Diversity Forum Sub-Committee Minutes (Part A)- 19th September 2024

Minutes.

A1. The Minutes of the meeting held on 20th June 2024, having previously been circulated, were taken as read and were confirmed, subject to a minor amendment.

Appointments.

A2. The Sub-Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A5 of 20th June 2024, recalled that Deputy M.R. Ferey of St. Saviour , Assistant Chief Minister, had been appointed to the Sub-Committee as a representative of Government.

Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter , Chair, requested that Deputy Ferey receive invitations to forthcoming meetings of the Sub-Committee.

Action Arising:

Work programme 2024.

A3. The Sub-Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A6 of 20th June 2024, noted the 2024 work programme.

Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter , Chair, requested that the status of the gender equality of Committees and Panels item was updated to Monitoring'.

Financial support for campaign expenses.

A4. The Sub-Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A7 of 20th June 2024, considered a report in connexion with financial support options for campaign expenses for disabled or low-income candidates at future elections.

The Sub-Committee noted the various funding options that were available in the United Kingdom and Canada for individuals who were disabled or low-income wishing to run an election campaign, which included grants from dedicated Funds and tax credits. A discussion ensued in connexion with the potential routes which could be taken to provide financial support for these individuals in Jersey, whereby the Vice-Chair, Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St Saviour, raised concerns regarding how eligibility for such support would be designated and strongly expressed the view that receipt of income support payments should not be the sole measure used to determine whether prospective candidates could be identified as low-income.

The Sub-Committee considered undertaking further work in connexion with the barriers prospective disabled or low-income election candidates may face, and considered approaching organisations such as Liberate, Enable Jersey and Eyecan, and candidates who had previously stood for election, to gain insight. It was proposed that by early 2025 a set of recommendations regarding financial support for campaign expenses could be tendered to the Privileges and Procedures Committee for its consideration. The Sub-Committee was advised that the Political Awareness and Education Sub-Committee, in conjunction with the Digital and Public Engagement team, was running a Plan to Stand' campaign for the upcoming Democracy Week, which linked to this item.  

The Sub-Committee agreed that the matter would be raised with the Privileges and Procedures Committee.

Action Arising:

Disability accessibility in the States Building.

A5. The Sub-Committee considered a report in connexion with disability accessibility in the States Building, which included an overview of the building audits completed in recent years.

It was recalled that the Sub-Committee had agreed that the States Building was not currently accessible to those with disabilities and that the usability of the building must be improved for all users by implementing inclusive design principles.

The Sub-Committee acknowledged that a number of changes to aid accessibility had been implemented in the States Building, such as the installation of ramps and accessible toilets, and the introduction of live-streamed debates. However, adaptation of the building to enable full accessibility to those with disabilities would prove challenging, as it would likely require extensive and possibly unfeasible alterations due to the historic significance and structural constraints of the building.

The Sub-Committee expressed disappointment that many of the recommended refurbishments to the States Building, as outlined in the States Building Access Audit 2018, had not been undertaken and requested that a report be produced showing the status of the recommendations and who was responsible for actioning them to ensure urgent modifications were prioritised.  

Deputy L.K.F. Stephenson of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter apprised the Sub-Committee of the existing access for any member to request workstation assessments through Members Resources, and suggested that States Members might be reminded of this provision.

Action Arising:

Public sector equality duty.

A6. The Sub-Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A5 of 20th June 2024, received and noted correspondence from the former Chief Minister, Deputy K.L. Moore of St. Mary , St. Ouen , and St. Peter dated 1st November 2023 and addressed to the former Chair of the Diversity Forum, Deputy C.S. Alves of St. Helier Central , in connexion with Public Sector Equality Duty.

It was anticipated, noting the change in Government, that further correspondence would establish the Minister currently responsible for Public Sector Equality Duty. The Sub-Committee requested that a response be drafted to Deputy L.J. Farnham , of St. Mary , St. Ouen and St. Peter , Chief Minister. It was noted that the JCRT had not supported the introduction of Public Sector Equality Duty legislation in Jersey. It was also proposed to request a workstreams update within the response, in order that the Sub-Committee be apprised of the work which had been completed in this connexion to date.

Women's caucus.

A7. The Sub-Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A6 of 20th June 2024, discussed the option to attend training in connexion with the establishment of the Women's Caucus, delivered by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

It was confirmed that the training consisted of 8 modules, lasting between 4-8 hours in total, and invitations would be sent to all States Members who identified as female for completion across 2 sessions in December 2024 and January 2025. It was noted that interested States Members who could not make the aforementioned sessions would be able to complete the training in their own time.

The Sub-Committee discussed the benefits of the training and proposed that the launch of the Women's Caucus should be coordinated with the International Women's Day celebrations during March 2025, with the possibility of holding the inaugural meeting of the Women's Caucus, following this training, around this date at the Jersey Archive.

Action Arising:

Gender pay gap event.

A8. The Sub-Committee received a verbal update from Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour , Vice-Chair, in connexion with the gender pay gap event which had been held on 18th September 2024 and hosted by the Diversity Network.

Deputy Doublet highlighted the proficiency of the Diversity Network's presentation and confirmed that the Government of Jersey was due to publish its annual Gender Pay Gap Report in December 2024, which outlined the gender pay gap for all Government and Non-Ministerial Departments, and the steps the organisation was taking to address the gap. It was agreed that interaction with the Diversity Network should be continued, with the view of introducing a political presence at forthcoming events through the involvement of Deputy Doublet .

Forthcoming business of the States Assembly.

A9. The Sub-Committee, with reference to its Minute No. A8 of 20th June 2024, considered items which had been lodged au Greffe' for the meetings of the States Assembly scheduled to commence on 1st October 2024, 22nd October 2024, and 26th November 2024.

With regard to the proposition entitled Amendment to Standing Orders – remote participation in States Meetings', which had been lodged au Greffe by the Minister for Infrastructure on 17thSeptember 2024, Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour , Vice-Chair, proposed that the Privileges and Procedures Committee discuss and consider what accommodations could be made for States Members' children during meetings of the States Assembly at its next meeting.

Date of next meeting

A10. The Sub-Committee noted that its next meeting would be held on 17th October 2024, at 11.00 am in the Blampied Room.