States Minutes 13th November 1984

THE STATES assembled on Tuesday, 13th  November,  1984  at  10.15 a.m. under  the  Presidency  of  the   Deputy Bailiff ,  Peter  Leslie  Crill,  Esquire, C.B.E.

_____

All members were present with the exception of –

Charles Binet Ahier , Connétable of Trinity – ill.

John Le Gallais, Deputy of St. Saviour – out of the Island. John Philip Farley, Deputy of St. Helier – out of the Island.

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Prayers read by Deputy Greffier. _____

Subordinate legislation tabled.

The  following  enactments  were  laid  before  the  States, namely –

1. Post  Office  (General  Provisions)  (Amendment No. 18) (Jersey) Order, 1984. R & O 7338.
2. Post Office (Foreign Post Provisions) (Amendment No. 8) (Jersey) Order, 1984. R & O 7339.
3. Post  Office  (Foreign  Parcel  Post  Provisions) (Amendment  No. 6)  (Jersey)  Order,  1984. R & O 7340.

Postal Administration – Report of the Department for 1983. R.C.24.

The Committee for Postal Administration by Act dated 8th November,  1984,  presented  to  the  States  a  Report  of  the Department of Postal Administration for the year 1983.

343   Price : 50p.

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

Matters lodged.

The following subjects were lodged "au Greffe" –

1. Budget 1985.

Presented by the Finance and Economics Committee.

2. Draft Ancillary Dental Workers (Amendment No. 3) (Jersey) Regulations, 198 . P.155/84. Presented by the Public Health Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 11th December, 1984.

Customs officers – importation of drugs. Questions and answers.

Deputy Ronald Walter Blampied of St. Helier asked Senator Ralph Vibert , President of the Finance and Economics Committee, the following questions –

"1. Will the President assure the States that the Port of

Gorey is covered every day by Customs Officers and that every movement of shipping there is covered by Customs Officers to combat the ever-increasing importation of drugs into the Island?

2.  If the answer to question one is negative, will the President give the States the percentage of days and shipping movements that are covered by Customs Officers?"

The President of the Finance and Economics Committee replied as follows –

"The Port of Gorey, as stated in my reply of 30th October, 1984, is manned in conjunction with officers of the Immigration Service who attend every movement of commercial passenger vessels in and out of that port. These officers are authorised to carry out the normal duties of Customs Officers and can call upon the help of the uniformed staff as the occasion demands. Uniformed Customs Officers will also make periodic visits to this Port, which is used by less than 3 per cent of all travellers to the Island.

An answer to the Deputy 's second question is, therefore, unnecessary."

Policy on licensing of new banks in the Island. Questions and answers.

Senator Richard Joseph Shenton asked Senator Ralph Vibert , President of the Finance and Economics Committee, the following questions –

"1. Will the President inform the House as to the

Committee's policy with regard to the licensing of new banks in the Island.

2. The licensing of the Cater Allen Bank, believed to be the 50th Finance House to be established in Jersey, will inevitably place strain upon housing, office accommodation and staffing; under the circumstances is the Committee satisfied that the services offered by this particular bank could not have been provided by existing established banks?
3. Will the President confirm that the policy adopted by the Finance and Economics Committee takes into account the effects upon immigration and seeks to ensure that services are not duplicated without good reason."

The President of the Finance and Economics Committee replied as follows –

"1. No person may establish a deposit-taking institution in Jersey without first being registered under the Depositors and Investors (Prevention of Fraud) (Jersey) Law, 1967, as amended. The policy of the Finance and Economics Committee is to register

under this Law only those deposit-taking institutions that are of international status and reputation. The latter is measured in large part by reference to the position of the parent bank in other jurisdictions. For example, the Committee's policy is to consider the granting of registration to those banks that have an office in London only where that office has been accorded full recognised bank status under the United Kingdom Banking Act 1979.

In addition, the Committee will have regard to the type of business to be carried on by the applicant institution and the extent to which it results in come diversification of services currently available; the profitability of the business proposed in relation to the staff to be employed (and in particular the need for staff from outside the Island); and regulatory requirements including the nature of the supervision exercised over foreign establishments by the supervisory authority responsible for the parent bank.

2. Cater Allen Holdings PLC through its subsidiary Cater Allen Investment Management (C.I.) Limited have had an office in the Island since 1982. The latter is engaged in fund management and has produced an attractive profit per employee performance to date. Cater Allen Bank (Jersey) Limited will commence operations from the same office, and will employ an extra two or three local resident clerks plus a manager with banking experience who it is hoped can be recruited from within the Island. The business plan for the first five years of operation envisages a profit per employee above the average for existing deposit-taking institutions.

One of the main services to be offered by Cater Allen Bank (Jersey) Limited is a discount house service to the banking and financial community in the Islands. The company will trade in Treasury and Bank Bills, Bank and Building Society Certificates of Deposit and other short term money instruments. A Group company, Cater Allen Limited, is the third largest of the nine members of the London Discount Market Association and is a recognised bank under the United Kingdom Banking Act 1979. My Committee is satisfied that Cater Allen as a leading participant in the market for Bills, Certificates of Deposit, and short term gilts, will through its Jersey office add to the money market services available to banks and other financial institutions in the Island. In addition, the bank will be providing a special deposit-taking account facility to non-residents.

3. I can confirm that the policy adopted by the Finance and Economics Committee takes fully into account the effects upon immigration, and seeks to ensure that services are not duplicated without good reason. My Committee has recently indicated to an applicant bank that it cannot be accommodated at the present time because of the pressure on the Island's limited labour resources and stock of housing. In the application of this policy to banks, my Committee is treating them no differently from any business seeking to establish a presence in the Island and to whom the Regulation of Undertakings and Development Law would apply."

Philatelic sales and visits to America and Australia. Questions and answers.

Senator Richard Joseph Shenton asked Deputy Jean Amy Le Maistre of St. Helier , President of the Committee for Postal Administration, the following questions –

"1. Would the President inform the House of the

philatelic sales for the years 1981 to 1984 in America and Australia?

2.  Will the President inform the House of the total number of visits made by representatives of the Committee to these two countries during the past two years and the total cost of such visits?"

The  President  of  the  Committee  for  Postal  Administration replied as follows –

"1.  Philatelic sales in North America for the period in

question were:

Via the Jersey Post Office Philatelic Bureau

£

1981  55,000 10,000

1982  68,000 6,000

1983  76,000 3,500

1984

(to 30th

Sept.)  38,000

Via the

Committee's

North

American

Agents  Total

£  £

248,000  313,000

177,000  251,000 176,000  255,000

56,000  94,000

Philatelic  sales  in  Australia  for  the  period  in question were –

Via the Jersey Post Office Philatelic Bureau

£

1981  8,340  As the Committee

does not at present 1982  11,020  have any specific

agent for Australia, 1983  12,000  figures for sales apart

from those via the 1984  Jersey Philatelic

(to 30th  Bureau are not

Sept.)  11,650  available.

2.  Visits  to  North  America  during  the  period  1st October,  1982  to  30th  September,  1984,  were  as follows –

October  NATIONAL POSTAGE STAMP SHOW

1982  (NEW YORK)

£

President and

Vice-President,

with 4 Staff  Expenses: 8,201 Receipts from sales: 4,445

November  NATIONAL POSTAGE STAMP SHOW

1983  (NEW YORK)

£ President and

Committee Member,

with 4 Staff  Expenses: 5,744 Receipts from sales: 3,073

Visits  to  Australia during the period 1st October, 1982 to 30th September, 1984 as follows –

September  INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC

1984  EXHIBITION (AUSIPEX)

£ President,

with 3 Staff  Expenses: 7,072 Receipts from sales: 4,080

Attendance at such exhibitions is not only for direct sales  and  service  at  the  Department's  stand,  but involves, by meeting existing and potential agents, dealers,  customers,  philatelic  and  national  media representatives, and officials, an overall marketing and  publicity  exercise.  In  the  case  of  Australia, where the exhibition was the first of international status  in  that  country  for  ten  years,  the  expenses recorded include the cost of a Reception at which Tourism and Jersey Post Office video presentations were well received."

West Park Café, St. Helier – lease.

THE STATES, adopting a Proposition of the Tourism Committee –

1. approved the lease to Mr. John Alexander Black of the West Park Café, West Park, St. Helier , for a period of three years with effect from 25th December, 1984, at an annual rent of £6,600;
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.

Appointment of Magistrate.

THE STATES, adopting a Proposition of the Establishment Committee, appointed Advocate Robert George Day to the post of Magistrate with effect from 3rd December, 1984, at a salary of £26,500 per annum.

Agricultural Industry – subsidy to glasshouse growers.

THE STATES, adopting a Proposition of the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, approved a scheme to provide glasshouse growers, approved by the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, with a subsidy on monies borrowed from banks to finance the purchase of fuel for glasshouses, the subsidy to be the amount of the interest payable on the monies borrowed if calculated at the base rate of the bank concerned, and the subsidy to apply such borrowings after 1st November, 1984 and repaid by 31st July, 1985.

Senator Jane Patricia Sandeman and Deputy Carlyle John Le Hérissier Hinault of St. John declared an interest in the matter and withdrew from the Chamber prior to the debate.

Self-catering premises: policy and standards.

THE STATES commenced consideration of a Proposition of the Tourism Committee in respect of the policy and standards for self-catering premises.

Adjournment.

THE STATES, in pursuance of Article 3 of the States of Jersey Law, 1966, adjourned and re-assembled under the Presidency of Senator Ralph Vibert .

Self-catering premises: policy and standards.

THE STATES, after further discussion, adopted the Proposition and endorsed the Tourism Committee's proposed policy guidelines and schedule of standards (as set out in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2, respectively, to the Committee's report dated October, 1984) in respect of standards for self-catering premises which will be required to register under the provisions of the Tourism (Jersey) Law, 1948, as amended.

THE STATES rose at 12.50 p.m.

R.S. GRAY, Deputy Greffier of the States.