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.498/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER
BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. MARTIN
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 12th NOVEMBER 2019
Question
In light of recent comments made by the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (A.P.P.G.) for the Channel Islands regarding Jersey's relationship with Westminster, does the Chief Minister intend to conduct any work in respect of the possibility of the Island being represented at Westminster; and if so, will this include introducing new formal links with the U.K. Parliament beyond the A.P.P.G., as well as discussing with States Members how best to represent the Island's interests in that Parliament?
Answer
As a self-governing parliamentary democracy, Jersey does not require and is not seeking formal representation in the UK Parliament. No work is being conducted on the possibility of such representation.
Nonetheless, given the historic closeness and ongoing importance of the Jersey-UK relationship, the Government of Jersey is always seeking to strengthen and improve links with Westminster. The Chief Minister and Minister of External Relations hold regular Government-to-Government discussions with UK Ministers. They also hold regular engagements with other senior UK Parliamentarians, supported by the Jersey London Office.
Such engagement includes, but is not limited to, interaction with the A.P.P.G. for the Channel Islands, which is comprised of Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and which exists to explore and promote the Islands' interests within Parliament. It should be noted that the A.P.P.G. does not hold any formal responsibility to represent the Islands in Parliament, and that the interests of Jersey and our fellow Crown Dependencies will continue to be managed across official channels through the Ministry of Justice. In a broader international context, engagement with the UK Parliament also takes place through Jersey's participation in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Ministers would be pleased to meet any Member to discuss any suggestions for future engagement. Cost of Producing Answer
As a means of giving an approximate indication to the time and cost of producing an answer to a written question, it has been decided that answers shall include a cost, broken down by civil service grade:
Civil Servant Grade 11 x 15mins: £7.20 Civil Servant Grade 13 x 60mins: £35.40 Civil Servant Grade 15 x 15mins: £11.25
Total: £53.85