States Minutes 27th October 1981

THE STATES assembled on Tuesday, 27th October, 1981 at 10.15 a.m. under the  Presidency  of  the   Bailiff , Sir Frank Ereaut.

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All members were present with the exception of –

Senator Pierre François Horsfall – out of the Island.

William John Morvan, Connétable of St. Lawrence – out of the Island.

Sir Robert Marett, Deputy of St. Brelade – ill. David John de la Haye, Deputy of St. Ouen – absent.

Clarence Shepperd Dupré, Deputy of St. Helier – out of the Island.

Donald George Filleul, Deputy of St. Helier – out of the Island.

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Prayers. _____

Senator R. Vibert .

The Bailiff , on behalf of the Members of the States, welcomed Senator Ralph Vibert on his return to the House after his recent operation.

States Assembly – filming.

The Bailiff informed the House that Channel Television had requested permission to take a fifteen minute film without sound, on 3rd November, 1981, of the Sitting of the States Assembly for transmission on 11th November, 1981.

THE STATES acceded to the request.

Subordinate legislation tabled.

The following enactment was laid before the States, namely –

245   Price : 35p

Import and Export (Control) (Amendment No. 11) (Jersey) Order, 1981. R & O – 6982.

Note regarding Draft Midland Bank Trust Corporation (Jersey) Limited (Jersey) Law, 198 . P.119/81.

The Finance and Economics Committee by Act dated 21st October, 1981, presented to the States its Note regarding Draft Midland Bank Trust Corporation (Jersey) Limited (Jersey) Law, 198 .

THE STATES ordered that the said Note be printed and distributed.

Report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1980.

The Public Health Committee by Act dated 7th September, 1981, presented to the States the Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1980.

THE STATES ordered that the said Report be printed and distributed.

Matters noted – land transactions.

THE STATES noted Acts of the Finance and Economics Committee dated 21st October, 1981, showing that in pursuance of Standing Orders relating to certain transactions in land, the Committee had approved –

1. as recommended by the Public Health Committee, the leasing from the Parish of St. Lawrence of The Rectory, St. Lawrence , for a period of nine years with effect from 29th September, 1981, at an annual rent of £5 payable in one sum, subject to the Public Health Committee's paying the cost of conversion of the property into two units of private dwelling accommodation for occupation by the Hospitals (Group) Chaplain and another member of staff and that, subject to six months' notice, one unit of accommodation could be returned to the Parish of St. Lawrence on payment to the Committee of the written down cost of the conversion of that unit, and that each party would pay its own legal costs;

2. as recommended by the Housing Committee, the granting to Mrs. Doris Betty Woodward, née Driver, of a vehicular right of way from Doridan, Clos St. André, St. Helier , over a grass verge in the Clos St. André Estate, Bellozanne, St. Helier , and thereby on to the service road in that housing development and to the granting of an easement to Mrs. Woodward so as to enable her to excavate and lay services through land belonging to the Housing Committee at Clos St. André, in return for the payment of £150 and subject to Mrs. Woodward paying the Committee's legal fees of £30 and reinstating the area;
3. as recommended by the Public Works Committee, the sub-leasing to H & H Growers (1972) Limited of approximately 975 square feet of office accommodation on the second floor of Airways House, 12 Caledonia Place, St. Helier , for a period of three years with effect from 1st November, 1981, at an annual rent of £4,000, payable quarterly in advance;
4. as recommended by the Public Health Committee, and in pursuance of an Act of the States dated 20th November, 1979, accepting the devise of the late Mrs. Eunice Jane Bailhache , née Hubert, of specified properties, the assignment of the unexpired term of the 21 year contract lease on The Annexe, Le Châtelet, Victoria Street, St. Helier from J.G. Hall (Jersey) Limited to Mr. Michael Charles Hamon and Mrs. Judith Margaret Hamon, née Jackson , and to release Mr. Jack Graham Hall as guarantor.

Matters noted – financial transactions.

THE STATES noted Acts of the Finance and Economics Committee dated 21st October, 1981, showing that in pursuance of Rule 5 of the Public Finances (General) (Jersey) Rules, 1967, as amended, the Committee had noted that –

1. the Public Health Committee had accepted the lowest of three tenders, namely that submitted by C.A. Mauger Limited in the sum of £29,600 in a contract period of 20 weeks for the construction of a workshop extension at Le Geyt Centre;
2. the Education Committee had accepted the lowest of five tenders, namely that submitted by Thatcher Limited in the sum of £298,000 in a contract period of 56 weeks for the redevelopment of St. Luke's School.

Matters lodged.

The following subjects were lodged "au Greffe" –

Projet de Loi (198 ) (Amendement No. 4) réglant la Procédure Criminelle. P.120/81.

Presented by the Legislation Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 24th November, 1981.

Improvements to Primary Schools. P.121/81. Presented by the Education Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 24th November, 1981.

Draft Cremation (Amendment No. 12) (Jersey) Regulations, 198 . P.122/81.

Presented by the Public Health Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 24th November, 1981.

Draft Petroleum (Jersey) Law, 198 . P.123/81. Presented by the Defence Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 24th November, 1981.

The following subjects were lodged "au Greffe" on 20th October, 1981 –

Draft Road Traffic (No. 21) (Jersey) Regulations, 198 . P.117/81.

Presented by the Defence Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 24th November, 1981.

Draft Social Security (Amendment) (Jersey) Law, 198 . P.118/81.

Presented by the Social Security Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 17th November, 1981.

Colostomy Appliances.

THE STATES decided to defer consideration of Senator Richard Joseph Shenton's Proposition with regard to the supply of colostomy appliances (P.116/81 – lodged on 13th October, 1981) from 3rd November, 1981 to 24th November, 1981.

Untreated Milk. Question and Answer.

Deputy Mrs. Enid Clare Quenault of St. Brelade asked Senator Mrs. Gwyneth Clare Huelin, President of the Public Health Committee, the following question –

"Bearing in mind that it is accepted internationally that the Jersey breed is free of brucellosis, T.B. and other animal diseases, if there were a demand from the public for the supply of untreated milk, would the President inform the House if there is anything to prevent the Milk Marketing Board from supplying it to customers?"

The President of the Public Health Committee replied as follows –

"In reply to Deputy Mrs. Enid Quenault's question, it is true to say that milk from Jersey herds is free of brucellosis and tuberculosis. There is, in fact, nothing under the present Law which would prevent the Milk Marketing Board from supplying untreated milk to its customers.

It is, however, an offence for non-registered producers to sell milk; and registered producers, with certain provisos, can only sell their milk through the agency of the Milk Marketing Board. The Board has voluntarily accepted that all milk sold would be pasteurised before sale, to eliminate harmful micro- organisms which might be carried in the milk to the consumer.

Milk is an ideal medium for the growth and transmission of micro-organisms, including both bacteria and viruses and the fact that our herds are free from brucellosis and tuberculosis does not mean that other infections cannot be transmitted in the milk.

Because of this potential risk the Public Health Committee would, if absolutely necessary, make an Order under the terms of the Food and Drugs (Jersey) Law, 1966 requiring the compulsory pasteurisation of milk before its sale for public consumption although it is stressed that the present voluntary arrangement has worked extremely well for many years."

Special Employment Scheme for the Winter of 1981/82 – Statement.

The Vice-President of the Public Works Committee made a Statement in the following terms –

"The States will recall that, for the winter of 1980/81, the Public Works Committee was asked by the Policy Advisory Committee to create and manage a Special Employment Scheme for unemployed persons.

During the summer of this year, the Committee was once more asked to produce a scheme for the winter of 1981/82 in case the unemployment situation was such as to require such a scheme for that period.

The number of persons out of work during the summer of 1981 has remained comparatively high and it is anticipated that the number of unemployed during the forthcoming winter will be greater than last year. Accordingly, the Committee has, with the co-operation of various other States' departments, produced a scheme similar to 1980/81 and it is anticipated that it will come into operation on 2nd November, 1981.

On 29th September, 1981, the States granted to the Finance and Economics Committee an amount of £90,000 to cover the cost of the last two months of this year and the Committee has established that it is possible initially to employ approximately 120 persons on work which would not be otherwise undertaken or placed with a contractor. The Committee will keep the situation under review and will endeavour to introduce further work projects to absorb increases in the level of unemployment.

The intention is to offer employment for a period of eight weeks on the basis of a 40 hour week at the rate of £1.65 per hour or £66.00 per week less Social Security Contributions and that the total period covered by the scheme should be from 2nd November, 1981 to 31st March, 1982.

The Connétable s of the Island with the co-operation of the Job Centre will select those persons residing in their Parishes, who are to be employed on the scheme. It has been agreed that the Parishes will repay to the States the full Welfare Benefits due to natives up to a maximum of £66.00 per week and that the cost of non-natives should be a direct charge on the Treasury.

The Committee is hopeful that, in addition to providing work to unemployed persons, the scheme will result this year in the provision of additional features which will be of considerable benefit to the Public in general and one of the plans which the Committee has approved falls into this category in that it provides additional cliff walks which will mean on completion that the Island has twelve miles of such walks as compared with the present five. The Stapleton land at St. Brelade will be opened up as an informal recreation area for the public to enjoy; the development of protection for the Les Landes Common will be completed and other States' departments will be offered the necessary labour to undertake minor internal and external improvements for which provision had not been made in their budgets."

Lease of West Park Café, St. Helier .

THE STATES, adopting a Proposition of the Tourism Committee –

1. approved the lease to Messrs. Charles Cyril Parker and Charles Michael Parker of the West Park Café, West Park, St. Helier , for a period of three years with effect from 25th December, 1981, at an annual rent of £5,500;
2. authorised the Greffier of the States to sign the necessary agreement;
3. authorised the Treasurer of the States to receive the rent as it became due.

Committee of the Whole House – Report of the Education Committee. P.108/81.

THE STATES, on the proposition of the President of the Education Committee, resolved into a Committee of the Whole House in order to discuss the Report of the Education Committee, presented to the States on 29th September, 1981.

The Committee rose at 5.00 p.m.

E.J.M. POTTER, Greffier of the States.