States Minutes 30th October 1984

THE STATES assembled on Tuesday, 30th  October,  1984,  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 Bernard Thomas Binnington – out of the Island. Helen Baker, Deputy of St. Martin – out of the Island.

Mervyn   Renouf  Billot,   Deputy  of   St. Saviour –  out  of  the Island.

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Prayers. _____

Retirement of H.E. The Lieutenant Governor.

The Bailiff , in accordance with Standing Order No. 4 of the Standing Orders of the States of Jersey, informed members that a meeting would be held in extraordinary session on Thursday, 29th November, 1984 in order to say farewell to His Excellency The Lieutenant Governor, General Sir Peter Whiteley, G.C.B., O.B.E., who was retiring in December.

Draft Video Recordings (Jersey) Law, 198 . P.135/84.

THE STATES acceded to the request of the President of the Education  Committee  that  consideration  of  the  Draft  Video Recordings (Jersey) Law, 198 (lodged on 25th September, 1984) be deferred from 6th November, 1984 to a later date.

Customs officers – importation of drugs. Question and answer.

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

327   Price : 50p.

"Will the President assure the States that he is satisfied that the Island has enough Customs Officers plus proper facilities at the ports of entry to combat the ever- increasing importation of drugs into the Island?"

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

"There is fortunately no evidence to suggest that Jersey has as serious a drug problem as that being experienced in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, the danger does exist, and our Customs Officers regard the detection and prevention of the importation of drugs into this Island as a very important part of their duties.

At present 18 uniformed staff are employed on a 24 hour, 7 days a week rota to deal with the movement of both freight and passengers, the discovery of drugs on passengers or in the post being, of course, only one aspect of their duties. Officers are on duty at the Airport during operational hours, at St. Helier 24 hours a day and at the Post Office and Gorey when required. The latter two locations – St. Helier and Gorey – are manned in conjunction with Officers of the Immigration Service. Whenever possible an officer is engaged on surveillance duties around the coasts of the Island.

Facilities are not all that could be desired. At the Airport all Continental and some United Kingdom passengers are handled through red and green lanes. The majority of arrivals, however, are from the United Kingdom and collect their baggage in the Arrivals Hall with the minimum of Customs surveillance. The situation should greatly improve next year when the Airport Authorities intend to provide red/green lane facilities for all incoming passengers, and the position will then be reviewed.

At St. Helier docks, facilities for Continental arrivals are adequate at both the No. 2 Passenger Terminal and the Vehicle Control Shed on the Albert Quay.

Again however, the majority of passengers arrive from the United Kingdom and the position will need seriously to be considered in the light of the 1985 schedules recently announced for Ferries arriving in Jersey, as five vessels are planned to berth between 5.00 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.

There is no theoretical limit to the number of officers who could be engaged in this work, nor to the proportion of passengers or luggage examined. I consider, however, that the manpower resources at present made available, and the extent of examination, are sufficient in present circumstances but, of course, these levels are under constant review.

To date during 1984 Customs Officers have been responsible for 32 prosecutions and for the importation of drugs, compared with 15 for the same period in 1983.

I would like to conclude with my personal tribute, and that of my Committee, to the efficiency and keenness in this direction of Mr. A.P. Bree, Agent of the Impôts, and of his team of Officers."

Deputies: payment of salary.

THE STATES rejected the Proposition of Deputy Maurice Clement Buesnel of St. Helier that this House, whilst reaffirming its belief in and support for the Parish Honorary System, recognises that in the wider interests of democracy and in order to attract younger persons of high calibre to membership of this House, it is now necessary to pay an annual salary to Deputies and accordingly to instruct the Legislation Committee to prepare the necessary legislation for submission to the States.

Members present voted as follows –

"Pour" (3)

Deputies

Le Brocq(H), Buesnel(H), Thorne (B).

"Contre" (47)

Senators

Vibert , Le Marquand, Shenton, Jeune , Averty, Sandeman, de Carteret, Horsfall, Ellis, Baal, Rothwell.

Connétable s

St. Ouen , St. Mary , Grouville , St. Saviour , St. John , Trinity , St. Brelade , St. Martin , St. Peter , St. Helier , St. Clement , St. Lawrence .

Deputies

Mourant(H), St. Ouen , Morel (S), Le Maistre(H), Quenault(B) Perkins(C), Le Gallais(S), Roche(S), Le Quesne(S), Trinity , Filleul(H), Vandervliet(L), St. Peter , Le Main(H), Farley(H), Le Fondré(L), Rumboll(H), Grouville , St. Mary , Beadle(B), Wavell(H), Blampied(H), Norman(C), St. John .

Repeal of Sunday Trading Legislation.

THE STATES rejected the Proposition of the Connétable of St. Helier that the Tourism Committee be instructed to present legislation designed to repeal the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Jersey) Law, 1960; the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Amendment) (Jersey) Law, 1968; the Shops (Sunday Trading) (No. 2) (Jersey) Regulations, 1967; the Shops (Sunday Trading) (No. 3) (Jersey) Regulations, 1975; the Shops (Sunday Trading) (No. 4) (Jersey) Regulations, 1984 and the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Fees) (Jersey) Regulations, 1968.

Members present voted as follows –

"Pour" (5)

Connétable s

St. John , Trinity , St. Helier .

Deputies

Buesnel(H), Blampied(H).

"Contre" (43)

Senators

Vibert , Le Marquand, Shenton, Jeune , Averty, Sandeman, de Carteret, Horsfall, Ellis, Baal, Rothwell.

Connétable s

St. Ouen , St. Mary , Grouville , St. Saviour , St. Brelade , St. Martin , St. Peter , St. Clement , St. Lawrence .

Deputies

Mourant(H), St. Ouen , Morel (S), Le Maistre(H), Quenault(B), Perkins(C), Le Gallais(S), Roche(S), Le Brocq(H), Le Quesne(S), Trinity , Vandervliet(L), St. Peter , Le Main(H), Farley(H), Le Fondré(L), Rumboll(H), Grouville , St. Mary , Beadle(B), Thorne (B), Wavell(H), Norman(C).

Shops (Sunday Trading) (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Law, 1984.

THE STATES, subject to the sanction of Her Most Excellent Majesty in Council, adopted a Law entitled the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Law, 1984.

Shops (Sunday Trading) (Fees) (Jersey) Regulations, 1984.

THE STATES, in pursuance of Article 4 of the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Jersey) Law, 1960, as amended, made Regulations entitled the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Fees) (Jersey) Regulations, 1984.

Shops (Sunday Trading) (No. 5) (Jersey) Regulations, 1984.

THE STATES commenced consideration of the draft Shops (Sunday Trading) (No. 5) (Jersey) Regulations, 1984 and adopted the Preamble.

THE STATES, having accepted an amendment of the President of the Tourism Committee that the word "souvenir" be deleted from sub-paragraph (d) of the list of transactions to be set out in the Second Schedule to the Regulations, adopted Regulations 1, 2 and 3 and, in pursuance of the powers conferred upon them by Article 6 of the Shops (Sunday Trading) (Jersey) Law, 1960, as amended, made Regulations entitled the Shops (Sunday Trading) (No. 5) (Jersey) Regulations, 1984.

Self-catering premises: policy and standards. P.144/84.

THE STATES, having rejected a Proposition of the Deputy of Grouville that consideration of the Proposition regarding the policy and standards of the Tourism Committee relating to self-catering premises (lodged on 16th October, 1984) be deferred to 31st October, 1984, adopted a proposition of the Connétable of St. Lawrence that the matter be deferred to 13th November, 1984.

THE STATES rose at 5.30 p.m.

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