Student loan plans by May?

Thursday 26 March 2015

Around 70 people at this week's Any Questions event in Grouville heard from Treasury Minister Alan Maclean that proposals for a student loan programme could be published in May.

The audience at the third monthly change.je event also heard C5 Alliance CEO Mark Loane say that it should take no more than a year to sort out a comprehensive e-Gov system to make life easier for the public and to cut States administration costs – and he says that an electronic voting system would not be impossible to achieve.

The pair made up the panel along with Grouville Constable John Le Maistre, marketing and communication expert Dara Lutes-Guest from Marcom, and former teacher Anne Southern from political party Reform Jersey.

The event began with a question on the subject of student loans to support families with the mounting costs of university – a subject that was gained political traction since it was raised at the first “Any Questions” event in St Brelade with Chief Minister Ian Gorst in January.

In response, Senator Maclean said that that he expected a proposal from the Education department to form part of the financial plan that would cover the next few years.

He said: “At this stage, from a Treasury point of view, we have not had a firm proposal. When we have had one we will have a look at it – in the current climate it would be very difficult to find funding for a new scheme.

“The UK scheme costs many billions. As far as I am aware, the Isle of Man and Guernsey are not seeking to go down a similar route. The option needs to be a scheme that supports local people.

“It is not right to discriminate against people and we need a fair scheme that is going to be supportive and do what we are seeking to do, give young people the best opportunity to get the best possible education.”

But the minister and his colleagues on the Council of Ministers were criticised by Mr Loane – who runs one of the Channel Islands’ biggest tech firms – over the stalling over the States e-Gov programme.

That programme was meant to put a range of States services like filling in tax forms online, but ministers were forced to admit early this month that their £7m project had stalled.

Mr Loane was scathing about the States record – and hinted that the government seemed to have decided to call in consultants from the UK, rather than rely on local expertise.

He said: “We could achieve an e-Gov programme within one year. We can achieve a great amount of savings. It’s a lack of leadership, strategy and vision within government that has left us in a situation where money, time and resources have been wasted.”

The next event takes place in April at the Town Hall, and Health Minister Andrew Green is the first name confirmed on the panel.