States Minutes 12th May 1987

THE STATES assembled on Tuesday, 12th May, 1987 at 10.15 a.m. under the Presidency of the Bailiff ,

Peter Leslie Crill, Esquire, C.B.E. ____________

All members were present with the exception of –

Senator Ralph Vibert – out of the Island. Senator Anne Baal – out of the Island. Senator Terence John Le Main – absent.

Senator Peter Geoffrey Kevitt Manton – out of the Island.

Snowdon George Robins, Connétable of St. Saviour – out of the Island.

Jack Roche, Deputy of St. Saviour – ill.

Sir Martin Le Quesne, Deputy of St. Saviour – out of the Island.

William George Mahoney, Deputy of St. Helier – out of the Island.

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Prayers ____________

The Duke and Duchess of York – visit

The Bailiff informed the Assembly that the following letter had been received from Buckingham Palace –

"Dear Mr. Crill,

The Duke and Duchess of York have asked me to write and express their most sincere gratitude to the States of Jersey for inviting them to the Island and for the hospitality shown to them at the Atlantic Hotel on Saturday evening. Their Royal Highnesses both

157   Price : 50p

greatly enjoyed their visit and are most grateful to you for everything you did to make it such a success.

Particularly, they were impressed with your services as an Island tour guide; it is clear that there is not a single bay, hill or village which is not intimately known to you.

Would you please pass Their Royal Highnesses' thanks and good wishes collectively to the people of Jersey for such a warm welcome despite the distinctly chilly weather. Their Royal Highnesses will also greatly treasure the book which you gave them and will enjoy reading about the history of the Island of Jersey in the future.

Yours sincerely, Adam Wise".

Distinguished Visitors – welcome.

The Bailiff welcomed to the States His Grace the Archbishop of Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire, Mr. Justin Nyandali and Canon Ken Barham of the diocese of Rwanda.

Bailiff 's ruling – dates for debate.

The Bailiff made a Statement in the following terms –

"I have considered whether Members should give four clear days' notice, as required by Standing Order 18(2), of a request for a proposition to be taken on a particular day. Hitherto, the requirement of notice has been waived. I have decided that I am no longer prepared to waive the requirement of the Standing Order and that, accordingly, Members wishing to ask for dates must give four clear days' notice so that the Greffier can include the request in the Order Paper which is sent out on the Thursday."

Special Committee to examine minimum income for States Members: appointment of chairman and members.

THE STATES appointed the following as chairman and members of the Special Committee to examine the minimum income for States' Members –

Senator John Le Marquand – chairman Senator Pierre François Horsfall

Jean Amy Le Maistre, Deputy of St. Helier John Le Gallais, Deputy of St. Saviour Norman Stuart Le Brocq, Deputy of St. Helier .

Matters lodged.

The following subjects were lodged "au Greffe" –

1. North Telephone Exchange: transfer of administration. P.78/87.

Presented by the Housing Committee. The States decided to take this subject into consideration on 2nd June, 1987.

2. Victoria College/Jersey College for Girls; building development. P.79/87.

Presented by the Education Committee.

States' Trading Committees: policy review. P.75/87.

THE STATES acceded to the request of the Vice-President of the Policy Advisory Committee that the Proposition relating to a policy review of States' Trading Committees (lodged on 28th April, 1987) be considered on 2nd June, 1987.

North and East Telephone Exchanges: transfer of administration. P.19/87. Withdrawn.

THE STATES noted that the Housing Committee had withdrawn the Proposition relating to the transfer of administration of the North and East Telephone Exchanges (lodged on 20th January, 1987), having lodged a revised Proposition at the present Sitting (P.78/87).

Rue Fondon Trading Estate, St. Peter : sale of industrial sites. P.140/86.

THE STATES acceded to the request of the President of the Island Development Committee to defer consideration of the Proposition regarding the sale of industrial sites at the Rue Fondon Trading Estate, St. Peter (lodged on 21st October, 1986) from 26th May to 2nd June, 1987.

Housing Committee: (j) category consents. Statement.

The President of the Housing Committee made a Statement in the following terms –

"The States, on 28th January, 1987, approved a Proposition of the Policy Advisory Committee that the policy of the Housing Committee of restricting the number of consents granted under Regulation 1(1)(j) of the Housing Regulations should be endorsed and the granting of such consents for a limited period only encouraged'.

My Committee has now had the opportunity to give further consideration to this matter and has agreed a new policy whereby in future all consents allowing essential employees to occupy property in the Island should, wherever possible, be restricted to a fixed period only, even in those circumstances where it is recognised that there is a continuing need for the post and the post is unlikely to be filled locally in the foreseeable future. The aim of this policy, which is to take immediate effect, is to give my Committee a greater degree of control over the number of immigrant essential employees requiring long-term housing.

My Committee proposes to apply this policy to both the private and public sectors of employment.

The policy has the support of the Policy Advisory, Finance and Economics and Establishment Committees and my Committee is due to have early meetings with the Education and Public Health Committees on how the new policy is to apply to the employment of teaching and medical staffs.

Those essential employees already in the Island who have received  consents  to  occupy  property  without  time limit shall not have their rights affected in any way by this new policy."

Highways (Road Humps) (Jersey) Regulations, 1987. P.33/87.

THE STATES, in pursuance of Article 3 of the Highways (Jersey) Law, 1956, as amended, made Regulations entitled the Highways (Road Humps) (Jersey) Regulations, 1987.

Agriculture  (Loans)  (Amendment  No. 5) (Jersey) Regulations, 1987. P.71/87.

THE STATES, in pursuance of Article 2 of the Agriculture (Loans and Guarantees) (Jersey) Law, 1974, made Regulations entitled the Agriculture (Loans) (Amendment No. 5) (Jersey) Regulations, 1987.

St. Brelade : homes for the elderly – financial assistance. P.74/87.

THE STATES, adopting a Proposition of the Finance and Economics Committee –

1. authorised the granting of a loan to the Parish of St. Brelade for the purpose of assisting the building of an extension and alterations at "Maison St. Brelade ";
2. agreed that the loan should be50 per cent of the cost of the work to be undertaken (including professional fees) up to a maximum of £130,550, with interest at 4 per cent per annum and should be repayable in equal annual instalments over a period of15 years;

3. agreed that the loan should be subject to the condition that no persons shall be allowed to take up accommodation in the development without the prior notice and agreement of the Housing Committee.

THE STATES rose at 12.30 p.m.

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