States Order Paper 24th September 2013

STATES OF JERSEY ORDER PAPER

Tuesday 24th September 2013

1. COMMUNICATIONS BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER
2. TABLING OF SUBORDINATE ENACTMENTS
3. DOCUMENTS PRESENTED OR LAID

Fiscal Policy Panel: re-appointment of members.  R.110/2013. Presented: 17th September 2013.

Minister for Treasury and Resources.

States of Jersey: Half-Year Corporate Report – June 2013.  R.111/2013. Presented: 18th September 2013.

Minister for Treasury and Resources.

States of Jersey Law 2005: delegation of functions – Social Security – revised  R.112/2013. delegation of financial authorities September 2013.

Presented: 19th September 2013.

Minister for Social Security.

States of Jersey Law 2005: delegation of functions – Health Care (Registration)  R.113/2013. (Jersey) Law 1995 – extension of ministerial functions to the Medical Officer of

Health.

Presented: 19th September 2013.

Minister for Health and Social Services.

4. NOTIFICATION OF LODGED PROPOSITIONS

Zero-hours contracts: regulation (P.100/2013) – amendment.  P.100/2013. Lodged: 17th September 2013.  Amd. Minister for Social Security.

Public Elections: amendments to legislation and administration.  P.110/2013. Lodged: 18th September 2013.

Privileges and Procedures Committee.

Income Support Medical Appeal Tribunal: re-appointment of members.  P.111/2013. Lodged: 18th September 2013.

Minister for Social Security.

5. WITHDRAWAL OF LODGED PROPOSITIONS

In accordance with Standing Order 34(1), the proposer of the following proposition lodged au Greffe' has informed the Greffier of the States that it is to be withdrawn –

Draft Criminal Justice (Mandatory Minimum Periods of Actual Imprisonment)  P.84/2013. (Amendment) (Jersey) Law 201-.

Lodged: 2nd July 2013.

Chief Minister.

6. APPOINTMENT OF MINISTERS, COMMITTEES AND PANELS

Election of Minister for External Relations. The Chief Minister has given notice in accordance with Standing Order 117(2) that he will nominate Senator Sir Philip Bailhache for this ministerial office (see Note).

Resignation of the Deputy of St. Peter as a member of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (as a representative of the Chairmen's Committee).

Nomination of Senator Sarah Craig Ferguson as a member of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (as a representative of the Chairmen's Committee).

Notification by the Chairman of the Corporate Services scrutiny panel in accordance with Standing Order 125(1) of a reduction in the number of members of that panel.

Election of a Member and an Associate Member to represent the States of Jersey on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (see Note).

7. MATTERS OF PRIVILEGE
8. PETITIONS
9. QUESTIONS

1. – Written Questions(attached)

1. The Minister for Social Security will table an answer to a question asked by   Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier regarding second determinations over decisions on Income Support.
2. The Minister for Treasury and Resources  will table an answer to a question asked by  the Connétable of St. John regarding the annual rental from Liberty Wharf properties.
3. The Minister for Treasury and Resources  will table an answer to a question asked by the Connétable of St. John regarding Esplanade Quarter and Harcourt.
4. The Minister for Treasury and Resources  will table an answer to a question asked by the Connétable of St. John regarding the financial and planning details of the Esplanade Quarter.
5. The Minister for Transport and Technical Services will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy J.A. Martin of St. Helier regarding Liberty Bus performance record and dealing with complaints and staffing issues.
6. The Minister for Planning and Environment will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement regarding explaining the benefits of Ragwort.
7. The Minister for Transport and Technical Services will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement regarding alternations to La Route du Fort and St. Clement 's Road junction.
8. The Minister for Transport and Technical Services will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement regarding the operation of the Energy from Waste plant.

9. The Chief Minister will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier regarding underspends and negotiation for public sector pay.
10. The Minister for Social Security will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier regarding the publication of a claimant friendly version of Income Support calculator.
11. The Minister for Social Security will table an answer to a question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier regarding breast feeding and an extension in maternity leave.

2. – Oral Questions (120 minutes)

1. Deputy J.H. Young of St. Brelade will ask the following question of the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture –

"Will the Minister inform the Assembly whether he condones the present practice of some schools charging their former pupils fees for providing school attendance certificates required for residence cards and whether he considers the arrangements made to assist the Social Security Department to issue these cards to school leavers to be satisfactory, and will he state whether he is proposing any improvements to avoid undue bureaucracy in future?"

2. Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier of St. Saviour will ask the following question of the Minister for Treasury and Resources –

"Would the Minister, as representative of the shareholder, inform members when JT intends to announce the wholesale rental structure that will accompany the move to fibre optic and explain why has there been a delay?"

3. Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement will ask the following question of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services –

"Given that one of the largest engineering firms in the world stated that it would have built a new incinerator for £66m turnkey (£40m less than the States have paid for the current plant ) would the Minister advise whether he now regrets that his department told that firm not to bother to tender at the expression of interest stage?"

4. Deputy J.A. Hilton of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Minister for Planning and Environment –

"Would the Minister inform members of the date of the meeting which took place between himself and representatives of the Co-op which he referred to on 10th September and would he also state when he made the decision not to take part in determining the planning application?"

5. Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Minister for Social Security –

"Will income support recipients be caught by proposals to sanction those leaving employment "without good reason" if that employment was subject to a zero-hours contract which had delivered variable or no income in the first two weeks and does the Minister have plans to deliver support for those who are subject to very variable earnings on zero-hours contracts on a more timely basis than the 5-week cycle suggested previously?"

6. Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade will ask the following question of the Minister for Treasury and Resources –

"Will the Minister say what plans, if any, he has to improve access to Fort Regent?"

7. Deputy T.M. Pitman of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Chief Minister –

"Further to his answer of 10th September 2013 and his subsequent media release will the Chief Minister clarify for the Assembly the full and complete costs arising from the secret court proceedings against former Senator Stuart Syvret; and will he clarify what percentage of the costs, if any, were paid by the four individuals themselves?"

8. Deputy J.H. Young of St. Brelade will ask the following question of the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture –

"Will the Minister disclose the sites that are being considered for the new Les Quennevais School and set out the proposed timetable for the project including its consideration by the Planning system as required by the Island Plan?"

9. Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier of St. Saviour will ask the following question of the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee –

"Does the Committee intend to undertake a study of the fibre optic project undertaken by JT and, if so, when will this commence?"

10. Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier will ask the following question of the Minister for Social Security -

"Will the Minister update members on the figures he gave on 26th June 2012 on the numbers of under and overpayments of Income Support, which at the time he stated were "expected to increase as a result of the continuing economic downturn?"

11. Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement will ask the following question of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services –

"Would the Minister explain why his department is not re-directing traffic around the north and east of Mount Bingham in order to alleviate traffic congestion caused by the recent rock fall?"

12. Deputy T.M. Pitman of St. Helier will ask the following question of H.M. Attorney General –

"Following his answer of 10th September in which he stated that a single instance of the Superior Number failing to exercise its jurisdiction to act on inappropriate standards of honesty, integrity and/or behaviour of a Jurat would not cause the UK authorities to intervene will the Attorney General clarify whether this effective lack of challenge to higher authority is compliant with Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights?"

3. – Questions to Ministers without notice (30 minutes) –

1st question period – Minister for Transport and Technical Services 2nd question period – Minister for Home Affairs

10. PERSONAL STATEMENTS

11. STATEMENTS ON A MATTER OF OFFICIAL RESPONSIBILITY
12. PUBLIC BUSINESS

Organ Donors' Register.  P.89/2013. Lodged: 24th July 2013.

Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier of St. Saviour .

Organ Donors' Register (P.89/2013): comments.  P.89/2013. Presented: 9th September 2013.  Com. Minister for Health and Social Services.

Sunstone Holdings Ltd. and De Lec Ltd. – ex gratia payments to investors.  P.90/2013. Lodged: 26th July 2013.

Senator A. Breckon.

Justice policy and resources: responsibility. P.92/2013. Lodged: 31st July 2013.

Chief Minister.

Draft Motor Vehicle Registration (Amendment No. 4) (Jersey) Law 201-.  P.95/2013. Lodged: 9th August 2013.

Minister for Transport and Technical Services.

Draft Security Interests (Amendment of Law) (No. 2) (Jersey) Regulations 201-.  P.96/2013. Lodged: 15th August 2013.  (re-issue) Chief Minister.

Zero-hours contracts: regulation. P.100/2013. Lodged: 27th August 2013.

Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier .

Zero-hours contracts: regulation (P.100/2013) – amendment.  P.100/2013. Lodged: 17th September 2013.  Amd. Minister for Social Security.

13. ARRANGEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS 8th October 2013

Chief Minister and Chairman of Comité des Connétable s: monthly meetings. P.51/2013. Lodged: 16th April 2013.

Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade .

Chief Minister and Chairman of Comité des Connétable s: monthly meetings  P.51/2013. (P.51/2013) – comments. Com. Presented: 13th May 2013.

Comité des Connétable s.

Chief Minister and Chairman of Comité des Connétable s: monthly meetings  P.51/2013. (P.51/2013) – comments. Com.(2). Presented: 13th May 2013.

Council of Ministers.

Public Elections: Single Transferable Voting System (STV) and an Alternative  P.86/2013. Voting System (AV).

Lodged: 17th July 2013.

Deputy M. Tadier of St. Brelade .

Public Elections: Single Transferable Voting System (STV) and an Alternative  P.86/2013. Voting System (AV) (P.86/2013) – comments.  Com. Presented: 4th September 2013.

Comité des Connétable s.

Draft Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats) (Amendment No. 6) (Jersey)  P.97/2013. Regulations 201-.

Lodged: 16th August 2013.

Minister for Economic Development.

Draft Income Support (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Jersey) Regulations 201-. P.101/2013. Lodged: 27th August 2013.

Minister for Social Security.

Committee of Inquiry: planning applications by the Channel Islands Co-operative  P.102/2013. Society Ltd.

Lodged: 28th August 2013.

Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier of St. Saviour .

Jersey Law Commission: appointment of Commissioner. P.103/2013. Lodged: 3rd September 2013.

Chief Minister.

The Law Society of Jersey Disciplinary Panel: appointment of lay members. P.104/2013. Lodged: 3rd September 2013.

Chief Minister.

States of Jersey Complaints Panel: appointment of members.  P.106/2013. Lodged: 9th September 2013.

Privileges and Procedures Committee.

Jersey Mutual Insurance Society Incorporated: alteration of fundamental rules –  P.108/2013. petition.

Lodged: 10th September 2013.

Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré of St. Lawrence .

Law Officers' Department: revised disciplinary process.  P.109/2013. Lodged: 10th September 2013.

Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier of St. Saviour .

The Chairman of the Privileges and Procedures Committee will propose, in accordance with Standing Order 89(2)(c), that the States sit in Committee' on 8th October 2013 to discuss the following report –

Machinery of Government Review Sub-Committee: Final Report.  R.105/2013. Presented: 9th September 2013.

Privileges and Procedures Committee.

22nd October 2013

Committee of Inquiry: costs for local businesses.  P.82/2013. Lodged: 27th June 2013.

Senator A. Breckon.

Public Sector Reform.  P.91/2013. Lodged: 26th July 2013.

Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement .

Composition and election of the States Assembly: reform – proposal 1. P.93/2013. Lodged: 2nd August 2013.

Senator P.F.C. Ozouf .

Composition and election of the States Assembly: reform – proposals 1, 2 and 3  P.93/2013. (P.93/2013, P.94/2013 and P.98/2013) – comments.  P.94/2013. Presented: 10th September 2013.  P.98/2013. Privileges and Procedures Committee.  Com.

Composition and election of the States Assembly: reform – proposal 1  P.93/2013. (P.93/2013) – amendment. Amd. Lodged: 3rd September 2013.

Senator L.J. Farnham .

Composition and election of the States Assembly: reform – proposal 2. P.94/2013. Lodged: 2nd August 2013.

Deputy T.M. Pitman of St. Helier .

Composition and election of the States Assembly: reform – proposal 2  P.94/2013. (P.94/2013) – amendment.  Amd. Lodged: 3rd September 2013.

Senator L.J. Farnham .

Composition and election of the States Assembly: reform – proposal 3. P.98/2013. Lodged: 19th August 2013.

Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier .

Draft Public Employees (Contributory Retirement Scheme) (Commutation of Small  P.105/2013. Pensions) (Amendments) (Jersey) Regulations 201-.

Lodged: 6th September 2013.

States Employment Board.

Commissioner for Standards: establishment.  P.107/2013. Lodged: 9th September 2013.

Privileges and Procedures Committee.

Income Support Medical Appeal Tribunal: re-appointment of members.  P.111/2013. Lodged: 18th September 2013.

Minister for Social Security.

5th November 2013

Public Elections: amendments to legislation and administration.  P.110/2013. Lodged: 18th September 2013.

Privileges and Procedures Committee.

19th November 2013

Long-Term Care Scheme. P.99/2013. Lodged: 22nd August 2013.

Minister for Social Security.

M.N. DE LA HAYE Greffier of the States

19th September 2013 Note –

In accordance with the meeting dates fixed for 2013 by the Privileges and Procedures Committee, this meeting will continue, if necessary, on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th September 2013.

APPOINTMENTS

(See Item F)

ELECTION OF MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

The Chief Minister has, in accordance with Standing Order 117(2), notified the Greffier of the States that he will nominate Senator Sir Philip Bailhache for this ministerial office. At the meeting the Presiding Officer will invite the Chief Minister to make this nomination and he will then invite  members to nominate alternative candidates for appointment to the position of Minister for External Relations. Each nomination must be seconded.

If alternative candidates for appointment are nominated, the Presiding Officer will invite each candidate to speak for up to 10 minutes followed by a 20 minute question period. In accordance with Standing Order 117(6) the candidates will speak in the order in which they have been nominated.

After the candidates have spoken and been questioned an open ballot or ballots will be held and once a candidate has obtained a majority of votes cast in a ballot he or she will be appointed as Minister for External Relations. An open ballot between only 2 candidates will be conducted using the electronic voting system.

After the announcement of the result of each ballot any member may request the Greffier of the States to read out details of the way in which each member voted in the open ballot.

APPOINTMENTS

(See Item F)

BRITISH-IRISH PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Following the death of the Connétable of Grouville it is necessary to appoint a new Member to represent the States of Jersey on the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly (BIPA). As part of the selection process an Associate (reserve) Member will also be chosen (Senator Alan Breckon is currently the Associate Member). The Associate Member is invited to attend meetings of BIPA if the Member is unavailable.

Nominations will be invited from the floor at this meeting and each nomination will need to be seconded (Standing Order 102). If there are more than 2 nominations made a secret ballot will be held in which each member will be able to cast up to 2 votes and the member receiving the largest number of votes will be elected as the Jersey Member and the member receiving the second largest number of votes will be selected as the Associate Member.

If only 2 candidates are nominated a secret ballot will be held in which each member will be able to cast one vote and once again the member receiving the largest number of votes will be elected as the Jersey Member and the member receiving the second largest number of votes will be selected as the Associate Member.

Those appointed will remain in office until the 2014 elections. The next meeting of BIPA to be attended by the Jersey Member will be the 47th Plenary conference which will be held in Church House Conference Centre, Dean's Yard, Westminster, London on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd October 2013.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Jersey was invited to join the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body (as BIPA was known until 2008) in 2000 although Jersey's initial involvement was limited. The history of the Body, which can be seen on its website (www.britishirish.org) is as follows.

Prior to the late 1980s there had been relatively little contact between the Oireachtas (the collective name for the bicameral Irish Parliament) in Dublin and the Parliament at Westminster. Members of the two parliaments met each other occasionally at the Plenaries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Council of Europe, and Clerks sometimes found themselves working together at inter-parliamentary assemblies, but there was very little in the way of bilateral relations between the two institutions.

The initial proposal for an inter-parliamentary forum (which arose from a Joint Studies Report made to the meeting of British and Irish Heads of Government in 1981 which suggested an East-West "parliamentary tier") was made in 1983 by Mr Peter Temple-Morris, MP for Leominster and Mr Jim Tunney TD, Leas Cheann-Comhairle (or Deputy Presiding Officer) of Dáil Éireann (the Lower House of the Oireachtas). But it was not until 1990 that the Body was established, at first under the auspices of the British and Irish Groups of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. It met for the first time at the House of Commons on 26th February 1990.

The aim of the Body from the outset was to promote mutual understanding and respect between Members of the two parliaments and for that reason the social side of the Body has apparently been almost as important as the parliamentary side. Inevitably, much of the work of the Body since its inception has been set in the context of the situation in Northern Ireland and the various peace initiatives to bring an end to that conflict. Relations between the two Governments in London and Dublin are a crucial part of that process, and the Body has seen its role as providing support in those endeavours.

For the first ten years of its life, the Body consisted of twenty-five Members from each parliament, with twenty Associate Members from each side who could replace Full Members either at Plenary sessions or at Committee meetings. The delegations were nominated with a view to maintaining balance between the various political parties. However, national representation has been relevant only for the purposes of the quorum and the tabling of certain motions and amendments; and there has never been an occasion on which the delegations voted along national lines. From its inception the ethos of the Body has been to act as an organic whole; in the Plenary, for example, Members sit in alphabetical order rather than as delegations of their respective legislatures.

BIPA has changed quite radically since the constitutional changes in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s with the re-establishment of the Scott ish Parliament and the creation of the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly. In addition the Belfast (Good Friday') Agreement provided for a British-Irish Council which brings together senior politicians from Dublin, Westminster, the devolved institutions in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, and the three Crown Dependencies. Paragraph 11 of Strand 3 of the Agreement, on the subject of the British-Irish Council, states that the elected institutions of the members will be encouraged to develop inter-parliamentary links, perhaps building on the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body'.

At the 22nd Plenary in Killarney in February 2001, the Body agreed to expand its membership

• the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scott ish Parliament were each invited to nominate five Members and four Associate Members to the Body;
• the States of Guernsey, the States of Jersey and Tynwald were each invited to nominate one Member and one Associate;
• what used to be the Political Committee was redesignated "the Committee on Sovereign Matters" so that it could remain the preserve of Members from Westminster and the Oireachtas, while the other three Committees were expanded to include representatives from the new member institutions.

The running of the Body and the control of its business is in the hands of a Steering Committee consisting of three Members from Dublin, three from Westminster, and three from among the other participating institutions, led by the two Co-Chairmen, one from Westminster and one from Dublin. The 3 Crown Dependencies have one place on the Committee between them and this is filled on an annual rotation basis.

The Body is funded by grant-in-aid from the Treasury in London and the Department of Finance in Dublin. The day-to-day administration is carried out by the two Clerks, one from Dublin and one from Westminster, with assistance from several of their colleagues from both jurisdictions.

There are normally two Plenary sessions every year, of a day and a half or two days each, which provide a forum for the mutual exchange of views between parliamentarians. The practice to date has been to alternate Plenaries between Ireland and the UK (although one plenary was held in the Isle of Man in 2010) and they have usually been held at venues other than Dublin and London. Each Plenary has a Question Time at which a Minister from the host country answers Questions (of which notice is given in the Programme of Business) put by Members of both parliaments - which can lead to a Minister from one jurisdiction having to deal with extremely probing supplementaries from Members from the other. Apart from the Ministerial Statement and Questions, the main business is always a debate on a motion on Recent Political Developments. At first, those debates were held in private on the grounds that politicians from Ireland and Great Britain would feel inhibited about discussing sensitive issues with journalists in attendance. Once the Body found its feet, however, it became routine to hold all debates in public, even those on sensitive security issues; and a private sitting is now a very rare event - and then only to discuss domestic, organisational matters.

As noted above, the primary function of Plenary Sessions is to provide a forum for debate and the exchange of views, while the day-to-day work of the Body is carried out through its four Committees: Committee A deals with Sovereign (ie East-West) Matters, Committee B covers European Affairs, Committee C is concerned with Economic Affairs, and Committee D with Environmental and Social Affairs. Each Committee has a Chairman from one delegation and a Shadow Chairman from the other, so that the British and the Irish each have two full Chairmanships. They are supported by four Clerks from Westminster and, from the Irish side, two officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Steering Committee assigns each full Member of the Body and each Associate to one of the four Committees, normally by agreement with the person concerned, and with an eye both to party-political balance and equality of representation from the delegations. To date Jersey has not participated in Committee work.

As stated above the total membership of the Body at present is –

• 25 members of the Oireachtas (plus up to 20 Associate members);
• 25 members of the UK Parliament (including peers) (plus up to 20 Associate members);
• 5 members of the National Assembly for Wales (plus up to 4 Associate members);
• 5 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly (plus up to 4 Associate members);
• 5 members of the Scott ish Parliament (plus up to 4 Associate members);
• one member of Tynwald (plus one Associate member);
• one member of the States of Jersey (plus one Associate member);
• one member of the States of Guernsey (plus one Associate member).

Senator Alan Breckon, who was the Jersey Member between 2006 and 2012 attended Plenary sessions on a regular basis and, following his appointment in 2012, the late Connétable of Grouville attended the 2 plenary sessions each year and made useful contacts.

The cost of participation is not excessive with the only expense being the fares and hotel accommodation which are paid by each jurisdiction and not by the host. The External Relations section of the Chief Minister's Department has made an officer available to accompany Jersey's Member to recent plenary sessions and this has been done at the expense of the Chief Minister's Department.

WRITTEN QUESTIONS (See Item I(a))

1. The Minister for Social Security will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier –

"Will the Minister state how many second determinations over decisions on Income Support (IS) have been requested on an annual basis since 2008 and state how many times these decisions have been changed?

What is the average time it takes to process a second determination?

Will he indicate how many IS decisions have been subject to appeal annually since 2008 along with the proportion of decisions which were successfully appealed and the time taken to arrange tribunal hearings?

How many individuals on IS in this period have been found not to be actively seeking work and had their benefit reduced or stopped and in the light of his proposals to extend sanctions for IS recipients to those deemed to have left work "without good reason" does he consider that these figures reflect an efficient and effective appeals system in which recipients of IS can place their trust?

Will he inform members on what grounds the Tribunal can uphold an appeal and state where and how these grounds are published, so that benefit recipients can fully understand what they need to establish to prove their appeal?"

2. The Minister for Treasury and Resources will table an answer to the following question asked by the Connétable of St. John –

"Could members be given the annual rental received for all property leased at Liberty Wharf, broken down by tenant names or addresses and the rental received per property?

If any property is let with a deferred rental please give details and outline the reasons why no income is received."

3. The Minister for Treasury and Resources will table an answer to the following question asked by the Connétable of St. John –

"Could the Minister update members on any claim by Harcourt against the States of Jersey, or any states owned Company in respect of the Waterfront and Esplanade Square/Quarter and explain how the States of Jersey Development Company can arrange deals for anchor' tenants for proposed new office blocks on a site which is subject to court action?

Would the Minister detail what security, if any, is being given to proposed tenants and whether the perspective tenants were told of the Harcourt dispute at the start of negotiations?

Would the Minister provide details of the companies and the area lease, annual rental, and money received to date from such anchor' tenants?"

4. The Minister for Treasury and Resources will table an answer to the following question asked by the Connétable of St. John –

"Would the Minister provide details of the amount of tax payers money that has been spent to date progressing the 2 planning applications at the Esplanade Square/Quarter development and explain why the applications to date have been purely for commercial office space and do not follow the States approved Master Plan, which includes retail and residential?"

5. The Minister for Transport and Technical Services will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy J.A. Martin of St. Helier –

"Further to indications, following some 2,000 complaints, that the Transport and Technical Services Department has been closely monitoring the bus operator during an initial probation period with a view to assessing the competency of Liberty Bus, would the Minister advise on the company's performance record over the first six months of 2013 and, in particular, would the Minister detail how many services ran more than 10 minutes late and, of those services –

1. how many ran more than 15 minutes late
2. how many ran more than 20 minutes late?

Additionally, would the Minister indicate how many scheduled services did not run at all, or failed to complete their planned route?

Further, would the Minister either confirm or deny reports that –

1. one or more Liberty Bus employees resigned from their position/s at the Customer Information desk;
2. whether those resignations, if they occurred, resulted in internal transfer or departure from bus company employment; and
3. whether the resignations were linked in any way to the huge volume of complaints being received by Liberty Bus, some of which apparently subjected the information staff to unpleasant abuse?"

6. The Minister for Planning and Environment will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement –

"Further to his response to my written question of 10th September 2013, in which the Minister declared that "Ragwort remains an important species that is of benefit to the broader environmental" (sic), would the Minister outline those benefits?"

7. The Minister for Transport and Technical Services will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement –

"Further to his reply to my written question of 10th September 2013 regarding alterations to the junction at La Route du Fort/St Clement's Road as a result of a request by St Luke's school, would the Minister advise whether his department counted the number of children using that junction concurrently with their vehicle count and supply the details, or, if they were not counted, explain why not?

Would the Minister confirm that, given the young age of the children (eleven or under) and the fact that to reach the junction they first have to cross Beach Road and walk beside a very busy main road carrying heavy vehicles, the number of children crossing the St Clement road junction alone is likely to be minute?"

8. The Minister for Transport and Technical Services will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement –

"With regard to the Energy from Waste Plant, could the Minister advise -

1. how many tons of rubbish are presently stockpiled waiting for incineration and where are the stockpiles;
2. how many months the plant has now been operating and detail, during that period –

1. how many times it has operated continuously for more than a week;
2. whether flue temperature was maintained at operational levels at all times and whether supplementary fuel had to be used to achieve that;

3. what length of time the plant must operate continuously before it can be formally accepted' or signed over;
4. at what point in time he will conclude the plant is unlikely to ever be acceptable';
5. what he intends doing in the event acceptable operation cannot be achieved;
6. given the problems with the incinerator, why 95% of the contract has been paid and whether such payment was contractually required; and,
7. in the event payment could not be avoided, who was responsible for drawing up the contract and was legal advice taken?"

9. The Chief Minister will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier –

"Given the substantial underspends in both 2012 and 2013 amounting in total to over £40 million, does the Chief Minister consider that the below inflation pay offer to the public sector, removing some £14 million from departmental spending, remains justifiable?

Will he consider returning to the negotiating table with public sector representatives with a fresh offer to end the continuing dispute?

Will he, in particular, consider consolidating those elements of the offer that are currently unconsolidated?"

10. The Minister for Social Security will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier –

"Will the Minister advise what progress, if any, he has made in producing a claimant-friendly version of the Income Support calculator for publication on the Social Security website, to enable Income Support claimants to better understand their claim?

Will he also state whether the Income Support Policy Guidelines (version 2) to assist officers in assessing IS claims has been updated since its release in March 2009 and, if so, will he release the new guidelines to members who wish to understand the system or, better still, agree to publish the guidelines on the website?

Notwithstanding the responses to the above, will the Minister inform members of the rules concerning the treatment of household income as capital or income in the Income Support system and release to members any guidelines for staff involved in this particular area?"

11. The Minister for Social Security will table an answer to the following question asked by Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier –

"Given that the latest advice concerning the benefits of breast feeding infants recommends maintaining breast feeding for a period of 26 weeks if possible, will the Minister consider extending maternity leave provision to cover this period, rather than the maximum of 18 weeks currently proposed?"

ORAL QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS WITHOUT NOTICE (See Item I(c))

2013

October 8th  Treasury and Resources  Chief Minister

October 22nd  Education, Sport and Culture  Health and Social Services November 5th  Housing  Chief Minister

November 19th  Economic Development  Planning and Environment December 3rd  Social Security  Chief Minister

December 10th  External Relations  Transport and Technical Services