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19-21 Broad Street | St Helier Jersey | JE2 4WE
By email
21st April 2023
Dear Chair,
Future Economy Programme
Thank you for your letter of the 14th April, in which you provide a number of questions with regards to the Future Economy Programme. I have set out below answers to each of these in turn:
- You have identified that the Economic Strategy to which your Ministerial Delivery Plan refers will act as an overarching document for the economic development activity of Government. The Panel believes an "Economic Handbook" will also be produced. Could you please outline the differences and purposes of these documents?
The full Economic Strategy will build on from the Outline Economic Strategy and detail how the 2040 vision can be achieved with reference to the 5 themes: Resilient, Innovative, Skilled, Fair and International. This document will be framed around the 1) needs, 2) conditions, and 3) options for growth. As such, this will be informed by, and elaborate on, two other elements of the FEP - economic analysis and economic programmes and projects.
The Economic Handbook is planned to be an annual publication that has three purposes:
- improving the economic awareness across Jersey by bringing together the most pertinent economic facts and analysis
- updating on the delivery of the FEP and progress towards the 2040 vision
- providing economic thought leadership in the form of think pieces
Whilst they will be two distinct documents they will be closely aligned and as such the Economic Handbook will also evolve in coming years, with the ambition that it becomes an important planning document for the Island.
- In your letter you highlight that there are gaps in data and data available is not perfect. Could you please elaborate on the gaps and how more robust data and analysis will be gained?
There is no specific list of data sets to be gathered but generally work in this area refers to both doing more analysis on existing data and enhancing what data is captured to gain more insight in the future. For example, the Statistics Jersey Annual Business Survey questions are being updated with input from a range of Departments. Part of the role of the Economic Handbook will be to drive forward the economic data provision, both making it more accessible, whilst also highlighting where improvements can still be made.
- The Panel understands that although no formal consultation on the FEP is taking place at this time, continued informal discussion with stakeholders is being carried out. Could you:
- Confirm if a formal consultation will take place and, if so, what is the timeframe for this?
There is no formal, public consultation planned. However, significant informal consultation is being undertaken as part of the strategy.
- Provide a list of those informally consulted with, including individuals, organisations and events attended or planned to attend?
We previously outlined the organisations we will continue FEP engagement with, set out in our letter on 3 April and would welcome any suggestions from Scrutiny on key individuals / organisations to add to that list. The engagement approach we are taking for strategy development begins with internal workshops before expanding to external contacts over the course of Q2. This will involve meetings and email communications.
- Outline feedback on the comments gained through the informal discussions?
It is too early to review engagement to date but we will return to Scrutiny with a summary of the results in due course. As outlined during the most recent briefing, the discussions will continue to evolve through a communications plan. The current focus is proving the need for economic growth on the Island, to combat the ageing population concerns that Jersey faces.
- In your letter of the 4th April 2023 you outline the Ease of Doing Business Programme being developed under the FEP. Have other related programmes been identified to be part of the FEP so far, and if so, could you please provide a brief description of these and how they relate with the wider work of the Government of Jersey.
There are two other areas also being trialled under the FEP on 1) renewable energy, and 2) university students returning to Jersey. The FEP's role in both is to provide economic analysis for the relevant policy leads and Ministers across Government and this work is still in development. These programmes are currently classed as pilots to ensure that the programmes' approach can be delivered cross government.
- Could relevant reports of the Barriers to Attracting Inward Investment work, carried out with London Economics, be forwarded?
Please find attached and ensure this remains confidential for Scrutiny eyes only. The report will not be made public as it is being used for policy development.
- The Panel would also appreciate greater clarity of timings and how workstreams, projects and programmes will interact. Could an organigram and rough timeline of publication of documents outlined, such as the Strategy Document and Economic Handbook, be provided? The Panel notes that your Ministerial Delivery Plan identifies that a full Economic Strategy will be delivered in Q3 2023. Please can that be confirmed?
Of the four elements of the FEP, only the document that forms part of the Economic Strategy and the Economic Handbook are distinct publications. As above, the Economic Strategy will include updates on economic analysis and the economic programmes and projects. The Economic Strategy timeline is as follows:
The publication date of the first Handbook is planned for this year but exact timings are still to be decided based on staff resource, data availability and relationship to Strategy publication.
a. Could you please confirm how relevant policies and strategies will be influenced by the FEP, and vice versa, if they are published prior to its production?
The FEP team is actively working with relevant teams with upcoming publications relating to the economy to ensure they are aligned with the FEP's vision and themes. The work is being delivered through an Agile methodology and iterated. Therefore as products become available, such as distinct pieces of analysis they can be used to inform other policies and projects. Likewise, as other policies are developed they will form a better understanding for delivery of the FEP.
I hope the above provides clarity to the areas you have raised. Yours sincerely,
Deputy Kirsten Morel
Deputy Chief Minister
Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport, and Culture E k.morel2@gov.je