More expensive travel revelations likely tomorrow

Monday 25 April 2016

There should be more details about accommodation and food spending by civil servants on taxpayer-funded trips in the States tomorrow, with the Chief Minister being pressed to reveal more about hotel and meal budgets and air mile allowances.

The unfolding details about the flights began with a story about Economic Development Department Chief Officer Mike King and Locate Jersey Director Wayne Gallichan’s £6,442 tickets to a mining conference in Cape Town in February.

The pair are facing disciplinary hearings over the flights and have apologised for their “error of judgment”.

But it has since emerged that civil servants have spent close to £400,000 in the last five years on flight tickets that cost more than £1,000 – and that “Adviser – international affairs” Colin Powell and Director of Financial Services Joe Moynihan have both taken more expensive flights over the same period – unlike Mr King and Mr Gallichan, they are not facing disciplinary action over their travel expenses.

Tomorrow, Chief Minister Ian Gorst will be answering more questions in the States about the flight costs – Deputy Sam Mezec has tabled the following two questions:

- “Can civil servants obtain personal Avios points when flying specifically on States business and, if so, what action, if any, does the Chief Minister propose to take to ensure that, in future, any such points are returned to the States?”

- “Further to the Chief Minister’s answer to question 9317 regarding the cost of civil servants’ flights, could the Chief Minister provide a breakdown for each of the journeys, including accommodation costs and other expenses, including food and taxis?”

Senator Gorst also faces 15 minutes of questions without notice, during which the question of flight costs is likely to come up.

Last week, States Chief Executive John Richardson told the Public Accounts Committee that some ministers had effectively over-ruled States financial rules which require civil servants to fly economy while ministers fly business class – he said that they made the decision so that politicians could sit with staff through the flight, but did not explain why officers were allowed to “upgrade” instead of asking ministers to fly economy.

He also said that some staff had gold or silver cards with BA, which allowed them to claim extra Avios points for flights that they had booked, on top of the normal points allowance which went to the States.