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2.6 Deputy S. Power of St. Brelade of the Minister for Treasury and Resources regarding the way in which Police overtime costs, as result of the investigations relating to Haut de la Garenne and historical child abuse, would be met:
Would the Minister confirm how much he has had to provide to meet the States of Jersey's Police additional overtime costs in the current financial year 2008, as a result of the investigations relating to Haut de la Garenne and historical child abuse? Is he able to disclose the provision he is making for 2009 and 2010 to meet these ongoing costs?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur (The Minister for Treasury and Resources):
As Treasury and Resources Minister, I have no funds at my disposal to provide for overtime costs or any other expense, whether related to Haut de la Garenne or any other unexpected event. Departmental budgets are expected to provide for normal contingencies. However, the particular circumstances of the Haut de la Garenne investigations and their potential cost implications means
that it is likely that some departments would be unable to meet such costs from their normal budgets. Accordingly, all departments have been asked to provide the Treasury with quarterly returns of expenditure incurred as a result of the investigations related to Haut de la Garenne and historical child abuse, together with projections of what the full year costs are estimated to be for 2008. Aside from transferring money from other departments, my only course of action open is to take a request to the States for additional funding in 2008. The first quarter returns from the departments have all been received but have not, as yet, been examined to ensure that they are reasonable. Once that exercise has been carried out the total expected cost to date will be reported to Ministers at their council meeting on 12th June. At some stage, thereafter, they will also be asked to approve a report and proposition from me which I would then lodge au Greffe' requesting from the States sufficient additional funding to meet relevant projected overspends in 2008. The department has, as yet, received no indication of any likely costs for 2009 and beyond.
- Deputy S. Power:
I wonder if the Minister for Treasury and Resources would indulge me in a clarification on that very good answer. Can I take it then from the Minister for Treasury and Resources that if the quarterly returns on a departmental basis are insufficient to meet the extra costs of the Home Affairs Department because of the 2 investigations referred to, that he will bring a projet to the Assembly to meet the shortfall on that this year? Can he clarify that?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
That is correct, Sir. Of course it would not just be necessarily the Home Affairs Department. There are other departments incurring costs as a result of this inquiry, but they certainly would be the main ones.
- Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
What checks and balances has the Minister, perhaps in co-operation with his colleague in Home
Affairs, put in place to ensure that the costs are indeed managed, and that they are not runaway?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
That issue is not unique to the Haut de la Garenne inquiry, but any expenditure incurred by any
department has to be approved by the accounting officer of that department. That accounting
officer is personally responsible for the spending of his department. It is up to him to ensure that all expenditure incurred is reasonably and justifiably incurred. That expenditure is then reviewed by my department but the onus remains very much with the accounting officer of the department concerned.