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2020.03.24
7 Deputy K.G. Pamplin of the Chief Minister regarding communication between the
Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey during the Coronavirus emergency: (OQ.84/2020)
Will the Chief Minister explain how, if at all, the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey are helping and supporting each other during the current coronavirus situation and what level of communication is being maintained between the Islands' Governments?
[11:45]
Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré (The Chief Minister):
The Bailiwicks are working closely together in our planning to manage the impact of coronavirus. Our Deputy Chief Medical Officer has regular calls with his counterparts in Guernsey and the U.K. Over the last week we have undertaken a number of joint calls with the U.K. Government, Ministers and officers and that was around some of the testing regime and we have collaborated in respect of the recently announced package of economic relief measures. I am confident that we will continue to work together as the situation evolves and to support one another in the days and weeks ahead, and that is what I said to the Chief Minister of Guernsey this morning when I spoke to him.
- Deputy K.G. Pamplin:
Can the Chief Minister explain the lines of communication between both Chief Ministers when the Islands are making big decisions in terms of their response to coronavirus to notify the other Bailiwick of their decision making? What we have seen is the Islands are working slightly differently in their responses and obviously, being so close together, it is having an impact on communication to our Islanders.
Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré:
We have spoken about that today and we are going to be keeping each other informed of the announcements as they come through. As I said, at the officer level, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health has been having either daily or every day conversations with his counterpart in Guernsey. I think the point about where we are between the 2 Islands is that both Islands are basically following the same strategy. That is what we are working to, but it is applied to the Islands and do not forget each Island is structurally different. We do have different sized populations. It depends where we all are as the virus spreads through the population, the measures we take. So, each Island is working to the same principles. The timing might sometimes just vary slightly according to where we all are in the profile as applied to the Island. I think that is really important to remember.
The Bailiff :
I can offer you a final supplementary, Deputy , if you want one.
- Deputy K.G. Pamplin:
Thank you, Sir, always. In December, the Island signed a memorandum of understanding of working together, which was agreed and signed between both Governments, as we know. One of them was: "Working in partnership, sharing skills and knowledge and resources." Can the Chief Minister Maybe this is one also for the Minister for Health and Social Services? If the Island is needing to share equipment and staff and resources to transfer patients or medical staff across, because we are so geographically close to each other, have those conversations been had as part of that memorandum of agreement of working together that was signed between the 2 Island Governments in December?
Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré:
I specifically cannot comment on staff, because I think that will depend on all the issues around the individual Islands, but I do know, for example, when we have been looking at supply lines, when we have been looking at testing regimes, there have been discussions, there has already been some co-operation and those discussions always come through. They are always specific to the issues specific to each Island and how we are dealing with them. I just re-emphasise the point again - and it is the same for Guernsey and for Jersey - that this has come to this level in the last 14 days, so obviously business as usual has not necessarily flowed as well as one might like, because we are all individually and as Islands dealing with the crisis that each Island is facing. But we are talking to each other and where we can work together we absolutely will.