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2nd Floor, Salisbury House
1-9 Union Street, St Helier JE2 3RF
3 August 2020
States Greffe Morier House Halkett Place St. Helier
JE1 1DD
Dear Deputy Morel ,
Thank you for your recent letter, which invited the views of the Jersey Consumer Council (JCC) on the demerger of CICRA and whether the JCC was consulted in advance of the decision and to understand the ways in which the JCC believes competition regulation will be affected, positively or negatively, by the decision.
As you may be aware, the JCC for many years was based in the Central Market, working alongside the Trading Standards department. Early in 2019, it was decided that Trading Standards would be relocated to central government offices, meaning the JCC needed to find new premises. Following an extensive search of available office space, the JCC entered into a paid agreement with CICRA to co-habit some vacant office space at CICRA's headquarters in Salisbury House, Union Street, St Helier, for a modest rental contribution.
Therefore, while I would not consider the JCC to be a direct stakeholder of CICRA, it was, in effect, the JCC's landlord.
The JCC learnt of the government's plans to demerge CICRA when it was announced in the local media, which led to some initial concern regarding the JCC's future office arrangements. However, once the new JCRA team had been established, the JCC's future office arrangement was guaranteed until the end of current lease.
The JCC maintains an excellent working relationship with the JCRA, as both organisations have the common goal of helping Islanders, particularly with consumer-related issues. The JCC believes that a more Jersey-focused watchdog and regulator can only be a good thing for consumers and, following recent meetings, are already exploring how the two organisations can better work together.
I would be happy to develop these views further at a public hearing, if you felt it helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Carl Walker Chairman