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States Greffe
Deputy Mary Le Hegarat
Minister for Justice and Home Affairs BY EMAIL
28th February 2025 Dear Minister,
Follow-up matters from the Public Hearing on 27th February 2025
Thank you for attending the quarterly hearing yesterday, together with your Assistant Minister and officers, your time is much appreciated. During the hearing the Panel was advised that further information could be provided about:
• The Terms of Reference for the independent review into how the Police, Law Officers' Department, and Courts handle cases (as recommended by the VAWG taskforce); and
• The cost of a body scanner for La Moye Prison, including confirmation of whether funding for this has been previously requested and / or rejected?
We would therefore be grateful if a further update could be provided to the Panel in this regard.
During the hearing it was also confirmed that the States of Jersey Ambulance Service would move between responsible departments (from Justice and Home Affairs to Health and Social Services) on 1st July 2025. Please could you provide the Panel with a copy of the business case for that change?
The Panel was also unable to complete its full list of questions during the time allocated for the hearing and you agreed that we could send these to you in writing. Please see below the remaining questions from the Panel:
Ambulance, Fire and Rescue Headquarters
- Minister, please can you share any concrete timeline or updated feasibility findings regarding Ambulance and Fire station relocations or upgrades?
- How are you ensuring staff safety and building compliance at the existing Ambulance and Fire & Rescue sites, given known issues with building age, infrastructure, and capacity constraints?
- Minister, you referred to this as part of a "puzzle" involving Gas Place and Rouge Bouillon School. Can you describe what progress has been made to coordinate with the Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning on a cohesive plan that meets all departmental needs?
Police Complaints and Independent Oversight
- Minister, will you explore the possibility of engaging an external body, similar to the UK's Independent Office for Police Conduct (IPCC / IOPC), to investigate certain serious complaints against the States of Jersey Police and ensure independent oversight?
- How do you monitor the effectiveness of the Jersey Police Complaints Authority (JPCA)? In particular, can you describe recent improvements or plans to enhance the transparency and timeliness of complaint investigations?
- Minister, we note the JPCA's membership is often drawn from experienced professionals in the Island. How is potential conflict of interest managed to ensure the highest public confidence in the complaints system?
Youth Justice
- Minister, in summer 2024 it was indicated that the Youth Justice Strategy was nearly ready for release and during oral questions in the States Assembly on 10th December 2024, you stated that a final version was ready for release in January 2025. Could you clarify the reasons for the delay for releasing this strategy and confirm the revised publication date?
- Also, during oral questions in the States Assembly 10th December 2024, you stated that stakeholder feedback led to the strategy being viewed as "too aspirational." Could you specify which particular elements or objectives were removed or modified between the earlier draft and updated versions, and explain why they were deemed unachievable?
a. Could you clarify whether resource constraints have been a key factor in revising the strategy?
- Minister also in the oral questions you referenced that the Building a Safer Community' initiative has now been operating for nearly a year. Beyond school-based activities, could you outline what has been delivered so far under this programme, including any tangible outcomes or progress on youth prevention efforts?
Customs and Excise System for the Administration of Revenue (CAESAR)
- Minister, with regards to the CAESAR system, used to administer revenue and customs data, can you clarify if there are any current or future plans to review its suitability for increased demands, and has there been any discussion around replacing or upgrading it to ensure it remains fit for purpose?
- Are you aware of any disability or accessibility audits undertaken in respect of CAESER to ensure it is user-friendly for all employees or stakeholders who interact with the system?
- Minister, could you advise if there have been any ongoing talks, either within your department or in collaboration with the Treasury, about a strategic approach to CAESER's long-term development or integration with other digital systems in Government?
Thank you in advance for your assistance. The Panel looks forward to your formal response and would request this is received by Friday 7th March 2025. Please be aware that it is the Panel's intention to publish the response it receives on the States Assembly website.
Yours sincerely,
Deputy Catherine Curtis
Chair
Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel