States Minutes 5th November 1997

STATES MINUTES 5t h N o vem ber 1997

T HE STATES assembled on Tuesday, 5th November 1997 at 9.30 a.m. under t he Presidency of the Bailiff ,

S ir P hi lip Bailhache

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His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor,

 General Sir Michael Wilkes, K.C.B., C.B.E, w as pr e sent.

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All members were present with the exception of -

S enator John Stephen Rothwell - out of the I sland

S enator Jean Amy Le Maistre - out of the

I sland

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P rayers were read by the Bailiff __ _______ ___

Arrangement of public business for the next meeting on 18th November 1997

THE STATES agreed that the following further matters lodged au Greffe'' would be considered at the meeting on 18th November 1997 -

D raft Public Service Vehicle (Fees)

( Amendment No. 8) (Jersey) Regulations 199 - P.156/97 L odged: 21st October 1997

D efence Committee

D raft Hire Cars (No. 7) (Jersey) R egulations 199 - P.157/97

L odged: 21st October 1997

D efence Committee

D raft Patents (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey)

L aw 1997 (Appointed Day) Act 199 - P.158/97 L odged: 21st October 1997

F inance and Economics Committee

Strategic Policy Review and Action Plan 1997 - P.149/97, P.150/97 (Revised), P.154/97, P.155/97, P.160/97, P.161/97 and sixth amendments.

THE STATES continued discussion of sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1) of the proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee -

( 1) To receive the Strategic Policy Review a nd Action Plan 1997 Part I; and

( a ) to approve the recommendations on pop ul a tion and immigration policy

as s et out in clauses (i) - (xx)

of s ub - paragraph 1.1 of that Part.

THE STATES accepted an amendment of the Housing Committee that after the word Part'' there

should be inserted the words except that for

clause (xviii) there shall be substituted the

following -

(xviii) the Policy and Resources Committee be r eq ues ted to investigate and

repor t t o the States on the

int roduc tion of an identity card

sc hem e, with the object of

m oni tor ing the residential and

em pl oym ent status of all members

of t he I sland's population';''.

THE STATES rejected an amendment of Senator Richard Joseph Shenton that after the word

Part'' there should be inserted the words

 except that in clause (xx) for the words

Policy and Resources Committee'' there shall be substituted the words a Special Committee appointed for the purpose';''.

Members voted as follows -

P our ''(11) Senators

S henton, Kinnard. Connétable s

G rouville. Deputies

S t. Baudains(H), Le Geyt(s), Duhamel(S),

B reckon(S), St. John , Le Main(H), Rabet(H), C rowcroft(H).

C ontre''(40) Senators

H orsfall, Stein, Quérée, Bailhache , Syvret, T omes, Norman, Walker .

Connétable s

S t. Clement, St. Lawrence , St. Mary , St. B relade, St. Peter , St. Helier , St.

S aviour, St. Martin , St. Ouen , St. John , T rinity.

Deputies

W avell(S), H. Baudains(C), Le Sueur (H),

C outanche(L), St. Mary , Trinity , Pullin(S),

J ohns(H), Routier(H), Dorey(H), Layzell(B), G rouville, Huet(H), St. Martin ,

B lampied(H), Vibert (B), de la Haye(B), Le C ornu(C), St. Peter , Dubras(L), St. Ouen .

THE STATES, adopting sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (1) of the proposition, as amended -

( 1) received the Strategic Policy Review and A ction Plan 1997 Part 1; and -

( a ) approved the recommendations on pop ul a tion and immigration policy as s et out in clauses (i)-(xx) of

su b - pa ragraph 1.1 of that Part,

ex cept that -

in cl aus e (i) the words (that is ar ound 8 5,000)'' should be de l et ed;

in cl aus e (iv) after the

w or d manpower'' there should be ins er t e d the words whilst

en s ur ing s ocial justice in the

Is l and, an d that a statutory

m i ni m um wage and a maternity be nef i t equal to that enjoyed by

S tat e s e mployees be introduced as so on as possible'';

in cl aus e (vi) after the words

publ i c sector'' there should be

ins er t e d the words without the

ne ed f or compulsory redundancies,

ex cept as a last resort'' and

af t e r t he w ords work force'' in

the s e cond place where they

ap pear , there should be inserted

the w or ds , such as ensuring

fai r, r e asonable and comparable

tot a l r em uneration and terms of

em pl oym ent under any new employer of t he t ransferred workers;''

at t he en d of clause (xi) there

sh oul d be inserted the words

w hi ls t at all times recognising

the ne ed t o sustain full

em pl oym ent for all residentially qua l i fi ed employees, and, at the sa m e t ime, to ensure that finance indus tr y organisations encourage local l y trained personnel to take up s eni or positions thereby

reduci ng the need for (j)'

ca t e gor y consents'';

at t he en d of clause (xiv) there

sh oul d be inserted the words

w hi le r ecognising that in a

sm al l i solated community some form of pr ot ection will be required'';

at t he en d of clause (xvii) there sh oul d be inserted the words and to r e qui re manpower returns to be su bm it ted on a quarterly basis'';

for c l au se (xviii) there should be su bs t it uted the following -

  (xvi ii ) t he Policy and

R e s our ces Committee be

reque s ted t o investigate and repor t to t he States on the

int rodu ct ion of an identity

car d s che me, with the object

o f m oni tor ing the residential

and em pl oyment status of all m em be r s of the Island's

p opul at ion.' '

Members voted as follows - P our ''(49)'' Senators

S henton, Horsfall, Stein, Quérée,

B ailhache, Syvret, Tomes, Norman, Walker , K innard.

Connétable s

S t. Clement, St. Lawrence , St. Mary , St. B relade, St. Peter , Grouville , St. Helier , S t. Saviour, St. Martin , St. Ouen , St.

J ohn, Trinity .

Deputies

W avell(S), H. Baudains(C), Le

S ueur(H), Coutanche(L), St. Mary , S . Baudains(H), Le Geyt(S), Trinity , P ullin(S), Duhamel(S), Routier(H),

D orey(H), Layzell(B), Breckon(S),

G rouville, Huet(H), St. Martin , St. John , B lampied(H), Rabet(H), Crowcroft (H), V ibert(B), de la Haye(B), Le Cornu(C), S t. Peter, Dubras(L), St. Ouen .

C ont re'' (1) Deputy

J ohns(H).

THE STATES commenced consideration of paragraph (2) of the proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee -

( 2) to receive the Strategic Policy Review and A ction Plan 1997 Part II and -

( a ) to approve the financial and

bud get ary strategy of the Finance

an d E cono mics Committee as set out in s ub - paragraphs 5.1 to 5.14 of

that P ar t;

THE STATES accepted an amendment of Deputy Alan Breckon of St. Saviour that after the word

Part'' there should be inserted the words

, except that in sub-paragraphs 5.1 and 5.3 at

the end of the fourth bullet points under the

headings Budget Strategy' there shall be

inserted the words especially between those

with mortgage interest relief and rent

payers';''.

THE STATES accepted an amendment of Senator Richard Joseph Shenton that after the word

Part'' there should be inserted the words

 except that in sub-paragraph 5.1 for the third bullet point under the heading Short Term Measures' there shall be substituted the

following -

* increase the return to general revenues

f rom Trading Committees by £1.5

m il lion to £7.5 million for 1998 with a f ur t her increase of £0.5 million in

1999; '.''

THE STATES accepted an amendment of Senator Wendy Kinnard that after the word Part'' there should be inserted the words except that in sub-paragraph 5.1, under the heading Short Term Measures', there shall be added an eighth bullet point as follows -

* to give tax allowances on child care

cos ts by 1st January 1998';''.

Members present voted as follows on Senator Kinnard's amendment -

P our '' (46) Senators

S henton, Horsfall, Stein, Bailhache ,

S yvret, Tomes, Norman, Walker , Kinnard.

Connétable s

S t. Clement, St. Lawrence , St. Mary , St. B relade, St. Peter , Grouville , St. Helier , S t. Saviour, St. Martin , St. Ouen , St.

J ohn, Trinity .

Deputies

W avell(S), H. Baudains(C), Le Sueur (H), C outanche(L), S. Baudains(H), Le Geyt(S), T rinity, Pullin(S), Johns(H), Duhamel(S), R outier(H), Dorey(H), Layzell(B),

B reckon(S), Grouville , Huet(H), St. Martin , S t. John, Rabet(H), Crowcroft (H),

V ibert(B), de la Haye(B), St. Peter ,

D ubras(L), St. Ouen .

C ont re'' (4) Senators

Q uérée.

Deputies

S t. Mary, Blampied(H), Le Cornu(C).

THE STATES, adopting sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (2), as amended -

( 2) received the Strategic Policy Review and A ction Plan 1997 Part II and -

( a ) approved the financial and

bud get ary strategy of the Finance

an d E cono mics Committee as set out in s ub - paragraphs: 5.1 to 5.14 of

that P ar t;

ex cept that -

in s ub - paragraphs 5.1 and 5.3 at the en d of the fourth bullet

poi nt s unde r the headings Budget S tr at egy '' there should be

ins er t e d the words especially

be t w een those with mortgage

int e res t relief and rent

pa yer s '';

in s ub - paragraph 5.1 for the third bul l e t p oint under the heading

S hor t Term Measures'' there

sh oul d be substitued the

fol low ing -

* i ncr ease the return to general

reve nues from Trading

C om m i tt ees by £1.5 million to

£ 7.5 m i ll ion for 1998 with a

fur ther i ncr ease of £0.5

m i ll ion i n 1999;''

in s ub - paragraph 5.1 there should be adde d, under the heading

S hor t Term Measures'', of an

ei ght h bul let point as follows -

* t o gi ve tax allowances on

chi l d ca re costs by 1st

Janua r y 19 98;''.

THE STATES continued consideration of paragraph (2) of the proposition of the Policy and Resources Committee -

( b) to approve the cash limits for each of t he non -trading committees for 1998 as s et out in Appendix 4.2.

THE STATES having accepted an amendment of Deputy Maurice François Dubras of St. Lawrence that, after the words Appendix 4.2'' there

should be inserted the words , except that -

( i) the cash limit for the Overseas Aid

C om mittee shall be increased from

£2,70 0,000 to £2,835,000, and to

r e ques t the Finance and Economics

C om mittee to reduce the amount to be al l oc ated to the general reserve in

t h e 1998 Budget accordingly;

( ii) consideration be given to making a f ur t h er increase once the Overseas

A i d C ommittee has completed its

pr e sen t review and has submitted a 3 yea r B usiness Plan as part of its 5

yea r S trategic Plan to the States

dur ing 1998.''

THE STATES, adopting sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (2), as amended -

( b) approved the cash limits for each of t h e non -trading committees for 1998 as s et out in Appendix 4.2, except

t h at  -

(i ) t he cash limit for the Overseas

A i d C om mittee should be

incr eas ed f rom £2,700,000 to

£2 ,835,000 , and the Finance and

E c onom ics Committee requested to reduc e t he amount to be

al l ocat ed t o the general reserve

in t he 199 8 Budget accordingly;

( ii ) con sideration be given to making a f ur t he r increase once the

O ver se as Aid Committee had

com p l et ed its present review and ha d s ub mitted a 3 year Business

P lan a s par t of its 5 year

S tr a teg i c Plan to the States

du ri ng 1998.

Adjournment

THE STATES then adjourned, having agreed that consideration of the remaining paragraphs of the proposition on the Strategic Policy Review and Action Plan 1997 (P.149/97) should stand over until after the public business set down for Tuesday 18th November 1997 and that, if necessary, the States would also meet on Wednesday, 19th November 1997.

THE STATES rose at 6.27 p.m.

G .H .C . C O P P O C K G r ef fi e r of the States.