Politicians spent just 28 days in the States last year

Wednesday 16 April 2014

States Members spent a total of 223 hours in the Chamber in 2013 – the equivalent of 28 days work.

Figures compiled by States clerks show that the amount of time that politicians spent at the States went up last year, with a total of 223 hours in the Chamber (up from 182 in 2012) spread across 40 days (up from 34 the previous year).

Sitting in the States is just one part of a politicians’ job for their £46,000 per year, and some have ministerial responsibilities that involve work in States departments, while others sit on Scrutiny panels. There are however eight Members who don’t do either ministerial or Scrutiny work, and whose responsibilities outside of the States amount to a couple of days a month in committee meetings or nothing at all, beyond their constituency work.

The figures compiled by the States Greffe – the States’ clerking and administration body – also show that the average age of a States Member is 56, and that there are now just 11 women in the 51-member Assembly. That works out at a percentage of just 21.5%, which is slightly worse than the ratio of women in the House of Commons in the UK.

Last year, the average age for a States Deputy (a district representative) was 53.8 years, the average age for a Constable (a Parish representative) was 60.6 years and the average age of a Senator was 57.4 years.