“Government has a habit of not quite matching with the business environment”

The government’s plan to offer families 15 hours of free nursery care clashes with the realities of Jersey’s job market where most part-time workers clock closer to 20 hours a week… according to the Economic Development Minister.

If the proposed three-year Budget is approved by the States Assembly in December, the universal provision would provide 15 hours of free care for all two and three-year-olds each week, including childminding.

But Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel this week told a scrutiny panel that “Government has a habit of not quite matching with the business environment”.

“No one works a 15-hour-week job”

Deputy Morel explained he had received concerns – which he said he agreed with – that Government had created a “15-hour situation”.

“No-one works a 15-hour-week job,” he said. “If you want to be part-time, you are on 20 hours a week.

“I am definitely of the view that 15 hours is better than nothing but if we could get that to 20 hours I think that would be much more helpful because it would match more easily with the part-time working week.

“Government has a habit of not quite matching with the business environment – and this is just another example of that.”

It comes after Education Minister Rob Ward this week admitted he had not held any discussions with the business community about the 15-hour funding model, with scrutiny panel chair Deputy Inna Gardiner criticising government’s “silo mentality without a clear leadership structure”.

“We know childcare is really expensive”

Responding to questions from Deputy Catherine Curtis about the “economic outcomes” of the proposed £3m childcare scheme, Deputy Morel said: “The hope is that it will free up labour and capital in different ways.

“So the labour side of it is that it will enable parents to be at work. So if there is a primary caring parent, they will be able to go to work if they choose to.

“The other side of it is that we know childcare is really expensive for young families, and so relieving that cost to the tune of 15 hours a week will reduce their costs as a family.”

The Economic Development Minister added: “Most of the time that primary caring parent is a woman, so there is the hope that will enable more woman back into the workplace – although it is not specifically aimed at women, they will likely be the largest beneficiaries.”