The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
WQ.168/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY J.H. PERCHARD OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 26th MARCH 2019
Question
Further to the Assembly's adoption of paragraphs (c) and (e) of Entitled status on social and economic grounds: changes to legislation' (P.99/2019), which required the Chief Minister to implement policy changes to the guidance issued under the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012 by 31st March 2019, will the Chief Minister advise –
- what consultation in respect of such changes has been undertaken to date;
- which statistical methods, if any, are being used to measure a person's economic benefit; and
- which statistical methods, if any, are being used to measure their social benefit?
Answer
- There has been no consultation to make the existing discretionary criteria measurable and defined, or to introduce new criteria.
P99/2019 asked that the guidance be amended to include defined and measureable criteria, and this is already the case.
Since the 1st January, 2018, it has not been possible to gain 2(1)(e) status without a fixed, minimum contribution of £145,000 per year being paid by the individual to the treasury.
This is a defined and clearly measurable criteria, and the guidance is being updated to reflect this position more clearly.
Further, as outlined in the Comment issued in response to P99/2019, this issue of more defined and measurable criteria is being considered as part of the overall review into how we improve our migration policies.
As alluded to by the Chief Minister on 26th March, 2019, Statistics Jersey have also been engaged to assist in an initial assessment of the financial contribution made by new migrants. This will be provided to States Members next month.
- Other than the minimum fiscal requirement outlined in part (a), there are no statistical methods currently used to measure a person's economic benefit.
Economic activity is capable of being statistically measured, for example, in terms of additional Gross Value Added. However, such an approach would add a significant level of complexity, for example, analysing rest of world income compared with Jersey income. An applicant may also be undertaking a new business which takes some time to emerge, so the economic benefit is not readily measureable.
- Other than the minimum fiscal requirement outlined in part (a), there are no statistical methods currently used to measure a person's social benefit.
Every person contributes in their own way to society. As such, a methodological framework to measure and define each applicant's social benefit is not, on initial consideration, a deliverable statistical exercise. This does not mean that more objective measures could not be considered for social benefit when assessing an individual application.
The new migration board will consider these issues as part of the work to develop more responsive controls over who can come and live, and work, in Jersey, and update guidance as it does so.