An attempt by a former Health Minister to redivert £2.7 million in Budget funding for the Island’s proposed assisted-dying service to pay for improvements in respite provision for carers was defeated in the States Assembly this morning.
Deputy Karen Wilson had sought to remove the proposed growth funding for assisted dying, arguing that the money could be more effectively deployed elsewhere.
The Budget amendment came after politicians voted in 2024 to set up a service for islanders with terminal illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases, following a 2021 decision in which the Assembly supported assisted dying “in principle”.
While stressing that she was not seeking to reopen the debate on assisted dying, Deputy Wilson said she did wish to question whether it was appropriate to allocate this amount of funding to a service that was likely to be used by very few islanders at a time of significant strain on Health Department finances.
Respite care was “chronically underfunded”, she said, with a lack of recognition for carers who performed a voluntary service that might otherwise cost tens of millions of pounds.
“It’s reckless to commit to this funding until the respite gap is closed,” she said.
“A wrecking motion”
Assistant Health Minister Barbara Ward said that additional funding of £3.3m per year had already been allocated to respite care, while Social Security Minister Lyndsay Feltham said she felt many carers were not aware of the help that was available.
Health Minister Tom Binet criticised his predecessor, saying that her amendment was “a wrecking motion that would fly in the face of several previous decisions taken by the Assembly”.
Deputy Montfort Tadier said that while he noted that there was no existing right to die enshrined in European human rights law, he hoped that such a right would be introduced, in the same way as same-sex marriage in recent decades.
Deputy Helen Miles said that she was in a “quandary”, arguing that just because someone supported the principle of assisted dying, it did not mean they supported any funding model at any cost.
The matter was currently part of a Scrutiny review, Deputy Louise Doublet reminded Members in her role as chair of the review panel, ahead of the detailed legislation on assisted dying being debated early in 2026.
Deputy Wilson’s amendment was taken in two parts, but she was heavily defeated on both counts, by 31-9 in the first vote and 32-8 in the second.
The amendment was the 13th of 35 submitted ahead of the debate.
Increased funding for police
Yesterday Ministers accepted an amendment that will see police funding increased by £240,000.
Though the amendment originally asked for the full £240,000 to come out of the Health budget, Treasury Minister Elaine Millar said Ministers would lodge more amendments so that the money “would be shared across a number of departments”.
Deputy Millar has already signed a letter “guaranteeing” to the States of Jersey Police that they will be able to recruit and train ten new officers in 2026, and that money confiscated in criminal cases would be used “to invest in technology for the digital forensics team”.
Islanders value community policing and feeling safe, she said, adding that safety was “not something we should take for granted”.
But it would be “inappropriate”, she added, for anyone but the Police Chief to decide how the funds would be spent.
Justice and Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat said that with police funds “eroding” over the years, she was grateful for her colleagues’ work finding the additional funds.
“Something doesn’t stack up for me”
Deputy Tadier questioned whether the police’s budget was being used wisely – citing the arrest of pro-Palestine activist Natalie Strecker, who was acquitted of terrorism charges last week.
“I do have concerns that the police are pleading poverty when, actually, they seem to have this excess within their department [to arrest Mrs Strecker],” he said.
“How much money did the police waste in that process [involving] that innocent woman, that they’re asking to get back now for the next year or so,” asked Deputy Tadier, noting that she had been arrested by five or six officers at her home.
“Something doesn’t stack up for me.”
Constable Simon Crowcroft called the Deputy’s remarks “quite wrong” and “verging on the malicious”.
The Budget debate is expected to last until late on Thursday or Friday morning.