£7.5 million funding for the Historic Child Abuse Inquiry included funding for reinstating excavation areas at the Haut de la Garenne site, does it included funding for refurbishing the property to its original state

2.9  The Deputy of St. Martin of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding the reinstatement of the Haut de la Garenne site:

Given that the £7.5 million for funding the Historic Child Abuse Inquiry included funding for reinstating excavation areas at the Haut de la Garenne site, will the Minister inform Members whether the sum allotted for the reinstatement included funding for refurbishing the property to its original state and, if not, what the estimated cost is?

Senator T.A. Le Sueur (The Minister for Treasury and Resources):

I will ask my Assistant Minister, Deputy Le Fondré, who has responsibility for property matters to answer that question, please.

Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré of St. Lawrence (Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources): Yes, in short, the sum involved did include an amount for refurbishing the property to its original state. In P.91 the original sum was between £500,000 and £600,000 which was in the report. This has subsequently been revised downwards to approximately £300,000.

1. Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:

I wonder if the Assistant Minister can elaborate upon what consists of returning it to its original state?  Does that mean as a youth hostel or does that mean as a shell of a building?

Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré:

The present estimations that I have just quoted are as far as I am aware to reinstate it to its condition prior to the investigations and the damages that have been caused during the investigations. So in other words, that would be to put it back to its use as a youth hostel not as a shell of a building. I would add the caveat, which is why the work is on hold at the moment, is one does obviously have to make a decision as to what that future use of the building will be.

2. Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:

Just a supplementary. Could the Assistant Minister explain how the decision as to the future use of the building will be made?

Deputy J.A.N. Le Fondré:

Yes. As Members may be aware there is a working party that has been formed of 4 officers who are considering both short-term matters regarding, for example, the ability of trying to get the Youth Hostel Association in to operate in Jersey on a short-term scenario. The longer term version is that there will be a report going to the new Council of Ministers probably January/February time

with various options  for the future use of Haut de la Garenne but obviously some of that is dependent upon the outcomes of current investigations and prosecutions and things. But the idea will be that the Council of Ministers will be given a full range of options and that they will be in a position to make or give a steer as to what they think the future use of the building should be.

The Bailiff :

Senator Syvret, the Police Force (Jersey) Law requires that any discussion relating to the suspension of the Chief Officer of Police must take place in camera. Your question relates to the suspension of the Chief of Police. We can either go to in camera now or it might be more convenient if you were to agree to defer the asking of this question until the States are already in camera to receive the discussion on the statement to be made by the Minister for Home Affairs but it is a matter for you.

Senator S. Syvret:

I was under the impression that the question and the way I have phrased it dealt with policy issues and matters of principle as opposed to any specifics of the particular case which is current. It seemed to me, therefore, that there was no reason why this question could not be asked and answers given to it in public.

The Bailiff :

No, I am ruling, Senator, that the Police Force (Jersey) Law prevents a discussion of this question in public and it must take place in camera. It can take place in camera now or it can take place later when the Assembly is already in camera.

Senator S. Syvret:

But what then would happen if the Assembly were to be discussing these policies and these issues? Would that broad in principle discussion have to take place in camera?

The Bailiff :

Senator, I do not want to argue with you on the floor of the Assembly. Your question relates to the suspension of the Chief Officer of Police. I am telling you that the discussion of it must take place in camera. Do you wish to have it now or do you wish to defer it until the Minister makes his statement?

Senator S. Syvret:

It would be more sensible in that case to defer it so that it takes place following the statement of the Minister for Home Affairs but I take it then that this time for this questioning will be added to the 10 minutes of questioning.

The Bailiff : Yes, indeed.