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Whether the Council of Ministers intends to address the issues which were central to the recent Senatorial elections - fair taxation, government and electoral reform and population and migration issues

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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 20th JANUARY 2009

Question

"Will the Chief Minister inform members whether the Council of Ministers intends to address the following issues which were central to the recent Senatorial elections in the Strategic Plan - :

Fair taxation - GST, 20 means 20 and Social Security contributions(including dealing with Supplementation);

Government and electoral reform;

Population and migration issues - to include immigration control and a proper investigation into the issues raised by Imagine Jersey 2035'?"

In consultation towards a new Strategic Plan will the Chief Minister commit himself to devising a plan which contains SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-limited) objectives with, in particular, measurable and timed outcomes?

Will he further undertake to ensure that the Strategic Plan should indicate the mechanisms by which such outcomes will be achieved?"

Answer

The new Strategic Plan will set out the priorities for the Council of Ministers and the States for the next three years. I have already gone on record to state that the Council of Ministers will engage and involve all States Members in the planning process so that their views can be taken into account when the Council of Ministers develop the plan. I would encourage the Deputy to participate in this process.

The development of the new Strategic Plan is at a very early stage. However, in its work on the Plan to date, the Council has clearly been mindful of issues raised during significant consultation processes undertaken in 2008 (such as Imagine Jersey and the Island plan review) in addition to those issues raised during the Senatorial and Deputies elections. Initial work on the priorities and financial framework for the plan has indeed included consideration of taxation (including Supplementation), Government reform, and population and migration issues.

As recommended by the previous Privileges and Procedures Committee, it is my intention that the new Strategic Plan will be a broader policy statement setting out the overall policy direction without excessive detail on initiatives. These should appear within the Annual Business Plan approved by the States Assembly. The mechanisms by which the new Strategic Plan achieves such outcomes will include performance indicators and clear links to business plan objectives and performance criteria that will be SMART-based.