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Bringing forward assisted dying legislation, clamping down on wealthy immigrants, creating 100 new units of key worker housing by next year, and strengthening ties with the French all feature in Ministers' priorities for the term ahead.
For the first time, each member of the Council of Ministers has devised a ‘Ministerial Plan’, each of which has been published today.
The Plan follows closely behind last week’s Government Plan, which sets out firm spending plans for next year and aspirations for the following three; and Deputy Moore and her team’s Common Strategic Plan, which sets out broad priorities.
Among the objectives set out in the Ministerial Plans are creating a Heritage and Antiquities Law to set out what would happen if another coin hoard was discovered; closer oversight of Ports of Jersey, greater regulation of the rental sector, a new ‘French Engagement Strategy’, bringing forward Assisted Dying legislation by the end of 2024, introducing ‘no fault’ divorces, and creating a ‘Circular Economy Strategy’.
The Ministerial Plans will be updated each year.
Deputy Kristina Moore's priorities include:
Opening constituency offices in each voting district.
Progress the development of a 'cultural diversity centre' to "provide advice and information; and encourage Islanders from all backgrounds to come together and celebrate their unique identities, promoting diversity and inclusion in the Island".
Establishing an Assistant Ministers forum to support the work of the Council of Ministers and enable cross-cutting work.
Reviewing the capacity and resources of the Strategic Housing function to ensure Government has strong and sustained actions to tackle the housing crisis and increase home ownership.
Increasing the number of key worker housing units by at least 100 by the end of 2023.
Progressing population and migration policy by developing the Council of Ministers' Common Population Policy for presentation to the States Assembly, in line with the requirements of the States of Jersey, by end June 2023.
Updating the 2(1)(e) policy to enhance the economic, social, and benefits to the island from a fewer number of 2(1)(e) applicants, while valuing our high value resident community. This will include a review of available performance data and industry-engagement.
Deputy Inna Gardiner's plans for the term ahead include:
Recruiting more specialist staff to work with children to access the curriculum and continuing to develop our workforce to improve how we teach and support children and better target support where it is needed across inclusive schools.
Developing plans for legal reform of the Education Law that will promote inclusion, autonomy of schools, and clear systems of governance and accountability, whilst continuing to promote inclusive communities and support for all children and families to access the highest quality education.
Implementing the Children and Young People's Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy 2022-25 and delivering improved health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.
Improving our social care services for children and building on the Jersey Care Inquiry recommendations, by working across Government to deliver our corporate parenting responsibilities... and developing a Community Partnership Group, involving CYPES, Health and Community Services, Housing, States of Jersey Police, Customer and Local Services, the parishes and honorary police... to address issues of antisocial and offending behaviour.
Over the coming few years, Deputy Morel has said he will be focused on:
Reviewing the Tourism (Jersey) Law 1948 and the Licensing (Jersey) Law 1974 to ensure they are fit for purpose and enable businesses to operate efficiently within the sector.
Publishing export and inward investment strategies by the end of Q1 2023 and beginning to implement them during 2023.
Exploring opportunities through regular, at a minimum, quarterly meetings with our Guernsey counterparts for greater cooperation across all areas of economic activity including, but not limited to, air and sea connectivity, digital, sport, culture and heritage.
Deepening our cultural and economic links with France, particularly the departments of Ile et Vilaine and La Manche.
Re-establishing the Ports Policy Group to provide clear direction to Ports of Jersey as a vital States-owned body.
Pictured: Deputy Kirsten Morel has pledged to re-establish a Ports Policy Group as well as review the 74-year-old Tourism Law.
Designing and begin delivering an elite sport strategy to support our local talent, enrich our local economy and promote Jersey internationally.
Developing and lodging a new bespoke Heritage and Antiquities Law.
Engaging with stakeholders from across the tourism sector to develop and publish a new tourism strategy by Q4 2023.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf's priorities include:
Delivering the first phase of the carbon neutral roadmap including a focus on the decarbonisation of heating buildings and road transport through a just transition.
Begin developing the necessary consenting regimes and frameworks to enable utility-scale renewable energy generation in the future.
Designating the Island’s first conservation area to protect and improve its special architectural and historic character and appearance.
Publishing development briefs for all rezoned housing sites identified in the bridging Island Plan for the provision of affordable homes.
Bringing forward proposals to regulate rental property to ensure that minimum standards in rental dwellings are maintained.
Developing a long-term Island-wide water strategy.
Among Deputy Philip Ozouf's priorities are:
Updating and publishing, on behalf of the Council of Ministers and with input from the States Assembly, the Common Policy on External Relations in Q4 2022, setting the framework within which Jersey’s external engagement will be conducted over the next administration.
Engaging regularly with UK Ministers, including those of an incoming Government, and cross-party parliamentarians to provide clarity on Jersey’s constitutional relationship and value to the UK.
Undertaking targeted programmes of engagement in the run-up to the UK General Election (which must occur no later than January 2025)
Ensuring the successful delivery of the British-Irish Council Summit in Jersey in 2023.
Pictured: Deputy Jonathan Renouf will produce a 'marine spacial plan' for Jersey, which was approved in the Bridging Island Plan. (James Bowden)
Developing a cross-Government French engagement strategy and establishing a cross-departmental working group by Q3 2022, to steer and oversee work to improve and cultivate Jersey-French relations, including with the French national government.
Continuing to engage with Marine Resources, the domestic fisheries community and international parties in respect of fisheries management, particularly in relation to the next stage of discussions in respect of the nature and extent of fishing rights.
Deputy Karen Wilson's key areas of focus include:
Establishing, by end of Q1 2023, an independent board, consisting of experts in health and social care practice, leadership and governance, who will collectively provide stewardship to Health and Community Services placing a greater emphasis on the relationship between governance and quality of care.
Publishing a ‘Service Excellence Standard’ setting out HCS’s commitments to its patients and staff.
Helping support improvements to the health and wellbeing of children and adults by asking the States Assembly to support revisions to the original Jersey Care Model proposals to focus the previously agreed investment on the expansion of digital health and new forms of care.
Reviewing the fees and charges associated with assisted reproduction services, contraception and termination of pregnancy. I will also undertake a citizen’s engagement process with a view to bringing forward changes to our Termination of Pregnancy Law.
Continuing the development of a proposed new law, for debate in 2024, permitting assisted dying in Jersey for residents aged 18 or over.
Among Deputy Helen Miles' key projects are:
Establishing the demand on, and capacity of, the Ambulance Service, and determining what the future resourcing model should be, addressing the findings of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives Review Report 2021.
Increasing understanding of violence against women and girls through the taskforce established to undertake public engagement and research, and developing and implementing an action plan from the findings.
Pictured: Deputy Miles has said she will increase the help available for offenders finishing their sentences.
Continuing work on reform of the Law of Divorce by developing legislation for delivery post-2023 to introduce the concept of ‘no fault’ divorce in Jersey Law.
States of Jersey Prison Service: embedding a new culture focussed on a rehabilitative model to reduce reoffending, by providing prisoners with the right interventions and environment whilst in prison.
States of Jersey Police: continuing to prepare for the MONEYVAL inspection at the end of 2023 as overseen by a Political Steering Group chaired by the Minister for Treasury and Resources.
Deputy David Warr will be focused on:
Taking action to bring vacant homes back to the market, including working with Andium Homes to seek the purchase of sites and turn them into quality, affordable homes for Islanders.
Developing new schemes that will help tenants buy their homes, working with social housing providers and, in particular, Andium Homes.
Publishing the Island’s first long-term, sustainable strategy for the future of Jersey’s housing market, based on a vision that extends beyond political terms and which carefully considers the role of fiscal measures towards a healthy housing market.
Among other priorities, Deputy Tom Binet will be focused on:
Completing the construction of the new Sewage Treatment Works by the end of 2023, and continue with the decommissioning of the old Sewage Treatment Works.
Subject to funding, working with St Matthew’s Church to deliver a new community park facility as an extension to Coronation Park, due to complete in early 2024.
Beginning work on a circular economy strategy to deliver against wider environmental and carbon reduction aims.
Assessing delivering of the ‘Bridging Liquid Waste Strategy 2023-26’ to support the delivery of new housing across the Island and to ensure longer term environmental resilience.
Deputy Carolyn Labey will be focusing on:
Beginning dairy programming in Zambia, following the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, reaching at least 2000 more small-holder farmers with Jersey expertise.
Supporting Jersey’s financial services industry to develop its offerings in impact investment and sustainable finance and philanthropy.
Standing with Ukraine in its struggle to survive the Russian invasion, adding to the £2.4m of humanitarian assistance already provided by Jersey and ensuring it meets the needs of the civilians worst affected by the war, while responding to other global emergencies, including in Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.
Developing targeted support and polices to help Islanders with the rising cost of living, by revising the community cost bonus scheme in 2023, implementing a scheme to provide support for families with under five years residency in 2023, and implementing a scheme to provide community access to period products for those who needs them in Jersey in 2023.
Developing a policy framework for a statutory workplace pension scheme and investigating possible long-term savings products on an ongoing basis.
Working with the Chief Minister to establish an older persons living forum to ensure the views and needs of older people are reflected across government policies on an ongoing basis.
Pictured: Deputy Millar has said she will develop a policy for statutory workplace pension schemes.
Promoting the Disability Strategy and Social Inclusion and Diversity policies by continuing to implement the disability strategy on an ongoing basis.
Completing actuarial reviews of each of the Social Security funds, taking account of new population projections, and taking action where needed in 2023 and 2024.
Initiating a review of standard [benefit] letters and guidance notes to make sure they are easy to understand and address customer needs in 2023.
Deputy Ian Gorst's priorities include:
Providing funding to support small scale investment in charitable and voluntary sector infrastructure in furtherance of Government objectives.
Providing finance and commercial support for the Our Hospital Project by: facilitating an appropriate and affordable funding strategy for the project and providing financial and commercial advice and guidance to the project team.
Finalising and lodging the legislation for the final stage of independent taxation. This would see a move to mandatory independent taxation with an accompanying compensatory allowance by 2025 (if approved by the States Assembly).
Preparing for and delivering the 2023/2024 MONEYVAL evaluation, which will assess Jersey against the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) international standards on anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing.
Developing the governance arrangements for arm’s length bodies, which includes arm’s length organisations and States-owned entities.
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