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3.9 Senator S.C. Ferguson of the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture regarding the cost to the States of R.N.L.I. lifeguards: [1(651)]
What was the cost, if any, to the States of the R.N.L.I. (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeguards when they originally were employed and what is the current cost?
Senator L.J. Farnham (The Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture):
The Assistant Minister with responsibility for that sector will answer it.
Connétable S.W. Pallett of St. Brelade (Assistant Minister for Economic Development,
Tourism, Sport and Culture - rapporteur):
I thank the Senator for the question and it really pleases me to give me the opportunity to highlight the incredible work that the R.N.L.I. lifeguards do on our beaches around the Island. [Approbation] To cut to the chase, the contribution made by the States of Jersey increases by R.P.I.X. (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) annually once any changes in service increases or decreases have been agreed, but the contribution in 2011 when the contract was first taken out was £150,000. The contribution in 2017 was £222,644.
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
I wonder if the Assistant Minister could just clarify something because I did ask one of the civil servants and he said it was £276,000 a year.
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
I can only go by the information given to me by the officer that deals directly with the R.N.L.I. and the service here, and the figure I have in front of me here for 2017 is £222,644, which sounds correct to me because the figure in 2016 was £218,278.
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
I wonder then if the Assistant Minister would tell us when the contract is to be renewed. Will it be going out to tender? Would he like to just check the £276,000 question as well, please?
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
Doing the last bit first, I am sure that figure is correct because I was the one that signed the contract in 2015. So I am sure that that figure is correct. In regards to the tender in regards to the service that they offer, the contract I think is due to be reconsidered at the end of 2018. It is a 4-year period. At the current time no decision is made as to whether it will go out to tender, but all I will say is that when this service first moved from the States to the R.N.L.I. the service the R.N.L.I. took over faced a huge unfunded bill for investment in equipment and we relied on lifeguards from overseas. We now have all our lifeguards locally trained. [Approbation] In fact, we export our lifeguards around the world to do work elsewhere. I like that. I think it is good and I would like to keep that. No decision has been made in regards to whether it will be tendered out, but my own preference would be it stays local. We work with the R.N.L.I. who have provided an excellent service, as I say again, who provide equipment far and above the cost in regards to pounds, shillings and pence and who have just invested in a brand new facility at Bowmore, which I have to say, having visited it recently, is quite an investment considering what we pay each year for the service.
The Bailiff :
Final supplementary? You do not have to. It is not compulsory. [15:30]
- Senator S.C. Ferguson:
No, Sir, I would just like that £276,000 figure to be ... I appreciate that the Minister signed the last decision, but perhaps he would like to ask his officers just to check and make sure, please.
The Connétable of St. Brelade :
I am more than happy to. In fact, I have the contract here so I will personally hand it to the Senator while we are here and she can have a look at it.