States Minutes 28th November 1989

STATES MINUTES 28 th N ovember, 1989 P r ic e : 75p

THE STATES assembled on Tuesday, 28th November, 1989 at 10.15 a.m. under t he Presidency of the Bailiff ,

S i r P eter Crill, C.B.E.

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 His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Admiral Sir William Pillar, G.B.E., K.C.B. ,

w as pr esent.

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All Members were present with the exception of -

S enator Terence John Le Main - out of t he Island.

L eonard René Hamel, Connétable of S t. Clement - ill.

L eonard Picot, Connétable of Trinity -

o ut of the Island.

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P r aye rs

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Subordinate legislation tabled.

The following enactments were laid before the States, namely -

1 . Places of Refreshment

( R egi stration) (Fees) (Jersey) O r der , 1989. R & O 7999.

2 . Tourism (General Provisions)

( A m endment No. 14) (Jersey) Order, 1989. R & O 8000.

Matters lodged.

The following subjects were lodged au Greffe'' -

1 . Draft Family Allowances (Jersey) R egul ations, 19 . P.149/89.

P r es ented by the Social Security

C om mittee.

2 . Rent rebate scheme for private

s ec tor tenants. P.150/89.

P r es ented by the Housing

C om mittee. The States decided to t ake t his subject into

cons ideration on 12th December, 1989.

3 . Waterfront area of St. Helier : deve lopment. P.151/89.

P r es ented by the Island

D e vel opment Committee.

4 . Draft Road Traffic (No. 34)

( Je r sey) Regulations, 19

( P .14 1/89): second amendment. P .152/ 89.

P r esented by the Defence

C om mittee.

5 . Draft Road Traffic (No. 34)

( Je r sey) Regulations, 19

( P .14 1/89): third amendment.

P .153/ 89.

P r es ented by Senator Terence John L e M ain.

6 . Draft Road Traffic (No. 34)

( Je r sey) Regulations,

19 (P.141/89): fourth amendment. P .154/ 89.

P r es ented by Senator Dereck André C ar ter.

7 . Draft Water (Amendment) (Jersey) L aw , 19 . P.155/89.

P r es ented by the Public Works

C om mittee. The States decided to

t ake t his subject into

cons ideration on 12th December,

1989.

8 . West of Albert Pier reclamation s it e - development preparation:

t rans fer of funds. P.156/89.

P r es ented by the Public Works

C om mittee. The States decided to t ake t his subject into

cons ideration on 12th December, 1989.

Fields 14, 14A and 18, La Rue de Maupertuis, St. Clement : compulsory purchase. P.152/88. Withdrawn. THE STATES noted that in pursuance

of Standing Order 17(6) the Proposition of the Housing Committee relating to the compulsory purchase of Fields 14, 14A and 18, La Rue de Maupertuis, St. Clement (lodged on 22nd November, 1988) had been withdrawn.

Rents of commercial property: control. P.143/89.

THE STATES acceded to the request

of Senator Corrie Stein that consideration of the Proposition relating to the control

of rents of commercial property (lodged on 7th November, 1989) be deferred from 12th December, 1989 to a later date.

Government House. Statement.

The President of the Island

Development Committee made a statement in the following terms -

When my Committee met last Thursday a considerable time was spent

d iscussing Government House. I now

w ish to advise Members that my

C ommittee, after discussion,

u nanimously decided that it wished to

r evoke the planning permit issued for

t he demolition and rebuilding of

G overnment House.

I t is a fact that in November of last

y ear my Committee was supportive of

t he Public Works Committee's

p roposals, which were subsequently

a pproved by the States on 13th

D ecember, 1988 that the house be

d emolished. At that time we knew that

t he architects, engineers and quantity

s urveyors had advised that the cost of

r efurbishment and our extension to

G overnment House was likely to be much h igher than that of building new.

T here was also the unspecified cost of

r ehousing the Lieutenant Governor

w hile the work was being carried out.

A t the same time work was proceeding

o n the study of buildings to be

d esignated as sites of special

i nterest and, although on a draft

l ist, not very much information was

a vailable about the history and

a rchitectural quality of Government

H ouse.

F ollowing States' approval to

d emolition my Committee did not

f urther research the historical or

a rchitectural content of the

b uildings, but instead concentrated on t he design of the new Government

H ouse. After much discussion with

o utside bodies my Committee gave

p lanning permission.

I t is now clear to us that the

a rguments for choosing the least

c ostly option were not the ones which

s hould have prevailed. We now know

m uch more about Government House and h ave a better understanding of how

g reatly it is valued by the Island. We

f eel that our change of mind is

j ustified.

I am confident that the Public Works

C ommittee will accept this decision as b eing right for Jersey and will join

u s in studying alternative proposals.

T here can be no doubt that, provided

w e are prepared to pay the price, the

o ld house can be restored and the

L ieutenant Governor of Jersey provided w ith a home, guest suites and

r eception rooms, which will reflect

t he high esteem which this Island has

f or this office.''

Budget 1990.

THE STATES commenced the

consideration of the Budget for the

financial year commencing 1st January,

1990, which in accordance with Article 16

of the Public Finances (Administration) (Jersey) Law, 1967, had been presented to

the Assembly on 14th November, 1989, by the Finance and Economics Committee and comprised -

( i) the estimate of the revenue

expe nditure and of the income of t he com mittees of the States;

( ii) the estimate of the

t rans act ions of the capital f u nd; and

( iii) the Report of the Finance and E con om ics Committee thereon.

THE STATES, having considered the estimates of the revenue expenditure and of the income of the various committees, decided to allow the said estimates as detailed in the undermentioned pages of the Budget as follows -

F inance and Economics Committee - P ages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and

1 1.

D efence Committee - Pages 12, 13, 14 a nd 15.

P ublic Works Committee - Pages 16, 17, 1 8, 19, 20 and 21.

E ducation Committee - Pages 22, 23, 2 4, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31.

P ublic Health Committee - Pages 32, 3 3, 34 and 35.

R esources Recovery Board - Pages 36 a nd 37.

A griculture and Fisheries Committee - P ages 38 and 39.

T ourism Committee - Pages 40 and 41.

E tat Civil Committee - Pages 42 and 4 3.

S ocial Security Committee - Pages 42 a nd 43.

C ottage Homes Committee - Pages 42 and 4 3.

E stablishment Committee - Pages 44 and 4 5.

I sland Development Committee - Pages 4 6 and 47.

E lizabeth House Committee - Pages 46 a nd 47.

H ousing Committee - Pages 48 and 49. P rison Board - Pages 48 and 49.

F ort Regent Development Committee - P ages 50 and 51.

G ambling Control Committee - Pages 52 a nd 53.

L egislation Committee - Pages 52 and 5 3.

O verseas Aid Committee - Pages 52 and 5 3.

B roadcasting Committee - Pages 52 and 5 3.

I ndustrial Relations Committee - Pages 5 4 and 55.

P olicy and Resources Committee - Pages 5 4 and 55.

O ccupation and Liberation Committee - P ages 54 and 55.

H arbours and Airport Committee - La

C ollette Reclamation Scheme - Pages 56 a nd 57.

T RADING COMMITTEES

H arbours and Airport Committee - Pages 5 8 and 59.

T elecommunications Board - Page 60.

C ommittee for Postal Administration - Page 61.

THE STATES, referring to the summary of income and revenue expenditure appearing on page 71 agreed the total revenue

expenditure in the sum of #252,299,500, the total income from committees in the sum of #136,023,600 and having allowed for a balance in hand at 31st December, 1989 of #7,668,600 agreed the amounts to be transferred to the strategic reserve, accumulated reserve and general reserve in the sums of #20,000,000, #2,000,000 and #30,000,000 respectively.

THE STATES noted that on the basis of levels of taxation proposed by the Finance and Economics Committee the surplus on the revenue account to be transferred to the capital fund amounted to #36,277,700.

Having allowed for a balance of #38,581,600 to be brought forward at 1st January, 1990, and taking into account the capital repayments of #14,856,000 the States noted that there would be available in the

capital fund the sum of #89,715,300. The States then proceeded to consider the estimates of capital expenditure recommended by the Finance and Economics Committee on pages 62, 63, 64 and 65 of the

Budget and -

N ON-TRADING COMMITTEES

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Finance and

E conomics Committee appearing on page 6 2 of the Budget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Defence Committee a ppearing on page 62 of the Budget was a llowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Public Works

C ommittee appearing on page 62 of the B udget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Education Committee a ppearing on page 62 of the Budget was a llowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Public Health

C ommittee appearing on page 63 of the B udget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Resources Recovery B oard appearing on page 63 of the

B udget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Agriculture and

F isheries Committee appearing on page 6 3 of the Budget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Cottage Homes

C ommittee appearing on page 63 of the B udget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Establishment

C ommittee appearing on page 63 was a llowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Island Development C ommittee appearing on page 64 of the B udget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Housing Committee a ppearing on page 64 of the Budget was a llowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Prison Board

a ppearing on page 64 of the Budget was a llowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Fort Regent

D evelopment Committee appearing on p age 64 of the Budget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Occupation and

L iberation Committee appearing on page 6 5 of the Budget was allowed.

T RADING COMMITTEES.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Harbours and

A irport Committee appearing on page 64

o f the Budget was allowed.

T he estimate of the capital

e xpenditure of the Telecommunications B oard appearing on page 64 of the

B udget was allowed.

The estimate of capital expenditure of the Public Works Committee not recommended by the Finance and Economics Committee appearing on page 65 of the Budget was disallowed.

THE STATES having terminated the discussion on the capital estimates noted that the

amount to be voted from the Capital Fund

was #52,797,000.

THE STATES considered the estimates of income to be produced from taxation appearing on page 69 of the Budget and agreed the estimate as follows -

# #

I mpôts on spirits 4,991,000

I mpôts on wines 2,631,00 0 I mpôts on tobacco 3,530,000 I mpôts on beer 1,790, 000

I mpôts on motor fuel 1,778,000

G oods imported into the Island

( Tariff) 450,000 15,170,00 0

I ncome tax 180, 500,0

M otor tax 1,215, 000

THE STATES adopted in second reading a Bill to continue certain expiring fiscal Laws;

to prescribe the standard rate of income

tax for the year nineteen hundred and

ninety; to amend further the law relating

to income tax to increase personal

allowances and reliefs, to modify

provisions relating to the allowance for a housekeeper for widows and widowers and the additional personal allowance for children,

to provide relief in respect of premiums

paid under certain contracts of private

medical insurance, and to make further provisions in respect of the exemption of annuity funds and the transfer of payments between funds; to increase the registration

fee under the Depositors and Investors (Prevention of Fraud) (Jersey) Laws, 1967

to 1986; and to increase wines and spirits

duty, beer duty, the duty on certain

tobacco products and oils and spirits duty.

The said Bill was lodged au Greffe''.

THE STATES, in pursuance of Article 25 of the Public Finances (Administration) (Jersey) Law, 1967, have declared that the Bill to continue certain expiring fiscal Laws; to prescribe the standard rate of income tax for the year nineteen hundred and ninety; to amend the law relating to income tax to increase personal allowances and reliefs, to modify provisions relating

to the allowance for a housekeeper for widows and widowers and the additional personal allowance for children, to provide relief in respect of premiums paid under certain contracts of private medical insurance, and to make further provisions

in respect of the exemption of annuity

funds and the transfer of payments between funds; to increase the registration fee

under the Depositors and Investors (Prevention of Fraud) (Jersey) Laws, 1967 to 1986; and to increase wines and spirits duty, beer duty, the duty on certain

tobacco products and oils and spirits duty (which Bill has this day been lodged au Greffe''), shall immediately have effect as

if it were a law passed by the States and sanctioned by Her Majesty in Council.

THE STATES having terminated the discussion on the Budget agreed the summary of the estimated income and revenue expenditure

for 1990 appearing on page 71 of the Budget

as follows -

INCOME #  

Committees 136,0 23, 600

Taxation 19 6,885, 000

332,908 , 600

DEDUCT # # #

Revenue expenditure 252,29 9, 500

80,609, 1 00

ADD

Estimated balance in hand

at 1st January, 1990. 7,668 ,6

00

88,277, 7 00

APPROPRIATION TO RESERVES

Strategic reserve 2 0,000,00 0

Accumulated reserve 2, 000,000

General reserve 37,000,000

less estimated balance

in hand at 31st

December, 1989 7,000,0 00 30,000,000 52,000,000

Balance to be transferred

to capital fund #36, 277 ,700

THE STATES further agreed the estimated transactions of the capital fund for 1990

as follows -

# #  

Balance brought forward 38,581,600 Capital repayments 14,856,000

Estimated balance on revenue account 36,2 77,700

(as above) 89,715 ,300

Capital expenditure 52,79 7,0

Estimated balance in hand at 31st December, 1990 #36,918 ,300

THE STATES rose at 5.30 p.m.

E .J .M. P O T T E R G r ef fier of the States.