Latest news with #HilaryJeune
BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Jersey health minister faces questions over £350m investment plan
Scrutiny panel leaders have been surprised at a media interview given by health minister in which he revealed plans to invest £350m across the health service and in infrastructure chair of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, Hilary Jeune, said her members had been asking for briefings and details of Project Breakwater, led by Tom Binet, in relation to infrastructure investment since December an interview, Binet proposed, under the project, to invest £350m which would be funded by borrowing or "dipping into savings".Jeune said the panel would hold a standalone hearing with the minister on 2 September. 'Concerning' She said: "This is concerning when we are waiting to scrutinise the spending of hundreds of millions of pounds of public money which is being used for key infrastructure projects, such as Fort Regent and the revitalisation of the town centre."How these are to be funded and who is responsible for these projects, such as where they fit into the infrastructure department remit, are key questions we need answered."Jeune said there appeared to be no cohesive strategy from the Council of Ministers about what the project was, who was responsible for its oversight and how it was communicated to States members and the public. She added the hearing would review the progress with the revitalisation of St Helier and welcomed input from Binet to see how these visions aligned.
ITV News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Investigation underway after environmentalists 'sickened' by tree felling video in Jersey
A video of woodland being felled in Jersey has sparked outrage from environmentalists and calls for better legal protections. An investigation is underway to see if the felling of woodland on private land in Jersey was lawful. It comes after a video was shared on social media of trees being cut down at a property in Fliquet, which has since been removed. The island's former Climate Change Minister and Chair of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, Deputy Hilary Jeune, told ITV News: "My first response is aghast at how aggressive it is, including with the music over the top - it seemed to be promoting it as a really a good thing, that there were big machines scouring the earth and taking away not only the trees but any wildlife has completely gone. "As an environmentalist, I felt completely sickened by it." She added that this is not the first case of it's kind and "the risk has always been there, and been brought up many times." The Infrastructure and Environment Department have said they need to "discover the facts of the case and see if there have been any breaches under any relevant laws - before any action can be taken." In Jersey, there are no laws explicitly preventing the felling of woodland in these kinds of areas if they are on private land. People can apply to the Planning Department to protect individual trees, but due to the length of the process, very few trees are actually were attempts to tighten tree protections by the previous States Assembly but these have since been withdrawn. Jersey's Wildlife Law protects nesting birds as well as many trees and plants. Planning permission is also required for the removal of some trees. Environmentalist, Sheena Brockie, says the protecting biodiversity on the island is crucial. "Granted there was damage from Storm Ciarán, however there was still standing trees, standing deadwood's really important. "The fact that every single blade of grass, every single shrub, the majority of trees - they're covered in ivy and those kind of trees support so much wildlife. "The soil biodiversity, the birds that depend on it, the bats that depend on it - these are protected under the legislation."The Environment Minister, Deputy Steve Luce, added the islands greenery needs to be looked after. "I see sites that are developed and trees are still being felled where I feel that's unnecessary and consequently, since I've been minister we've formed a tree advisory board and that group of people are coming forward with certain recommendations about varieties we might want to grow in the future, and about protection." ITV News Channel tried to speak to people inside the property, but no one would are now carrying out an investigation to see if there has been any breaches of the law.
ITV News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Jersey politicians relax election rules to allow more residents to vote
People who have lived in Jersey for at least a year will now be able to vote in the island's elections. Politicians backed Deputy Hilary Jeune's proposal by 30 votes to 16, meaning the residency requirement will be reduced from two years to 12 months. Deputy Jeune believes it is "a small but meaningful step toward a more inclusive democracy" ahead of Jersey's next General Election on Sunday 7 June 2026 - which will also see the role of Senators return. While canvassing in 2022, she says newer residents were frustrated at the two-year rule as they wanted to vote but were shut out. Her amendment argues that key workers and professionals moving to Jersey should be allowed to decide how the island is governed at an earlier stage, rather than being disenfranchised. Deputy Jeune hopes the move will lead to higher public engagement in politics and greater voter turnout, as well as bringing the island in line with other jurisdictions such as the Isle of Man. A review is also underway which could see all prisoners in Jersey given the right to vote - currently, those detained for longer than four years are disqualified from having their say in an election. Want the inside track on the key issues that will shape Guernsey's Election this June? Listen to Guernsey Votes, an ITV Channel podcast packed with expert guests, local insight and analysis you can trust...
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Infrastructure funding not sustainable
Jersey Minister for Infrastructure, Constable Andy Jehan has told a scrutiny panel that the island is only investing half of what it should do into its minister said that this was not sustainable and his department would have to introduce charges for some Hilary Jeune, the head of the infrastructure scrutiny panel, said a lack of investment was leading to projects being minister made clear that he has continually been speaking to ministerial colleagues about the importance of investing in infrastructure. Constable Andy Jehan said: "I have continually been speaking at the council of ministers table about the importance of investing in our infrastructure - whether that's sewage, solid waste, roads, sporting facilities, education facilities. "We have to invest in our infrastructure."The minister added that the current levels of investment were not sufficient."We invest half of the recommended investment in our properties and that is not sustainable." 'Introduce charges' Speaking to the BBC after the scrutiny panel hearing, the minister said: "For many years we have underinvested in our portfolio, we find properties with significant work needed.""We only invest 50% of what we should do in our properties.""That means we end up with work that is delayed and it costs more money and we are working to rectify that.""There are many priorities like health and education but infrastructure is as important as those two other areas."The minister said his department would have to start charging for services. "We will have to introduce charges for liquid and solid waste. I don't know the exact detail but charges will have to be fair and consistent, I will bring a proposal on this to the states in the future." Delayed projects Deputy Hilary Jeune, the chair of the Environment, Infrastructure and Housing scrutiny panel said the lack of investment was leading to infrastructure project being delayed."A lot of projects are delayed, sometimes costs are out of their control because of global events but other times its related to decisions that are made by the government such as cutting consultancy fees down by a third but that also made significant delays to particular projects."Deputy Jeune added that sewage infrastructure was one area facing delays."It's really important that we have upgrades to our sewage network so we can have more affordable homes around the island."The ultimate goal is to have affordable homes but to do that we need a sewage network, so any delays on that is a concern."
BBC News
07-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Concern over Jersey's relationship with Rwanda due to conflict
Jersey politicians have raised concerns over the island's relationship with Rwanda due to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rwanda in 2016 which aimed to strengthen relationships between the two seizure by M23 rebels of vast tracts of land in the mineral rich east of DR Congo has triggered a humanitarian and diplomatic crisis involving several neighbouring UK has suspended bilateral aid and imposed other diplomatic sanctions on Rwanda for its support of the M23 rebels. The BBC has contacted the Rwandan High Commission in London for comment. Deputy Hilary Jeune, one of the politicians who has expressed concerns about the relationship, said: "Now that we are seeing hostilities continuing within the DR Congo... I think there does need to be some reflection on that relationship going forward."Rwanda used to deny backing the M23, but recently it has adopted a more defensive line, saying fighting near the border between DR Congo and Rwanda is a threat to its security. DR Congo accuses Rwanda of illegally exploiting its mineral deposits in the east of the country, which Rwanda said she was concerned some mining companies operating in the DR Congo could have their headquarters and financial structures in Jersey and may unintentionally be contributing to the problem of conflict minerals."My concern is how much the finance industry here in Jersey is unintentionally supporting the conflict mineral trade," she said. Firms not sanctioned External Relations Minister Deputy Ian Gorst told the International and Economic Affairs Scrutiny Panel there were mining companies operating in DR Congo with headquarters or financial structures in Jersey."There are no international sanctions in place on any of these companies operating mining ventures in the DR Congo connected to Jersey," he said."If the UK did look at sanction designations, then we would follow."If these Jersey headquartered structures or mining companies are operating in an illegal manner, they would be breaching their obligations in Jersey under Jersey law and they would be dealt with appropriately by the Attorney General." 'Rigorous checks' Emily Stewart, the head of policy for the transition minerals campaign at NGO Global Witness, said: "Quite a lot of the mining done under the control of these militias is done under the worst conditions using slave labour [and] child labour. "It's really incumbent on mining companies operating in the country that they are doing really rigorous checks themselves to ensure their supply chains aren't tainted by these mines, which are supporting conflict."
