ.435/2023 .......................... 66
42. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding Avanchi18 passes and Student Avanchicards. (WQ.436/2023) ...................... 67
43. The Connétable of St. Brelade of the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture regarding the preservation of a section of building on Broad Street. (WQ.438/2023) .................................................................. 67
44. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture regarding making entry to Jersey Museum free of charge. (WQ.439/2023) .................................................................. 68
45. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture regarding the estimated cost to reopen a staffed tourist information centre. (WQ.440/2023).................................................... 68

2. Oral Questions ............................................................................. 68

1. Deputy B.B. de S.DV.M. Porée of St. Helier South of the Minister for Social Security regarding the repatriation of bodies (OQ.215/2023) .................................... 68

Deputy E. Millar of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity (The Minister for Social Security): .. 69

1. Deputy B.B. de S.DV.M. Porée : .......................................................... 69
2. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central : ................................................. 69
3. Deputy C.S. Alves : ....................................................................... 69
4. Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier Central : .............................................. 69
5. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 69
6. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South : .................................................. 70
7. Connétable D.W. Mezbourian of St. Lawrence : .......................................... 70
8. The Connétable of St. Lawrence :......................................................... 71

2. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St. Helier North of the Chief Minister regarding growth bids in the Government Plan (OQ.212/2023) .................................................. 71

Deputy K.L. Moore (The Chief Minister): ...................................................... 71

1. Deputy M.B. Andrews : ................................................................... 71
2. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade : ........................................................ 72
3. Deputy M.R. Scott : ....................................................................... 72
4. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 72
5. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 73

3. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding training for Ministers on answering oral questions (OQ.222/2023)........ 73

The Connétable of St. Clement (Chair, Privileges and Procedures Committee): .............. 73

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 73
2. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 73
3. Deputy M.R. Scott : ....................................................................... 74
4. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central : .............................................. 74
5. Deputy A. Curtis of St. Clement : ......................................................... 74
6. Deputy S.G. Luce of Grouville and St. Martin : .......................................... 74
7. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 74
8. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 75

4. Deputy C.S. Alves of the Chair of the Comité des Connétable s regarding driving licenses (OQ.217/2023) .................................................................... 75

Connétable M.K. Jackson of St. Brelade (Chair, Comité des Connétable s): ................... 75

1. Deputy C.S. Alves : ....................................................................... 75
2. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 76
3. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 76
4. Deputy T.A. Coles of St. Helier South : .................................................. 76
5. Deputy C.S. Alves : ....................................................................... 76

5. The Connétable of St. Brelade of the Minister for the Environment regarding the rejection of the planning application for Les Sablons (OQ.214/2023) .................. 77

Deputy J. Renouf of St. Brelade (The Minister for the Environment): ......................... 77

1. The Connétable of St. Brelade : ........................................................... 77
2. Connétable A.S. Crowcroft of St. Helier : ................................................ 77
3. The Connétable of St. Helier : ............................................................ 77
4. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 78
5. The Connétable of St. Brelade : ........................................................... 78

6. Deputy R.J. Ward of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the bus operator contract (OQ.218/2023) .................................................................... 78

Deputy T. Binet of St. Saviour (The Minister for Infrastructure): .............................. 78

1. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 78
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 79
3. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 79
4. The Connétable of St. Helier : ............................................................ 79
5. The Connétable of St. Helier : ............................................................ 80
6. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 80
7. Connétable A.N. Jehan of St. John : ...................................................... 80
8. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 80

7. Deputy L.V. Feltham of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding assessments of tax allowances and relief (OQ.220/2023)................................ 81

Deputy I.J. Gorst of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter (The Minister for Treasury and

Resources): ................................................................................ 81

1. Deputy L.V. Feltham : .................................................................... 81
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 81
3. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 82
4. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 82
5. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 82
6. Deputy C.S. Alves : ....................................................................... 82
7. Deputy C.S. Alves : ....................................................................... 83

8. Deputy L.V. Feltham : .................................................................... 83

8. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of the Chief Minister regarding the Code of Conduct and Practice for Ministers (OQ.223/2023) .............................................................. 84

Deputy K.L. Moore (The Chief Minister): ...................................................... 84

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 84
2. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 84
3. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 85
4. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................... 85
5. Deputy P.M. Bailhache of St. Clement : .................................................. 85
6. Deputy P.M. Bailhache : .................................................................. 86
7. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 86

9. Deputy R.J. Ward of the Minister for Housing and Communities regarding support for private tenants in damaged homes (OQ.219/2023) .................................. 86

Deputy D. Warr of St. Helier South (The Minister for Housing and Communities): .......... 86

1. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 86
2. The Connétable of St. Brelade : ........................................................... 87
3. The Connétable of St. Brelade : ........................................................... 87
4. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 87
5. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 87
6. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 88
7. Deputy R.J. Ward :........................................................................ 88

10. Deputy L.V. Feltham of the Chief Minister regarding conflicts of interest (OQ.221/2023) .............................................................................. 88

Deputy K.L. Moore (The Chief Minister): ...................................................... 88

1. Deputy L.V. Feltham :.................................................................. 89
2. Deputy R.J. Ward : ..................................................................... 89
3. Deputy R.J. Ward : ..................................................................... 89
4. Deputy L.V. Feltham :.................................................................. 90

11. Deputy M.B. Andrews of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding regulatory technology tax incentives (OQ.213/2023).................................... 90

Deputy I.J. Gorst (The Minister for Treasury and Resources): ................................. 90

1. Deputy M.B. Andrews : ................................................................ 90
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ................................................................... 90
3. Deputy L.V. Feltham :.................................................................. 91
4. Deputy L.V. Feltham :.................................................................. 91

12. Deputy B.B. de S.DV.M. Porée of the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs regarding vetting of companies employing individuals from Africa (OQ.216/2023) .. 91

Deputy H. Miles of St. Brelade (The Minister for Justice and Home Affairs): ................ 91

1. Deputy B.B. de S.DV.M. Porée : ...................................................... 92
2. Deputy R.J. Ward : ..................................................................... 92
3. Deputy R.J. Ward : ..................................................................... 92
4. Deputy B.B. de S.DV.M. Porée : ...................................................... 93

STATEMENTS ON A MATTER OF OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY ........................ 93

3. The Chief Minister will make a statement regarding Jersey's response to Storm Ciarán ...................................................................................... 93

3.1 Deputy K.L. Moore (The Chief Minister): ............................................... 93

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 95
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ...................................................................... 95
3. Deputy S.G. Luce :........................................................................ 95
4. Deputy C.D . Curtis of St. Helier Central : ................................................ 96
5. Connétable K.C. Lewis of St. Saviour : ................................................... 96
6. Connétable D. Johnson of St. Mary : ...................................................... 97
7. The Connétable of St. Martin : ............................................................ 97
8. Deputy P.M. Bailhache : .................................................................. 97
9. The Connétable of St. Brelade : ........................................................... 98
10. Deputy M.R. Scott :.................................................................... 98
11. Connétable P.B. Le Sueur of Trinity : .................................................. 99
12. Connétable M. Labey of Grouville : ................................................... 99
13. Deputy L.J. Farnham of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter : ............................ 99

QUESTIONS - resumption ....................................................................... 100

4. Questions to Ministers without notice - The Minister for Infrastructure ............ 100

1. Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 100 Deputy T. Binet (The Minister for Infrastructure): ............................................ 100
2. Deputy A. Howell of St. John , St. Lawrence and Trinity : .............................. 100

4.2.1 Deputy A. Howell : ...................................................................... 100

3. The Connétable of St. Brelade : .......................................................... 101
4. Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour : ................................................. 101

4.4.1 Deputy L.M.C. Doublet : ................................................................ 101

5. The Connétable of St. Helier : ........................................................... 101

4.5.1 The Connétable of St. Helier : ........................................................... 102

5. Questions to Ministers without notice - The Minister for International Development

 ............................................................................................. 102

1. Deputy B. Ward : ........................................................................ 102 Deputy C.F. Labey of Grouville and St. Martin (The Minister for International Development): ........................................................................................... 102
2. Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 102

5.2.1 Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 103

3. Deputy L.J. Farnham : ................................................................... 103
4. The Connétable of St. Helier : ........................................................... 103
5. Deputy S.G. Luce :....................................................................... 103
6. Deputy A. Howell : ...................................................................... 104
7. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ..................................................................... 104
8. Deputy S.G. Luce :....................................................................... 104

6. Questions to Ministers without notice - The Chief Minister .......................... 105

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ..................................................................... 105 Deputy K.L. Moore (The Chief Minister): .................................................... 105

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ..................................................................... 105
   2. Deputy M. Scott : ........................................................................ 105

6.2.1 Deputy M. Scott : ........................................................................ 105

3. Deputy A. Howell : ...................................................................... 105

6.3.1 Deputy A. Howell : ...................................................................... 106

PUBLIC BUSINESS .............................................................................. 106

7. Reduction in Lodging Periods ........................................................... 106

1. Deputy S.G. Luce :....................................................................... 106
2. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................. 106

1. Deputy T.A. Coles : ...................................................................... 107
2. Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 107
3. Deputy K. Wilson of St. Clement : ...................................................... 108
4. Deputy R.J. Ward :....................................................................... 108
5. Deputy K.L. Moore : ..................................................................... 108
6. Deputy P.F.C. Ozouf of St. Saviour : .................................................... 108
7. Deputy G.P. Southern : .................................................................. 109

3. Deputy L.J. Farnham : ................................................................... 111

1. Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 111
2. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ..................................................................... 112
3. Deputy J. Renouf : ....................................................................... 112
4. Deputy L.J. Farnham : ................................................................... 112

LUNCHEON ADJOURNMENT PROPOSED .................................................. 114 LUNCHEON ADJOURNMENT ................................................................. 114

Deputy M.R. Scott : ............................................................................ 114 Deputy J. Renouf : .............................................................................. 114 Deputy S.G. Luce : ............................................................................. 115

8. Draft Sea Fisheries (Vessel Monitoring Systems) (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 202- (P.68/2023) ........................................................................... 115

1. Deputy J. Renouf (The Minister for the Environment): ................................ 115

1. Deputy S.G. Luce :....................................................................... 117
2. Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 117
3. The Connétable of St. Brelade : .......................................................... 117
4. Deputy J. Renouf : ....................................................................... 117

2. Deputy J. Renouf : ....................................................................... 119
3. Deputy J. Renouf : ....................................................................... 119

1. Deputy R.J. Ward :....................................................................... 119
2. Deputy P.F.C. Ozouf :.................................................................... 120
3. Deputy J. Renouf : ....................................................................... 120

9. Increase in revenue expenditure for agriculture and fisheries (P.74/2023) - as amended (P.74/2023 Amd.(3)) ........................................................... 120

9.1 Deputy S.G. Luce :....................................................................... 122

1. Deputy A. Curtis : ........................................................................ 126
2. Deputy C.D . Curtis : ..................................................................... 128
3. The Connétable of St. John : ............................................................. 128
4. The Connétable of Grouville : ........................................................... 129
5. Deputy M.R. Scott : ...................................................................... 129
6. Deputy P.F.C. Ozouf :.................................................................... 130
7. The Connétable of St. Saviour : .......................................................... 132
8. Deputy S.Y. Mézec : ..................................................................... 133
9. Deputy T. Binet :......................................................................... 134
10. Deputy A. Howell : ................................................................... 134
11. Deputy M.R. Le Hegarat : ............................................................ 135

12. The Connétable of Trinity : ........................................................... 135
13. Deputy J. Renouf : .................................................................... 136
14. Deputy R.J. Ward : .................................................................... 136
15. The Connétable of St. Brelade : ...................................................... 137
16. Connétable R. Honeycombe of St. Ouen : ............................................ 137
17. Deputy I.J. Gorst : .................................................................... 137
18. Deputy L.J. Farnham : ................................................................ 139
19. Deputy I. Gardiner : .................................................................. 140
20. Deputy K.L. Moore : .................................................................. 140
21. Deputy M.B. Andrews : .............................................................. 141
22. Deputy S.G. Luce : .................................................................... 142

10. Draft Income Support (Amendment No. 23) (Jersey) Regulations 202- (P.77/2023) 145

10.1 Deputy E. Millar (The Minister for Social Security): ................................... 145

ARRANGEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS FOR FUTURE MEETINGS................... 147

11. Deputy M.R. Le Hegarat (Vice-Chair, Privileges and Procedures Committee - rapporteur): .............................................................................. 147

ADJOURNMENT ................................................................................. 148

[9:30]

The Roll was called and the Dean led the Assembly in Prayer. Connétable K. Shenton-Stone of St. Martin :

Sorry, Sir. Can I advise the Assembly that I will be absent this afternoon because I am undergoing a small medical procedure? But I am hoping to be back in tomorrow. I may not be, but I am hoping to. Thank you.

The Deputy Bailiff :

Thank you very much. Yes, Chief Minister.

Deputy K.L. Moore of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter :

Apologies, Sir. Also, I have circulated a message to Members regarding the order of questions without notice and a statement that I would like to give today, and I was wondering if Members would be kind enough to agree for me to make the statement in advance of questions without notice. I thought it just might assist their flow of thinking and questioning.

The Deputy Bailiff :

So your proposition is your statement is dealt with after questions with notice but before questions without notice. Is that seconded? [Seconded] Does anyone wish to speak on the proposition of the Chief Minister. Members are content to proceed in that way. In that case, we shall do so.

Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central :

I never know if this is the right time. I did return a written question to the Bailiff a week or so ago, Written Question 411/2023, because I do not think it was answered adequately. I have not received a reply and that could be with what has gone on recently, I completely understand. I just wonder whether I am too late to raise it as simply a written question that has not been answered now.

The Deputy Bailiff :

Well, I am sure you are not too late if it has been raised before. I will look into that. Perhaps you could kindly resend it to the Greffier.

Deputy R.J. Ward :

Yes, certainly. Thank you, Sir.

The Deputy Bailiff :

I will look into that over the lunchtime adjournment. Deputy R.J. Ward :

Thank you, Sir.

QUESTIONS

1. Written Questions

1. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South of the Chief Minister regarding a register of all units of dwelling accommodation, following a decision by the Bailiff under Standing Order 12(4)(c) that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked. (WQ.378/2023)

The Chief Minister tabled a revised answer on 19thOctober 2023 to this question following a decision by the Bailiff , under Standing Order 12(4)(c), that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked.

Question

Will the Chief Minister confirm –

1. whether or not she maintains a register of all units of dwelling accommodation, in accordance with article 16(1) of the Control of Housing and Work Law;
2. how a member of the public may inspect this register, in accordance with article 16(2) of that Law; and
3. if she is not complying with this Law, why not, and when she will be addressing this?

Answer

1. As part of administering the Control of Housing and Work Law, systems are maintained which register all units of dwelling accommodation, and record information on categories of properties as Qualified or Registered, and any conditions or concessions.

Since 2012, this has been considered to sufficiently satisfy the requirements of Article 16(1). However, I have asked for this position to be reviewed as part of the work outlined below in part (c).

2. Article 16(2) provides that any person may inspect the register during normal business hours. However, at present, the information is not organised, nor is the technology configured, such that it can be made available for routine inspection by the public in line with Article 16(2).

For this reason, since 2012, the Customer and Local Services Department have responded to any request seeking clarification on the categorisation of any unit of dwelling accommodation, and whether there are any conditions or concessions to which that categorisation is subject.

3. Article 16(2) provides that any person may inspect the register during normal business hours. Currently, it is not possible for a person to inspect the full register.

The categorisation of a properties in Jersey, and conditions and concessions applied, change over time for a variety of reasons, and therefore there is considerable complexity in maintaining a full register that is accurate and complete at any one time. This is why, since 2012, when a request is made by the public for information, checks are undertaken by the department before confirming the details on any specific property.

Discussions have begun to use technology solutions to enable access to a full register as required by Article 16(2), and for any data quality issues to be resolved as part of this, including any required changes to internal departmental processes.

I do not have an implementation date for this work, in advance of more evaluation of the investment required. In the meantime, the process as outlined in part (b) applies whereby members of the public may ask for details on any specific property.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, and hastening efforts to remedy the situation.

2. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Social Security regarding short term incapacity claims. (WQ.382/2023)

Question

Will  the Minister provide month-by-month statistics for the time taken to  process  short term incapacity claims, from submission to the Department to the point that the payments are in the claimants' accounts, for the last 2 years, broken down by mean, mode, and median average, and the maximum and minimum times?

Answer

Notes:

Table data is identified as follows:

• Month: month claim received.

• STIA claim: data includes first certificate received per separate claim, it does not include extension claims.

• Payment processing: data relates to time to finalise payment within CLS system. The exact time to reach the claimant's account is not known by the department. There are a range of payment methods available and STIA payments are also made directly to employers in some circumstances.

• The recent 2023 data should be interpreted with caution as not all claims will have been processed at the date of the data extraction.

Columns:

• Number of claims: the number of first certificates received in a month

• Minimum number of days to processing payment: the fastest claims were processed in this number of days

• Mean: the total number of days to process all the claims divided by the number of claims

• Median: half of all the claims were processed in less than this number of days

• Mode: the most common number of days to process a claim

• Maximum: the highest number of days to process any of the claims received in that month. This figure relates to a very small number of claims per month where extra information is needed to finalise the claim. For example, it may be necessary to request information from a reciprocal country to establish a contribution record for the period to confirm that a benefit is due to be paid.

3. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chief Minister regarding the inquiries into the explosion at Haut du Mont and the Collision of L'Ecume II, following a decision by the Bailiff under Standing Order 12(4)(c). (WQ.390/2023)

The Chief Minister tabled a revised answer on 19th October 2023 to this question following a decision by the Bailiff , under Standing Order 12(4)(c), that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked.

Question

Will the Chief Minister state when she anticipates that the inquiries into the explosion at Haut du Mont and the Collision of L'Ecume II will be concluded; and will she advise whether the full reports and findings will be published, and if so, when?

Answer

The joint States of Jersey Police and Health & Safety Inspectorate inquiry into the explosion at Haut du Mont, named Operation Spire, is one of the largest and most complex criminal investigations in the Island's history. The investigation relies on specialist technical and scientific off-island examinations and reporting by experts. These examinations and reports will provide the investigation team with the necessary evidence to progress the investigations to a conclusion.

The States of Jersey Police have also been simultaneously investigating the tragic incident off the coast of St Ouen – Operation Nectar. This is a similarly large and complex investigation.

It is important that both investigations are thorough and rigorous in order to reassure the bereaved families and indeed all islanders that every effort has been made to establish the facts.

A file of evidence has been submitted to the Law Officers' Department (LOD) relating to Operation Nectar. Given the size and complexity of the file it will take some time to consider the evidence submitted by the States of Jersey Police. It is anticipated that a similar file of evidence will be submitted to the LOD with regard to Operation Spire when the experts' reports have been received, fully considered and the investigation concluded.

Operation Nectar and Operation Spire are investigations that are independent of Government. Accordingly, it is not possible for the Chief Minister to anticipate when they might conclude and it would be improper for a Minister to seek to influence the process of a criminal investigation. The Chief Minister is also not able to advise whether the reports and findings of these independent investigations will be published. This will be a decision for the investigating and prosecuting authorities to take at the appropriate time.

4. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for the Environment regarding the Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive (EVPI) Scheme. (WQ.395/2023

Question

Will the Minister state the number of applicants to the Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive (EVPI) scheme, and the total amount of funding that has been distributed through this scheme to date?

Answer

As at 18 October 2023, the scheme had received 157 applications for the Electric Vehicle Purchase Incentive in total.

Of these, 122 have been redeemed and processed for payment and £415,000 has been distributed for payment of these incentives from the Climate Emergency Fund.

5. Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding Government supplier invoices. (WQ.396/2023)

Question

Will the Minister state –

1. how many outstanding payments there are currently for invoices sent to Government that are over 30 days old;
2. what the total still owed by the Government to suppliers is due to the move to Connect;
3. whether any delay or failure from the Government to make payments within the normal terms and conditions has negatively impacted any local businesses; and
4. whether any such delays or failures contributed to any local businesses having to cease trading?

Answer

1. Since implementing Connect Finance/Ariba in January 2023 the Government has paid 135,000 invoices totalling £500 million. The Government pays over 4,000 invoices per week. Whilst payment performance was lower than our target in the first quarter, the Government returned to its target to pay 80% of invoices within 30 days from the second quarter.
   1. There are currently 7,600 invoices in Connect Finance/Ariba over 30 days old. These invoices are progressing through the Connect Finance/Ariba system processes to obtain the necessary approvals prior to payment.

3. There have always been a number of reasons why invoices remain outstanding, and this was equally true before Connect was implemented. Implementation of Connect has, in the initial months, contributed to delays in payments. However, that impact is reducing as we address implementation issues such as system, training and adoption. It is not possible to quantify the amount of delayed payments by cause.

a.  For example, there are always some invoices for a preceding financial year that are paid in the following financial year. The Government has paid 98% of the invoices that have been received in 2023 relating to 2022.

3. If a supplier or department identifies that delayed invoice payment could potentially impact a local business a process for escalation is followed.

a.  The Government makes daily payment runs and is able to make same day priority payments into supplier bank accounts if it is identified that a delayed payment may impact a local business. This process for escalation has been in place for many years and mitigates the risk to local businesses.

4. We do not believe that late payment has led to the insolvency of any local business.
5. The escalation process means no local business should cease trading as a result of a delayed invoice payment.

6. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding the current investigations of the Commissioner for Standards. (WQ.397/2023)

Question

Will the Chair state the total cost since May 2022 of investigations undertaken by the Commissioner for Standards that have reached a conclusion?

Answer

The former Commissioner for Standards, Paul Kernaghan was in office from September 2017 – February 2023. From May 2022 to February 2023 the total cost for the work undertaken by the Commissioner was £2,000. The costs relate to 4 caseloads only - none of the caseloads led to formal investigations during the May 2022 – February 2023 timeframe.

The current Commissioner for Standards, Dr Melissa McCullough was appointed in February 2023. Since February 2023, there have been 14 caseloads in total. Of the 14 caseloads (5 of which have closed) there have been 3 concluded investigations:

• R.107/2023 - Investigation of Complaint of Breach of the Code of Conduct for Elected Members by Deputy K.F Morel and Deputy K.L. Moore

• R.129/2023 - Investigation of Complaint of Breach of the Code of Conduct for Elected Members by M.R Scott

• R.130/2023 – Investigation of Complaint of Breach of the Code of Conduct for Elected Members by M.B Andrews (which combined 2 caseloads)

The total cost of caseloads and initial setting up costs from this period is £29,750 (62 days in total). In relation to the investigations above, approximately 18 days in total were spent on investigative work and report writing totalling £9,000. This work spanned from March 2023 to the submission of the Commissioner's final reports (June 2023 for R.107/2023 and August 2023 for R.129/2023 and R130/2023).

The total cost for Commissioner for Standards work since May 2022 is £31,150.

7. Deputy T.A. Coles of St. Helier South of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding outstanding 2023 tax assessments. (WQ.398/2023)

Question

Will the Minister state the number of 2023 tax assessments which are still to be issued?

Answer

2023 tax assessments are not due to be issued before January 2024 once islanders begin to file tax returns for 2023 income.

The deadlines for filing 2023 personal income tax returns are 31 May 2024 for paper returns; and 31 July 2024 for online filing. 2023 tax assessments will be issued during the course of 2024 as returns are processed. A tax assessments is normally issued within 30 days of receipt of a complete tax return.

The vast majority of people who filed a tax return for 2022 have already received a tax assessment for that year.

Revenue Jersey routinely expects around 60,000 to 65,000 personal income tax returns to be filed annually. As of 16 October 2023, 965 tax assessments remain to be issued for 2022 in response to filed tax returns. These are likely to be issued by the end of October. Around 2.500 Default Assessments will be issued where a tax return has not been filed.

8. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Minister for the Environment regarding the patrolling of Jersey's territorial waters and monitoring of fishing activities. (WQ.399/2023)

Question

In relation to the patrolling of Jersey's territorial waters and monitoring of fishing activities by the Norman Le Brocq or any other vessel used by the Government marine resources team, will the Minister provide the following information from the beginning of 2023 –

1. the number of patrols carried out and the dates of those patrols;
2. the areas covered in those patrols;
3. the distance travelled and time spent on those patrols; and
4. the catches examined, the nature of any infractions identified, and any enforcement action taken?

Answer Background

Marine Resources has two patrol vessels: FPV Norman Le Brocq (Camarc 15m patrol vessel) which is generally used for offshore work, gear inspections and research; and FPV Ecrehou (Ribcraft 6.4m RIB) which is a lightweight RIB used for inshore work and for operations inside areas where the Norman Le Brocq cannot operate (e.g. offshore reefs, close inshore). Both vessels were operational in 2023 with patrol and other work being scheduled around maintenance/repair and in accordance with safe operating practice.

Records provided cover the period 1 January 2023 to the 13 October 2023 (286 calendar days). Please note that distance data are not available for FPV Ecrehou as only sea hours are recorded. All other information requested is summarised below and with detail by date provided in the appendix.

1. the number of patrols carried out and the dates of those patrols:

Please see the appendix for full details but, in summary, the Norman Le Brocq was used for patrol work on 44 separate dates during 2024 and Ecrehou on 27 dates. The total number of patrol dates is 71.

2. the areas covered in those patrols:

Please see the appendix for full details. A summary is provided below.

3. the distance travelled and time spent on those patrols; and

Please see the appendix for full details. The NLB travelled a total of 1833 nautical miles and was at sea for 192.87 hours. Distance travelled is not recorded for Ecrehou but the vessel was at sea for 92.5 hours.

4. the catches examined, the nature of any infractions identified, and any enforcement action taken?

During the course of boat patrols in 2023, Marine Resources undertook 75 catch and 26 gear inspections. From these, 42 offences were logged. A breakdown of these offences, number of incidents and actions is provided below. Please note that details concerning the status of infractions which are subject to ongoing investigation/prosecution cannot be provided.

GL = warning label attached to gear; GS = gear seized; IP = in progress; NFA = no further action; PH

= parish hall; VW = verbal warning

Appendix

9. Deputy S.Y. Mézec of St. Helier South of the Minister for Housing and Communities regarding the Empty Homes Service. (WQ.400/2023)

Question

Will the Minister provide the following information in relation to the Empty Homes Service –

1. a full breakdown of costs incurred in setting up and running the Service, including staffing costs and the number of employees dedicated to the running of the Service;
2. the number of empty homes brought back into habitation as a direct result of this Service; and
3. the number of homes reported as empty to the Service which, upon investigation, were not genuinely empty, and the cost and resources expended to discover this?

Answer

1. The breakdown of costs incurred in setting up and running the Empty Homes Service are included within the total spend against vacant homes. It is, therefore, not possible to disaggregate costs associated with running the service and time and resources invested into policy.

Due to data privacy concerns, only the total expenditure for vacant homes is provided in answer to this written question. Deputy Mézec has been provided with the breakdown of costs in a separate communication, upon his agreement.

Total spend for 2022 and 2023 = £57,131

2. It is impossible to definitively measure the number of vacant homes that have come back into use as a result of the service, as would be the case with other measures designed to discourage vacant homes. The reasons for a home being brought back into use will be unique to the owner. However, it is understood that the existence of the Empty Homes Service has already had a positive impact in influencing decisions, evidenced by the level of engagement with the service and enquiries received from home-owners.

Notwithstanding this, as the Action on Vacant Properties update report explains, of the 132 homes assessed to-date, a total of 38 homes have been identified as having been brought back into use, being actively marketed, or are currently being refurbished with a view to being brought back to the market. Since the publication of the update report, one further property has been identified as now being back in use.

3. At the time of writing the update report, all homes investigated to date have been regarded as genuinely empty, as far as the evidence would suggest. Since the publication of the report, one case which had been reported to the service – but not previously investigated – has been confirmed as not being a genuine empty home. The cost and resources to confirm this were negligible. Cases of this nature are expected to be minimal as case reviews progress.

10. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chair of the States Employment Board regarding the employment of individuals in the public sector. (WQ.401/2023)

Question

In relation to the employment of individuals in the public sector, will the Chair advise –

1. the number of job descriptions or employment contracts where a second language is explicitly mentioned as being (i) desirable, or (ii) mandatory;
2. the number of employees with a working knowledge of French, given that French is one of the official languages of Jersey;
3. where multi-lingual staff are employed and use their languages as part of their job, how these additional skills are recognised, if at all, in pay scales; and
4. whether the States Employment Board has any plans to offer additional language tuition to all staff as part of their Continuous Professional Development or otherwise, especially in Jersey's major languages which include, but are not limited to, English, Portuguese, Polish and Romanian?

Answer

1. We do not hold job descriptions in a way that we can extract this information.
2. We do not hold this information.
3. The grading of roles is based on a job evaluation system. Where roles require specialist skills this is reflected in the job score, that is then matched against the appropriate grade. There are no additional allowances for language and communication skills as these are already taken into account for job evaluation.
4. Not at present, although employees can apply to take external courses where communication skills, such as languages, translations and signing will be beneficial to their work and customers / clients.

11. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Chief Minister regarding the Public Sector Ombudsman Redress Scheme and Inquiries (PSORSI). (WQ.402/2023)

Question

Will the Chief Minister provide details of the work undertaken by Crest Advisory (UK) Ltd in relation to law-drafting instructions for the Public Sector Ombudsman Redress Scheme and Inquiries (PSORSI) as referenced in the report, R.17/2023, for which they were paid between £100,000 and £125,000 in fees and, if not, why not; and will she nevertheless state the outcomes from the provision of this funding?

Answer

Crest Advisory Ltd were commissioned under the previous Government to expedite projects which had been delayed due to policy officer resources being deployed onto COVID-19 related work. For each of these three projects, Crest was commissioned to draft instructions to the Legislative Drafting Office for the production of draft legislation. This work has been completed. An outline of the purpose of the draft legislation is set out below:

• Public Sector Ombudsman – To establish a Jersey Public Services Ombudsman (JPSO), and to provide for its governance, functions and powers. The instructions produced by Crest formed the basis of law drafting instructions that I published in October 2022 (Jersey Public Services Ombudsperson: Law drafting instructions (gov.je)) and the draft Jersey Public Services Ombudsperson Law 202- is due to be lodged with the Assembly before the end of 2023.

• Statutory Redress – To establish a statutory basis for a scheme to provide redress, financial and non-financial, for individuals who suffered significant harm from specific types of abuse in specific contexts, as distinct from standing up time limited redress schemes in response to key events (for example, the Historic Abuse Redress Schemes I and II).

• Public Inquiries Law – A statutory mechanism to establish public inquiries in response to major events. The potential requirement for a public inquiries law was first identified during the course of the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, which highlight limitations with the existing Committee of Inquiry structure in relation to major and wide-ranging investigations. The previous administration prioritised development of the potential law post-Covid due to concerns about potential demands for an associated public inquiry.

12. Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the waiting lists for ophthalmic interventions. (WQ.403/2023)

Question

Further to her responses to Oral Question 121/2022, Written Question 204/2022 and Written Question 267/2022, regarding the waiting lists for ophthalmic interventions, including cataracts, will the Minister advise what progress, if any, has been made in reducing the length of these waiting lists in the past year?

Answer

Firstly, and as I have stated previously, I agree that the waiting list and the waiting times for treatment are completely unacceptable. While I am glad that the below demonstrates progress has been made and that the service is on track to see some improvement, I would have preferred to see the waiting lists and times in a better position at this time, but I recognise that a variety of factors have impacted efforts.

The routine wait in Ophthalmology is currently at 21 months for initial assessment, > 90% of which are routine cataract patients.

The protracted waits in Ophthalmology are being targeted via:

• the waiting list recovery project which is funded to deliver an outsourcing solution; and

• recruitment to medical and specialist nursing posts.

As a result, it is anticipated that a considerable reduction of the waiting list will be seen by Q2 2024. Waiting List Recovery Project Ophthalmology Update

The Government of Jersey, on behalf of Health and Community Services, are currently engaging with external quality assured providers who could meet the specific requirements of patients. The service will provide additional capacity for a time limited period aiming to reduce the time patients are waiting for Ophthalmology. A procurement strategy is currently in development, of which the clinical activity is anticipated to commence in Q1 2024.

Internal clinical recruitment update

Successful recruitment into the last medical vacancy took place over the summer and the successful applicant is scheduled to commence work in November 2023. This will provide the department with a ring-fenced cataract clinic each week.

The department is currently advertising for a specialist nurse which is out to advert for a second time after receiving no applications previously.

13. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Chief Minister regarding Cabinet Office budget. (WQ.405/2023)

Question

Will the Chief Minister provide a breakdown of the Cabinet Office budget allocated within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027, and detail how this will be spent across the period of 2024?

Answer

A breakdown of the proposed Cabinet Office head of expenditure allocated within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027 can be found on pages 13 – 18 of the Annex to the Government Plan: here.

The proposed head of expenditure is subject to the approval of the States Assembly as part of the Government Plan debate in December 2023.

14. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Chief Minister regarding suspended employees within the Health and Community Services department. (WQ.406/2023)

Question

Will the Minister state how many employees within the Health and Community Services department are currently suspended; and, of those suspensions, how many employees have been suspended for over a year?

Answer

The Health and Community Services Department currently has less than 5 employees suspended or excluded from the workplace.

In accordance with policy, a specific number is not being given in order to minimise the potential for individuals to be identified.

There are no employees who have been suspended or excluded for more than one year.

15. Deputy M.B. Andrews of St Helier North of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding the abolition of the Upper and Lower Earnings Limits on Social Security contributions. (WQ.407/2023)

Question

Will the Minister state how much additional revenue would be generated through the abolition of the Upper and Lower Earnings Limits on Social Security contributions?

Answer

Regarding the question about the upper earnings limit (UEL), the response to WQ.189/2023 stated that using data from the year of assessment 2021 there would be additional revenue raised of £9m into the Social Security Fund. A key assumption made is that there would be no change in employer or taxpayer behaviour as a result of removing the UEL.

With reference to abolishing the lower earnings limit (LEL), it is not possible to quantify the revenue impact of this change due to the intricacies surrounding the LEL.

Removing the lower earnings limit will allow people with very low levels of earnings to maintain a contribution record and claim contributory benefits. However, it will also mean that some of these people will be required to pay Social Security contributions to do so, rather than claiming an exception to pay through Low Income Contribution Relief.

The Social Security Fund normally receives a States Grant, funded by the general taxpayer. The States Grant is paid annually, except as otherwise agreed by the States Assembly. The calculation of the States Grant is linked to the contributions made by those who earn below the standard earnings limit (£5,060 per month, equivalent to £60,720 per year).

Removing the LEL would require the value of the States Grant to be increased to supplement the contributions of these very low earners up to the level required. This would be a cost to the Consolidated Fund. It is not possible to quantify the revenue or expenditure impacts on the Social Security Fund of these changes accurately given existing data sources and possible behavioural changes.

16. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding the Constituency Office Support Team. (WQ.408/2023)

Question

Further to the Minutes of the Privileges and Procedures Committee meeting dated 17th July 2023, will the Chair provide the following in relation to the Constituency Office Support Team –

1. a breakdown of the growth bid of £344,000 sought for 2024, and for subsequent periods, for the Team, including the number of additional staff to be recruited;
2. the 3 constituencies chosen to receive the benefit of the Team from 2024 onwards, as part of a pilot scheme, along with the names and political party, or political affiliations, of the States Members elected in each of those 3 constituencies;
3. the names and political party, or political affiliations, of the States Members of the PPC Constituency Office Sub-Committee who approved the report to which Minute No. A.15 refers; and
4. any benchmarking or key performance indicators regarding the output of the States Members of the 3 constituencies involved in the 2024 pilot scheme used either to support the growth bid or to be used to assess the benefit and improvement in productivity resulting from the additional support to be provided?

Answer

PPC has recognised that, for elected Members to be able to undertake their parliamentary and political work in a professional manner, they need to be appropriately equipped and supported. Although the States Greffe Members' Resources Team was established to support members (acting in an independent capacity) in relation to their work in and around the States Assembly, there is currently no dedicated resources for members to carry out their constituency work.

Providing adequate resources to members was one of the recommended benchmarks of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for democratic legislatures:

The legislature shall provide all legislators with adequate and appropriate resources to enable them to fulfil their constituency responsibilities.

When PPC last reviewed the benchmarks in 2022, the Assembly was found to only partially comply with the recommendation. This coupled with the Chief Minister's stated aim of opening constituency offices was why PPC established a Sub-Committee which was tasked with identifying the resources required to support States Members in their constituency work. The Sub-Committee comprised at least one member from each constituency to ensure adequate representation.

The Sub-Committee undertook its work during the first half of 2023 and provided a report for PPC to consider. At its meeting in July 2023, to which the Deputy refers, PPC considered the Sub- Committee's report, and its recommendations, ahead of developing a bid for the Government Plan. One of the recommendations made was that dedicated constituency support should be offered in three constituencies (St Helier North, St Helier Central and St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter) in the first instance in order to test how this could work in practice, with the service being extended to other constituencies when resources allow.

1. The breakdown of the growth bid of £344,000 sought for 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 is as follows:

The bid provides for 4 (3 Research and Project Officers and 1 Principal role) constituency staff members and a constituency fund. The fund will be available to support States Members with some of their constituency work expenses, to include constituency surgeries advertising, venue hire, printed materials etc The fund would be controlled by the States Greffe and accessible by all members in the same way as the existing provision for IT grants.

2. The three constituencies chosen for the pilot are - St Helier North, St Helier Central and St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter. Members elected in each constituency are as follows:

Constituency   Members elected  Political Party/Affiliation St Helier North   Deputy Steve Ahier   None

Deputy Max Andrews  None

Deputy Inna Gardiner  None

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat  None

St Helier Central   Deputy Carina Alves   Reform Jersey Deputy Catherine Curtis  Reform Jersey

Deputy Lyndsay Feltham  Reform Jersey Deputy Geoff Southern  Reform Jersey Deputy Robert Ward   Reform Jersey

St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter   Deputy Lyndon Farnham  None

Deputy Ian Gorst  None Deputy Kristina Moore  Better Way

3. The Constituency Office Sub-Committee comprised:

The Sub-Committee approved the paper on the development of constituency offices on 27th June 2023. The minutes of the meeting (which was held electronically) note that Deputy Moz Scott dissented from the approval due to a number of concerns about the vision for constituency support and the equity between the constituencies, particularly the three that were due to be piloted.

4. There are no set key performance indicators regarding the output of the States Members of the three constituencies involved in the 2024 pilot scheme. It is anticipated that the trial in the three constituencies will operate for a minimum period of six months (i.e. April 2024 – October 2024), with the States Greffe reporting back to PPC during Q4 2024. But if there is a need to respond sooner to develop the service, PPC will react accordingly.

PPC is mindful that the service needs to be consistent across members and constituencies which the States  Greffe,  in  delivering  this  service,  will  take  into  consideration.  By  focussing  on  three constituencies in the first instance allows for a managed introduction to the service, particularly as the Sub-Committee found that not all constituencies want such a service at present (such as Grouville and St Martin).

Once the pilot has come to an end, PPC will review the feedback from members and the States Greffe and consider the impact the constituency service is having on members and the general public. Further thought will then be given to how the service might operate from 2025 onwards, and the associated resources required. The Committee believes that this is a sensible and financially prudent approach to take when developing a new service.

17. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding growth bids in the Government Plan 2024-2027. (WQ.409/2023)

Question

Will the Chair provide details of the following –

1. a breakdown of the growth bid of £179,000 for 2024, and for subsequent periods, for additional resources for the Legislative Drafting Office, including the number of additional staff to be recruited for such purposes (as referenced in the  Minutes of Privileges and Procedures Committee meeting dated 17th July 2023) as well as any benchmarking or key performance indicators regarding the output of the Legislative Drafting Office used to support the growth bid and to measure improvement in productivity; and
2. whether any additional resources will be provided to States Assembly Scrutiny Panels over the period 2024-2027 to conduct reviews and to strengthen officer support, including through the recruitment of staff or engagement of consultants with specialised knowledge to assist Panels in scrutinising Government work, given that no growth bids in this respect are mentioned in the aforementioned Minutes?

Answer

(a)

A breakdown of the growth bid for 2024-2027

The breakdown of the growth bid of £179,000 for 2024, and for subsequent periods, for additional resources for the Legislative Drafting Office (LDO) is shown in the following table:

Number of additional staff to be recruited:

1 experienced full-time permanent legislative drafter.

Benchmarking/KPIs regarding output that were used to support the growth bid: The growth bid is designed to:

1. Ensure that the Government Legislative Programme can be delivered as required by the Council of Ministers;
2. Deliver legislation from within Jersey with a full complement of staff;
3. Meet the requirements of the Government Legislative Programme from within the LDO budget rather than having to ask other departments to fund drafting projects as in the past when internal resources have been saturated and there were insufficient funds within the LDO to outsource work to consultant drafters;
4. Complement LDO's organisational structure to represent a balance of senior, mid-level and junior experience;
5. Support all staff in their professional development and wellbeing;
6. Reduce reliance on consultant drafters, ideally to zero.

By way of additional information, the resources for 2023 included a bid for £50,000 to fund consultant drafters because the estimated work increase did not justify an additional post at that stage. However, due to the Roads Project from Infrastructure and Environment predicted to require an extra 3 days a week for a drafter, an additional 0.6 FTE of a drafter is needed from 2024 onwards. Because this made up the need to a full drafter post, a new drafter is being recruited instead of additional spending on consultants.

In assessing the resources required to meet the needs of Government and States Members the LDO takes account of trends in the volume of work requested by each Department and estimates the likely need for drafting based on the forthcoming Government Legislative Programme. The LDO is a demand-led service and there is a need for resources to match demand.

(b)

Additional resources to Scrutiny Panels 2024 – 2027

In terms of the Government Plan 2024 – 2027, no additional growth bids have been submitted specifically for the Scrutiny section of the States Greffe. The main reason for this is that in previous years, additional resources have been provided to assist the work of Scrutiny Panels, Review Panels and the Public Accounts Committee – the team now comprises 2 x Principal Committee and Panel Officers, 6 x Committee and Panel Officers and 5 x Research and Project Officers.

Scrutiny is also supported by x 3 Communications Officers from the Digital and Public Engagement Team within the States Greffe.

In  terms  of  engaging  consultants  with  specialised  knowledge  to  assist  Panels  in  scrutinising Government work, Panels are able to call on the expertise of others through its Proceedings Code. If the topic is of a technical nature, Panels are able to commission expert advice (subject to approval from the Scrutiny Liaison Committee) to assist with the compilation and interpretation of specialist and technical information. Panels are also able to obtain evidence from a vast range of stakeholders including organisations, academics, industries and other institutions relevant to a review.

It is worth noting that in the previous Government Plan 2023 – 2026, the following growth bid was made as part of Digital and Public Engagement for Scrutiny research and communications:

This bid was made (£100,000 for scrutiny research and £48,000 for 1 x Communications Officer) as the budget for research and publicising reviews and calls for evidence had previously come from underspends within Scrutiny and staffing underspends within Digital and Public Engagement. In addition, communication support for Scrutiny, including Review Panels, had previously been under pressure with only 2 Communications Officers supporting all Committees, Panels and Review Panels within the section alongside other responsibilities for States Assembly communications.

As the Scrutiny section has benefited from additional funding previously, it was not considered necessary to submit any more additional growth bids in this area for this Government Plan.

18. Deputy M.R. Scott of St. Brelade of the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture regarding Economic Impact Assessments, following a decision by the Bailiff , under Standing Order 12(4)(c), that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked. (WQ.410/2023)

The Minister tabled a revised answer on 3rd November 2023 to this question following a decision by the Bailiff , under Standing Order 12(4)(c), that the original answer was not directly relevant to the question asked.

Question

Will the Minister provide the date and details (including either a link to, or a copy of) every Economic Impact Assessment commissioned or conducted over the last seven years by the Department for the Economy, or any independent consultants engaged by that Department, in respect of the following organisations funded by that Department –

1. Jersey Business;
2. Visit Jersey;
3. Digital Jersey;
4. Jersey National Park;
5. the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority; and
6. (after 2016) Jersey Reds?

Answer

Formal Economic Impact Assessments are not conducted as part of the process of Arms Length Organisation (ALO) governance. Such organisations typically have an indirect impact on the wider economy as they play the role of enablers to private businesses.

All payments made by Government to ALOs are accompanied by either a business case (for growth revenue expenditure) or a grant agreement with associated appraisal (in the case of grants made under existing partnership agreements).

Amongst the requirements for a business case or grant agreement are an appraisal of the costs and benefits of the available options and their anticipated impact along with a review of delivery against stated priorities.

Jersey Reds were a private business and work was undertaken, in 2018, by Via Analytics to measure the economic value of Jersey Reds to the wider economy. This report has not been published and is considered commercially sensitive, however I can confirm that the independent assessment determined that in 2018 the Jersey Reds made a contribution to Jersey's economy of £1.4 - £2.1m annually. This was largely derived from tax on payroll and fans from visiting clubs travelling to watch their team play in Jersey at that time.

The use of independent consultants is reported biannually via P.59 reports.

19. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the Liberty Bus Avanchicard unlimited annual pass. (WQ.411/2023

Question

Will the Minister state the total number of people who currently hold a Liberty Bus AvanchiCard unlimited annual pass, with this number not to include any other subsidised bus passes?

Answer

The commercial risk associated with non-concessionary ticketing sits with the bus contract operator  

LibertyBus, this would at any time be considered commercially confidential, but would be particularly sensitive during the current tender process. Thus, this would not be a matter for government to comment upon or disclose.

20. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the tax income received from High Value Residents for 2022. (WQ.412/2023)

Question

Will the Minister state the tax income received from High Value Residents for 2022; and provide an estimate of the expected income for 2023?

Answer

The 2022 income tax year of assessment has not yet been finalised. However, the Comptroller currently estimates that around £25.8m will be assessed in respect of High Value Residents for 2022.

Regarding the 2023 year of assessment, the Income Forecasting Group's summer forecast shows no change from the position in the spring forecast. A prudent estimate of £28.5m is provided by the Comptroller for expected income tax arising in respect of High Value Residents in 2023.

21. Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier Central of the Minister for the Environment regarding the reduction in duty on biofuels. (WQ.413/2023)

Question

Will the Minister state the estimated cost, in pence per litre, of the reduction in duty on biofuels used in Jersey?

Answer

The proposed Government Plan 2024 – 2027 (p.38) has estimated the cost of a 9 pence per litre fuel duty reduction for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to be £85,000 per annum. This was calculated based on the following assumptions.

In 2022, around 665,000 litres of HVO were imported into Jersey, generating approx. £425,000 in excise duty. This represents around 4% of the total diesel imported into Jersey for 2022. Using the 2022 figures of fuel per duty, a 9p cut would represent approximately £60,000 per annum.

Data from Q1 and Q2 2023 suggests an approximate 40% increase in HVO imports from 2022. The cost estimate was therefore updated to £85,000 per annum.

The proposed reduction of fuel duty for HVO represents the 9 pence per litre which is currently hypothecated to the Climate Emergency Fund.

22. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chief Minister regarding inquiries into the explosion at Haut du Mont and the collision of L'Ecume II. (WQ.414/2023)

Question

Further to the revised response to  Written Question 390/2023 will the Chief Minister state categorically whether she has been given, or has asked for, an indication of when the inquiry into the explosion at Haut du Mont and the inquiry into the collision of L'Ecume II are likely to be concluded; and will she advise –

1. how asking for anticipated timelines for these inquiries would constitute an  improper influence of the process;
2. in light of her statement that the investigations need to be thorough and rigorous in order to reassure the bereaved families and [] all Islanders, whether those families are being kept up to date with progress of the relevant inquiry and, if so, how; and
3. whether she anticipates that there will be separate public inquiries into either tragedy and, if so, what arrangements for the financial contingencies of such public inquiries have been made?

Answer

I am clear that the timelines are a matter for the relevant investigatory and prosecutorial authorities and that, while the timely conduct of work is important, this cannot be at the expense of completeness. I have received a limited number of updates from my officials in respect of these inquiries, including their possible conclusion and, to date, I am comfortable that the arrangements in this respect have been appropriate. I re-state that it is not appropriate for the Chief Minister to anticipate in public when a criminal investigation might conclude.

1. In my view, the Chief Minister asking for anticipated timelines has the potential to improperly influence a process. These are independent criminal investigations, and I respect that independence. If I were to request timelines, the relevant investigating authorities might consider that they are being placed under political pressure and/or feel obliged or influenced to abide by those timelines. The investigations must follow the evidence, not arbitrary timelines sought for political convenience. It is a very well-established principle in democracies that there isn't any political involvement of any nature in criminal investigations.
2. Since the Major incidents – the collision of L'Ecume II and the explosion at Haut du Mont – the bereaved families have been the main focus of the Police investigation and have been supported by their Family Liaison Officers (FLOs), who are dedicated and highly skilled officers in SOJP. The support provided to the bereaved families entails updating families, in a timely manner, with all relevant information regarding the police investigations, in line with the strategies outlined by the Senior Investigating Officers (SIO). These updates have been provided during meetings with the SIO and during private face to face meetings. The FLO's have also provided information regarding additional services available for families, including signposting to support agencies, and explain Criminal Justice and Coronial procedures, so that they can access all available services and support.
3. I do not believe that, while the investigations are underway, I should make, or indeed that I have sufficient information to make, a determination on the need or otherwise for a public inquiry, or in relation to financial contingencies.

23. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Minister for External Relations regarding Consuls in Jersey. (WQ.415/2023)

Question

Will the Minister –

1. provide a current list of Consuls that are present in Jersey;
2. state the estimated number of nationals resident in the Island that each Consuls represents; and
3. explain how it is determined that a Consul is required and how a Consul is then appointed?

Answer

1. the current list of Honorary Consuls in Jersey are as follows:

2. the estimated number of foreign nationals' resident in Jersey, broken down by nationality, is provided below in alphabetical order. Please note that this data was taken from the Jersey Census 2021. All places of birth cited in the 2021 census had 10 or more respondents.

3. the decision of whether a country wants/needs to appoint an Honorary Consul is taken by that country, and not by the host jurisdiction (in this case Jersey). If a country decides an Honorary Consul is wanted or needed, that country will then find a suitable candidate, according to its own criteria and process, and inform the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office through an official letter. This letter is then shared with the Government of Jersey, specifically the Ministry for External Relations, to see if there are any objections with the suggested candidate for Honorary Consul. At this point, the Government of Jersey will also consult with the offices of the Bailiff and of the Lieutenant Governor as a matter of course. After this process has been completed, and assuming there are no objections, the candidate then takes up the position.

The Common Policy on External Relations references the importance of the work that External Relations undertakes to engage with diaspora communities residing on the Island, and the network of Honorary Consuls is extremely helpful in this regard.

24. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade of the Chair of the Privileges and Procedures Committee regarding the Independent Review of States Members' pay. (WQ.416/2023)

Question

Further to the Independent Review of States Members pay, and the recommendation to align pensions and pay to other sections of the public sector, will the Chair explain what consideration the Privileges and Procedures Committee has given, if any, to reviewing States Members' sick leave entitlement; and will she further advise whether the Committee received any submissions and queries from the public in relation to States Members' sick leave entitlement?

Answer

In 2022, the States Assembly approved new legislation which put in place steps for PPC to take to appoint an independent States Members' Remuneration Reviewer. The role of independent reviewer is to determine the remuneration of States Members once each parliamentary term. In accordance with the Law, PPC has not been involved in the detail of the review in order to maintain its independence from the process. In that regard, PPC has not seen the responses to the independent reviewer's consultation and itself has not received any submissions or queries from the public in relation to Members' sick leave entitlement.

Although the Committee has not intended to review Members' sick leave entitlement, we would be very happy to meet the Deputy to discuss any concerns or views he may have on the matter.

25. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Social Security regarding Government funding for wound dressings. (WQ.417/2023)

Question

Regarding Government funding for wound dressings, will the Minister explain –

1. what financial support, if any, exists for individuals on Income Support and the conditions they have to meet to receive such support;
2. what financial support, if any, exists for individuals not on Income Support and the conditions they have to meet to receive such support;

3. how many current requests there are for financial support for wound dressings, and how this information is recorded;
4. what wound dressings or medical hosiery items, if any, are available on prescription, and the amount allocated to fund these prescriptions annually;
5. any other funding her department has allocated to either directly aid patients with purchasing wound dressings or establishing projects to facilitate this; and
6. what plans, if any, she has regarding the extension of the successful Medical Hosiery pilot scheme from 2020 that provided medical hosiery to 225 patients?

Answer

1. what financial support, if any, exists for individuals on Income Support and the conditions they have to meet to receive such support;

The Income Support Special Payment Regulations is able to provide support for health costs where claimants have an urgent one-off need and no other means of meeting the cost. This includes dressings: the cost of medical services and items supplied as a consequence of medical services.

2. what financial support, if any, exists for individuals not on Income Support and the conditions they have to meet to receive such support;

The support identified in part (a) is also available to households that sit just outside Income Support eligibility. This includes households where one adult is within 6 months of meeting the residency conditions but meets all the other conditions. It also includes households that have a household income that is no more than 10% above the eligibility limit but meets all other conditions.

HCS provide dressings free of charge to patients whilst they are an inpatient and 3 days of supplies are given on discharge - to allow time for the patient to purchase supplies once home. Patients attending outpatient dressing clinics do not pay for the dressings that are applied at time of appointment. HCS also provide a budget to FNHC to support the cost of the medical hosiery project.

3. how many current requests there are for financial support for wound dressings, and how this information is recorded;

There are a small number of individuals receiving support for the cost of dressings through the Income Support Special Payment system at present (less than 5). This information is recorded as part of the overall record of the claim.

4. what wound dressings or medical hosiery items, if any, are available on prescription, and the amount allocated to fund these prescriptions annually;

Wound dressings and medical hosiery are not included on the prescribed list held under the Health Insurance Law.

5. any other funding her department has allocated to either directly aid patients with purchasing wound dressings or establishing projects to facilitate this; and

No additional funding has been allocated within the CLS budget to support the cost of dressings or establishing a project in this area, this is a matter that sits with the Minister for Health and Social Services.

6. what plans, if any, she has regarding the extension of the successful Medical Hosiery pilot scheme from 2020 that provided medical hosiery to 225 patients?

The medical hosiery scheme is administered through the Health and Community Services department.

HCS officers have confirmed that this scheme is being maintained. There are no proposals or plans to expand the HCS medical hosiery scheme at this time. As Minister for Social Security, I have no plans in this area, as this matter sits with the Minister for Health and Social Services.

26. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the funding for their department within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027. (WQ.418/2023)

Question

Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the funding to be provided to her department within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027?

Answer

As advised in a response to an Oral Question from Deputy Southern at the sitting on 17 October 2023 (see Oral Question 210/2023 in Hansard), while the detailed allocations for this year could be provided, unfortunately, we cannot provide nor commit to providing such a detailed breakdown for next year's budget at this time. A statement of comprehensive net expenditure for HCS (and for other departments) is already available in the Government Plan Annex.

Finance Business Partners for HCS are working on the detailed allocations with each service and Care Group/Directorate as part of the normal yearly budget setting process. It is expected that the HCS Senior Leadership team will review the allocations in late November, and for them to be finalised and circulated in January 2024. It should be noted that this will be dependent on what changes, if any, result from the debates on the Government Plan.

As part of the Government Plan process, the Health and Social Security Panel have launched a review of the Proposed Government Plan 2024 – 2027 and evidence has been submitted (and is available here) as part of that process, and a public hearing will also be held in due course.

It is noted that a related Proposition (P.86/2023) has been lodged and is due for debate at the 7 November sitting.

27. Deputy R.S. Kovacs of St. Saviour of the Minister for Social Security regarding the funding  for  their  department  within  the  draft  Government  Plan  2024-2027. (WQ.419/2023)

Question

Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the funding to be provided to her portfolio within the draft Government Plan 2024-2027?

Answer

This information is provided on page 10 of the 2024 Government Plan annex:

The CLS Net Expenditure is broken down as follows (Source: GP 2024-27 Annex, P24)

28. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Social Security regarding financial support for parents with children who have a health condition. (WQ.420/2023)

Question

Will the Minister outline what financial support is available for parents who find themselves unable to continue to work, or who have to take a break from work, due to their child having a health condition?

Answer

Financial support available to parents caring for a child with a medical/health condition.

Home Carers Allowance (HCA)

HCA is a contributory benefit for carers of working age who spend 35 hours (or more) per week caring for someone who requires a very high level of personal care. This includes children. HCA is not a means tested benefit.

The allowance is designed for working age carers who decide to stop working or reduce their working week because of their caring commitments.

Carers have their contribution record protected with credits so that they do not lose their own right to future Social Security benefits.

People claiming HCA are able to continue working a maximum of 15 hours a week.

The benefit is paid every 4 weeks and the amount is based on the standard rate of social security benefit (£265.93 per week). The total someone can receive is, therefore, £1063.72 every 4 weeks.

Child Personal Care benefit

This benefit supports parents where a child needs a high level of personal care e.g. for a physical, sensory, emotional or cognitive condition expected to last more than 6 months. To receive this benefit one of the parents must pass the Income Support residence test. The current amount of this benefit, which is not means tested, is:

• £122.22 per week for a child with a level 2 need of personal care

• £175.20 per week for a child with a level 3 need of personal care

Income Support

All eligible low-income parents can access Income Support benefit, which provides a broader range of support.

A parent caring for a child with high care needs for at least 35 hours a week may be eligible for the carer's component, in addition to adult, child, household and rental components. This currently has a value of £63.35 per week. Eligible families can also receive HCA.

Income Support families can access GP services through the Health Access Scheme. This provides subsidised services for adults (e.g. adult surgery consultation with a GP is £12).

All children up to the age of 18 receive free GP surgery consultations. Home Responsibility Protection (HRP)

HRP supports parents of working age who stop working or reduce their hours, in order to take care of a young child.

The HRP scheme protects the parent's future entitlement to an old age pension in the form of deemed social security contributions. A parent receiving HRP can work for up to 20 hours per week. The benefit can be received for up to 10 years.

Neo natal care

The Minister's Ministerial plan for 2024 includes the following commitment taking action as necessary including providing financial support for parents of babies needing neo natal care.

29. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Children and Education regarding support for the families of children that are diagnosed with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses. (WQ.421/2023)

Question

Will the Minister outline what support her Department has in place for the families of children that are diagnosed with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses?

Answer

The Children and Families Hub offers a single point of contact and referral to ensure children and families get the right help at the right time so that children are appropriately supported, safeguarded and protected. In addition to responding to referrals from professionals, parents/carers of children with chronic health conditions and life limiting illnesses can call the Children and Families Hub for advice, support and signposting.

The Children and Families Hub Service also offers direct family work and Family Partnership Workers complete early help child and family assessments and act as the Lead Worker, co-ordinating the team around the child and family when needed to develop a single early help plan. This can involve off-island health care and community and voluntary sector partners. For children with life limiting illnesses, support is delivered as part of the Palliative Care Pathway in partnership with Family Nursing and Home Care. Currently the Service is working with 16 children and their families on the Palliative Care Pathway and several children with chronic health conditions.

When greater needs are identified, a social work child and family assessment is undertaken, and the Social Worker will act as the Lead Worker. Assessment will consider support needs including provision of overnight short breaks and home care support.

Requests for mental health support for children are reviewed by the CAMHS Senior Practitioner in the Children and Families Hub to put in place an appropriate response.

CAMHS have a range of psychological and therapeutic support for children and families with chronic health issues or life limiting illnesses. Following the recent period of significant investment and positive recruitment, CAMHS now has three Consultant Clinical Psychologists, five Clinical Psychologists, three Assistant Psychologists, and a wide range of therapeutic staff.

For this specific area CAMHS has a new Paediatric Consultant Clinical Psychologist starting in November 2023 who will lead on the care and treatment support delivered to children and families with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses.

30. Deputy L.V. Feltham of St. Helier Central of the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding support for the families of children that are diagnosed with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses. (WQ.422/2023)

Question

Will the Minister outline what support her Department has in place for the families of children that are diagnosed with chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses?

Answer

In Jersey there are a large number of children who have a range of long-term conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, and diabetes. These children and their families are supported through the HCS general paediatric service, and a range of specialist clinics led by paediatricians and specialist nurses.

For the majority of these children, their health condition is controlled, and the aim of the support provided is to minimise the impact of health on a child's physical, social, and educational development. This is achieved by provision of co-ordinated multidisciplinary care organised through the hospital clinic, including provision of education and training in self-management to the child and the family. Where appropriate, this also includes provision of support in schools and training of teachers in relevant aspects of a child's medical management, to minimise the impact on school attendance and academic attainment.

For those children with a long-term condition requiring tertiary level medical input, there are a range of clinics provided by visiting consultants on island (e.g., in neurology) and there are referral pathways to UK tertiary centres in cases where other expertise is required. The families who need to travel to UK for tertiary care are supported with their travel arrangements including flights and accommodation by the HCS travel service.