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20
WQ.252/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 30th JUNE 2020
Question
Further to the responses to Written Question 226/2020 and Oral Question 159/2020, will the Chief Minister –
- Outline what actions, if any, he will be undertaking, in conjunction with Statistics Jersey, to ensure that the results of the Household Living Costs and Income Survey will be published early in Quarter 4 of 2020 so that an informed debate on the subject of reducing income inequality can be incorporated within the Assembly's consideration of the Government Plan for 2021; and
- state whether it is his assessment, as others such as the Resolution Foundation have found, that the Covid-19 pandemic has had the greatest impact on the living standards of the young and those on the lowest incomes?
Answer
- The Chief Minister is unable to "ensure" that the results are published early in quarter 4 of 2020. As stated in the answer to Written Question 226/2020 and Oral Question 159/2020, as per the Statistics and Census (Jersey) Law 2018 "In exercising any of its functions, Statistics Jersey has the right to act independently." The nature of the work and reporting timelines of Statistics Jersey are based on statistical considerations, as determined by the Chief Statistician, not dates and timelines set by the Government of Jersey.
The Chief Minister will however, continue to work closely with Statistics Jersey in delivering this piece of work.
- We do not yet have the breakdown of the impact in this level of detail. However, the Jersey Opinion and Lifestyle Survey (JOLS) was launched on 19 June 2020 and the results of this survey will address, to some extent, this question. It is anticipated that the results will enable analysis of the broad effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on individuals and households broken down by categories including age, sex and income.
I have also accepted the recommendation for the income and spending survey to recommence its work as soon as possible in 2021, in order to provide pertinent updated information on the relative living standards of individuals and households in the Island.