Ministers ask: “What does Jersey want us to do?”

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Making St Helier a place where all Islanders want to live is one of the main priorities for ministers over the next three years, along with a comprehensive review of the education system and a new way of paying for healthcare.

The new Council of Ministers – led by Senatorial poll-topper Ian Gorst – has published a list of four top priorities, as they work to finalise their Strategic Plan for the next three years.

They have listed four policy priorities - “Health and Well-Being”, “Education”, “Economic Growth” and “St Helier” – but the details are being held back until the full plan comes out in March.

Senator Gorst says that his team want to hear what Jersey has to say about the ideas behind the plan before they reveal it, and that they have published the “Proposed Strategic Priorities 2015-19” to get Islanders’ views.

But the document released this morning contains little to no detail about how ministers are going to go about their work for the next few years, although when questioned at a ministerial press conference yesterday, Education Minister Rod Bryans said that his department would be doing a full review of Jersey’s education system, including the roles of the fee-paying schools, the possibility of a sixth form college, and the balance between vocational and academic training in secondary schools.

Elements of the document unveiled today include reviewing the barriers to starting a business in Jersey, improving housing standards and the quality of rented accommodation, new strategies on sexual health and preventing suicides, and reshaping the school curriculum and raising standards.

Senator Gorst said: “Jersey is a great place to live. It compares well in the top performing jurisdictions in the OECD’s Better Life Index for overall life satisfaction, personal safety and social support networks.

“Jersey is one of the world’s most successful small Island democracies, with strategic reserves that would cover a year’s revenue expenditure.

“These strengths are reflected in our international credit rating, which is one of the best possible for a jurisdiction of our size. Jersey is in a stable position because over generations we have consistently looked ahead and prepared for the future.

“Now, like many countries, Jersey is facing significant economic, social and environmental changes, and our income is rising at a slower rate than in the past. While we will continue to provide essential services, we have highlighted the issues we believe we need to focus on, to ensure Jersey can adapt to this fast-changing world.”

Until 27 February, you can have your say on ministers’ plans. There will be a special States sitting about discussing the new priorities on 24 February, and the formal draft of the new Strategic Plan will be unveiled on 6 March, ahead of a debate at the end of April.