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States Greffe: Scrutiny
Deputy Susie Pinel
Minister for Treasury & Resources
By email
18th February 2022 Dear Minister
Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel
COVID-19 Response and Recovery Review - Fiscal Stimulus Fund – Project Extensions
The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel (the Panel) is writing to you following the lodging of the Fiscal Stimulus update report R.12/2022.
The Panel were pleased to note that nine projects have been completed and acknowledge that you have removed funding allocated from the Fiscal Stimulus Fund (the Fund) to three projects that no longer meet the requirements of the Fund.
However, the Panel would like to convey its disappointment on the twenty-eight projects which have been delayed and subsequent extensions which have been applied to March 2022, and a further three which have been granted extension to June 2022. It would appear that many of the delays relate to construction issues and gaining planning permissions, points that were highlighted by the Panel on a number of occasions as restrictions to the Fund meeting its timely, temporary and targeted objectives. Although the Panel agrees that some leeway ought to be given, this should not continue further and is of particular concern to the three projects which have been granted extensions to June 2022.
The Panel have a number of questions on the operation of the Fund and would request clarification be provided on the following points:
- Have any of the removed projects received monies from the Fund? If so, will these be refunded?
- Who will decide upon any further extension or removal of projects during the election period?
- Will the borrowing amount for the Fiscal Stimulus Fund be reduced following the removal of the three projects, of which allocation requests totalled £5.9 million?
- Where will funding be drawn from to allow the three removed projects to progress? Have business cases been provided to enable Ministerial Decisions in this regard?
The Panel would appreciative it if you could please provide a response to these queries by Friday 25th February 2022.
Yours sincerely
Deputy Steve Ahier
Vice Chair, Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel