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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER
BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 19th JANUARY 2016
Question
"In his determination to press ahead with the outsourcing or privatisation of services currently delivered by the public sector, can the Chief Minister state which services, if any, will not be considered for such action?
What specific assurances, if any, can he give to ensure that the quality of services is maintained as costs are reduced?
Will he further assure members that any such schemes to outsource/privatise will be brought to the States for approval and not pushed through via Ministerial decisions?
Will he also state what measures he will put in place to ensure that contract negotiation, employee consultation, transition processes and service level monitoring are conducted to the highest standards to prevent any repetition of UK outsourcing disasters (such as those listed below)?"
- Employment Support Allowance (ESA) testing - private contractors Maximus paid £1.6 bn to replace Capita - result increased cost and waiting times
- Barnet Council - no risk assessment on private IT contractor 2E2 which went into administration
- Probation Service London - Private company Liberata removed 100 senior management posts from 550
jobs - result failed to deliver service
- Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton terminated its contracts with Vanguard Healthcare after 30 botched cataract operations.
Answer
Jersey is facing significant financial, demographic, technological and environmental pressures in the coming years. As a result we have a duty to all Islanders to ensure that the Public Sector Reform programme looks at the best way for public services to be provided in the future. As part of this work, we are considering which services are still relevant, which need to be changed to meet future demands, and which need to be delivered in a different way.
There is no one size fits all solution for public service reform, and services will only be outsourced when it makes sense to do so. In deciding how best to deliver future services we will assess the cost of service delivery, the level of service quality, we will consider whether or not such services should be provided by Government.
Some services may need to be reduced, while others increased and new services introduced. I cannot provide a list of which services will or will not be suitable for outsourcing as this is an ongoing assessment.
The delivery and structure of services are operational matters for departments, working with their respective Ministers, under the oversight of the States Employment Board. Significant changes to service delivery will be brought to the States Assembly for debate when it is appropriate to do so, following established procedures for such matters.
In all such discussion staff and union engagement is important. We will continue to use all available communication and consultative channels as well as the joint working arrangements with Unions that have been put in place.
Jersey is not unique in assessing how public services should be delivered into the future. This work is taking place in most developed countries, and any changes to service delivery will take into account lessons from elsewhere.
It is the task of every responsible government to continually assess services and whether they are being provided in the most effective way. I am confident of the work that is taking place in Jersey, and I will undertake to keep States Members informed as our plans progress.