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4. Questions to Ministers Without Notice - The Deputy Chief Minister
- The Deputy of Grouville :
Hopefully I have got the Minister in his rightful role now. Okay, I will start again. In a written answer the Chief Minister said that (j) Categories outnumber leavers by 2 to one. In an answer to Deputy Pitman, he said that there is no monitor at present for (k) categories leaving the Island. Would he not agree this gives a distorted representation of the Island's population and is there going to be any research or mechanism to research people leaving the Island and their reasons why, especially local people?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur (The Deputy Chief Minister):
While at the current time (j) categories coming in may exceed those leaving the Island, I do not believe that this gives a distorted figure of the Island's population. The Island's population, other than at census times, is calculated by the Statistics Unit on the basis of statistical information received from a variety of sources and that is cross-checked in order to get as good an estimate as is possible, so I do not think that it is fair to say that the lack of comprehensive details of which (j) categories have left the Island or which (k) categories have left the Island is relevant to that statistical information.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
Following up to that question, later on in his answer to the same question, the Chief Minister refers to 8 per cent of house purchases being down to (j) cats, whereas the demand revealed in the Housing Needs survey shows that they contribute to 16 per cent of the demand for housing. Can the Assistant Chief Minister clearly express whether 8 per cent is the correct figure or 16 per cent as revealed in the new Housing Needs survey?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
Once again, Sir, I think the Deputy is guilty of trying to compare apples with pears. The 8 per cent figure quoted represents properties purchased by (j) cat. residents, the 16 per cent represents the demand for properties which (j) Category people might like to purchase. They are 2 different items and come out with 2 different figures.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
Does the Assistant Chief Minister not accept the laws of supply and demand, that that demand from (j) cats. causes house price inflation?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
The Deputy Chief Minister does accept that there is an economic link between supply and demand and that over time those 2 figures might well get closer together.
- Deputy K.C. Lewis :
As been discussed many times, Sir, a large number of Jersey people who are Jersey born of Jersey parents and Jersey grandparents, have the stamp in their passport stating that they do not have the right to work in the European Union. They may of course work there but they do not have the right to work or a right to housing. They are in fact an indigenous people and many countries in the world, for instance, New Zealand, Australia and North America have indigenous people and most of these indigenous people do not have the same rights as their countrymen of European origin. Their respective governments compensate them with a reduction in income tax. This
The Bailiff :
Deputy , you must come to a question.
Deputy K.C. Lewis :
I believe this should also be implemented in Jersey, Sir. Does the Assistant Chief Minister not agree?
The Bailiff :
Deputy , Deputy Chief Minister, please.
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
Whether as Assistant or Deputy Chief Minister, no I do not agree, Sir. I think the issue of the right to work and the content of a Jersey passport has been discussed ad nauseam in this House and I do not see any point in going further into the matter at this stage.
- Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
Would the Deputy Chief Minister agree that the current tendency to place most items from the Council of Ministers' Agenda on the B Agenda is leading to a lack of transparency in Government and is one which he would wish to reverse?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
No, Sir, items come on the B Agenda because we discuss policy on an ongoing basis. While that policy is policy under formulation it rightly goes under a B Agenda. Once the policies have been completed then it is normal practice for that to be transferred from the B Agenda to the A Agenda. What it may indicate at the moment is there is a lot of policies still in the course of formulation, there is very little being finalised.
4.5.1 Deputy R.G. Le Hérissier:
Supplementary, Sir? Would the Deputy Chief Minister acknowledge that the cost, for example, of the Haut de la Garenne investigation can hardly be classified as policy under development?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
I have no indication at the moment to suggest that it might be a B item, Sir.
- Deputy G.P. Southern :
Yes, would the Deputy Chief Minister liaise with the Treasury and Resources Minister to publish a list of the total amount of income tax paid by (k) categories in the Island updating the £11.7 million figure that was received some 5 years ago which we are still working on?
Senator T.A. Le Sueur :
I can certainly ask the Treasury and Income Tax Departments to update those figures and I think that would be done as a matter of course, recognising, as I say, that there are grey elements around the edges, but I am certainly prepared to give the Deputy and the House more up to date information than they currently have.
The Bailiff :
If there are no other questions for the Deputy Chief Minister we will move on to statements on a matter of official responsibility