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1240/5(4797)
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. MARY
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 6th OCTOBER 2009
Question
Can the Minister inform members of the criteria which were built into the Housing (Jersey) Law 1949 and Housing (General Provisions) (Jersey) Regulations 1970 concerning J-Category consents and can he further advise members of what significant changes to these criteria have been made over the years and when these revisions took place?
Answer
The Housing (General Provisions) (Jersey) Law Regulations 1970, paragraph 1(1)(j) states that housing consent shall be granted where "the Housing Minister is satisfied that the intending purchaser, transferee or lessee either is, or will be, essentially employed in Jersey and that consent can, in the best interests of the Community, be justified". The additional clause as to the need to consider the "best interests of the Community" was added in 1974, but otherwise this provision has remained the same since being approved by the States in 1970.
The Law is also supported by policy guidelines to aid consistency and the understanding of the public. These latest guidelines are available at www.gov.je/ChiefMinister/PopulationOffice and are as follows:
The criteria against which j applications are assessed:
• The pressure to be placed on the Island's resources, in particular, its housing stock;
• The need to maintain a balanced and prosperous economy;
• The need to maintain a range of job and training opportunities for locally qualified persons and school leavers, including apprentices, those over normal working age, and people in supported and special
employment schemes; The importance of the service rendered to locally qualified persons; The track record of the undertaking in terms of profitability, and its contribution to tax revenues.
In addition, the Minister may also take into account any other general benefits which the Island may obtain, for example, in relation to past cultural, sporting, or charitable activities, or the potential effects for Jersey's reputation and interests, including the nature of any actual or potential media coverage.