Latest news with #StatesAssembly
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Answers needed on health overspend, says deputy
The head of Jersey's Public Accounts Committee says answers are needed on why there is an overspend in the health department. Deputy Inna Gardiner's comments follow the publication of the States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts which showed the government's consolidated fund - essentially its current account - was in deficit, in part, because of extra health spending. Gardiner said: "We need to establish if there is an inherent structural deficit in health or if it's a case of bad management of money." Minister for Treasury and Resources Deputy Elaine Millar, who oversees all government spending, said it was not bad management and the health overspend was not a problem unique to Jersey. However, Gardiner said questions needed to be asked as the health budget had increased by nearly £100m since 2022. She said: "We are all aware that the health department overspent in excess of £30m year after year after year. "The health department budget in 2022 approved by the States Assembly was £226m. The budget approved for 2025 was £322m and we are already hearing that in 2025 the budget was constrained and they are going to overspend. "So we need to understand what is happening there and how money can be spent wisely within the department." Millar said: "We have had to invest more into our health care spending and we are not alone in doing that. "The cost of sending people off-island for specialist care, prescriptions are becoming more expensive and it's down to the nature of the population. "So we have had to spend more on health and we've had to take money from contingency to meet those costs." She added: "I don't think it's bad management of money... everyone is seeing healthcare costs going up, jurisdictions have ageing populations and we need to make sure we can provide services to our whole community." On 30 April, in a meeting with the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, said he would need more money for health during the next few years. Binet told the panel: "I'll be coming to the assembly to ask for money to improve preventative health care, and women's health issues will come into that and digital connectivity. "We will need in excess of £100m over five years and I want that additional money, I don't care where it comes from, even if it's from the strategic reserve." However, Millar said using the strategic reserve fund was not something that had been discussed. Millar said: "The strategic reserve fund is there for a number of reasons. "It's not a piggy bank that you can just draw on at will. But, clearly, we will look to how we fund health. "Jersey has a reputation for prudent financial management, and it's essential we continue that reputation, that we spend money wisely and we use money from the right sources to fund all our expenditure needs." Binet said Health had been facing "unprecedented demands, cost increases for drugs and off-island care - all running well above inflation and additional service requirements". He said "studious efforts" had been made over the past two years "to implement savings measures in many areas, with quite a high degree of success". "We require a large investment in both preventative health care and digital services over the next five years in order to improve efficiency and help reduce costs, and I have been clear about my intention to take a proposition to this effect to the assembly in the next few months," he said. "I have also stated, publicly, that I intend to hold a public consultation on the possibility of introducing some charges, in some areas of health provision, before the end of this parliament." Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Health budget needs extra £24m a year - minister £28m health shortfall forecast for end of the year Government of Jersey
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
States Code of Conduct revision aims 'to build trust'
States Code of Conduct revision 'to build trust' The Privileges and Procedures Committee said the revision followed a consultation period A revised Code of Conduct for the States Assembly has been proposed following a report found there was a lack of trust in the institution. The 2024 Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey Report found the States Assembly was "the least trusted institution in the island", the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC) said. It said the revision followed a consultation period where members were asked to identify changes they would like to make to rules against which their behaviours were judged. Chair of PPC Constable Karen Shenton Stone said the rules were "fundamental to building trust and respect in our Assembly".
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Businesses suffer 'worst start ever' to tourist season
Tourism businesses have said it has been the worst start to a tourist season blamed DFDS's sailing schedule for a drop in day trippers, which they say does not give French tourists enough time to spend in Marcus Troy, who is also a hotelier, echoed the sentiments by telling the States Assembly it had been the worst start to a season for hospitality "in living memory".DFDS said 6,000 people travelled with them over the Easter weekend, adding that data from Visit Jersey suggested room bookings were consistent with last year. The Jersey Hospitality Association acknowledged that while things had been difficult there were plenty of encouraging Jon Morgan, who sells coach tours, said: "It's been the worst start to any tourism season I've been involved with."It's the poor scheduling of the St Malo ferry - the day trippers don't get long enough here."I've been told by French visitors when they go into the tourist office in St Malo they tell them to go to Guernsey instead because they get longer in Guernsey." Jane Van Loock agreed that the ferry schedule had led to it being the worst start to a season Van Loock said, "We are seeing a lot less day trippers coming from St Malo, obviously now with the restrictions of timetables. I understand the St Malo boat is only coming on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.""We are also very isolated from Guernsey and so we are not seeing day trippers from there either." The slow start to the season has also been raised in the States to the BBC after the States Assembly sitting, Constable Troy said: "I'm a hotelier myself and I'm feeling the pinch."DFDS were unable to publish their schedule early enough. A lot of hotels have lost a lot of group bookings through the summer because group bookings from the UK have cancelled."The early season which has basically been taken care of by a company called Morvan Fils which is backed by Condor provides Jersey hotels with a significant amount of business in the early season and late season and that has disappeared completely." Marcus Calvani, from Jersey Hospitality, acknowledged that some parts of the tourism sector were having a very difficult time but said there were encouraging signs from the Calvani said: "Hotels that partake in international data processing that comes back to Visit Jersey shows thing are not that bad so there is a positive side to it."There is a lot of geopolitical situations going on that is effecting people's travel and as a destination we are holding our weight for once which is good news."He also defended DFDS's day trip schedule for visitors coming from France."If you look at this weekend, the French are spending about 10 hours on the island when they get here - that's the same if not more than past years," he said.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Poll reveals 'Beautiful Jersey' most popular choice for anthem
The song 'Beautiful Jersey' was voted by islanders as the most popular choice of music to serve as the island's national anthem, a States poll has were sought on plans to adopt the song as the island's official anthem in a public consultation which closed on 18 January.A Freedom of Information request for a breakdown of the data revealed 1,237 people voted online in favour of Beautiful Jersey becoming the national anthem, with 870 against and 359 States Assembly voted to make Beautiful Jersey the island's national anthem in March. 'Island Home' This was the second time politicians asked what the anthem for Jersey should 2007 the public voted for Beautiful Jersey - only for a panel of experts to overrule the choice and instead choose 'Island Home' by Gerard Le States said God Save the King came second in a breakdown of alternative suggestions for an anthem, with 39 added: "The consultation also received 1,252 paper responses which have not been included due to the excessive amount of time it would take to collate and analyse the raw data."Other suggestions included Ma Normandie with 15 votes, Island Home with 12 votes, Take That Grouville with eight votes, and Proud to be a Bean with three Jersey topped the poll with 541 votes. Deputy Carolyn Labey, Minister for International Development, previously said she wanted to formalise a national day and a Jersey anthem ahead of Liberation Day politicians also approved plans to make Liberation Day the island's national day last month.
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
States of Guernsey stop potential £35m Bridge investment
Public investment into the regeneration of St Sampson, known locally in Guernsey as The Bridge, has been stopped, the States of Guernsey has announced. It comes after the States Assembly had agreed in principle to invest up to £35m in the project which aimed to improve coastal and flood Lyndon Trott OBE said: "This project has now been progressed as far as the States can invest."He added the States would now continue to focus on improving the delivery of "needed housing development" and would continue to invest resources in "other projects and initiatives as part of the wider Bridge regeneration". Mr Trott said the other projects and initiatives included: Enabling flood defences at The BridgeA delivery framework to co-ordinate delivery of housing sites and infrastructureSupporting the Guernsey Development AgencyApproving the Local Planning Brief for St Sampson Harbour Action AreaHe said: "We expect to be able to share positive updates on the progress of these initiatives for the community in due course."
