A panel of politicians is calling for the concession agreement – which sets out the terms for ferry freight and passenger services – between operator DFDS and the Government to be released.
The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel has written to Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel requesting that the contract by made “publicly available” following public and political concerns about the service being provided by DFDS.
A copy of the agreement has been provided to the Panel on a confidential basis but panel chair, Deputy Montfort Tadier, has said that the growing public interest warranted its full release.
He said: “There is a high level of interest and scrutiny around the service being provided by DFDS at the moment, especially as the company has the monopoly on the route.
“Greater transparency about what has been agreed between Jersey’s Government and DFDS would allow the public to know what they can expect in terms of service levels when it comes to both freight and passenger journeys over the next 20 years.
“The panel of course recognises that there may be commercially sensitive aspects of the agreements, but we feel that, even with minor redactions, there is no reason that is cannot and should not be published.
“Submissions made to the panel have highlighted a number of recurring questions which islanders are asking.
“The panel notes that many of these points are covered in the agreement, but it is difficult for the public and the panel to hold the minister to account regarding them when such details are not publicly available.”
Making the contract publicly available would help foster trust and ensure clarity regarding its terms and obligations
Deputy Montfort Tadier, chair of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel
Last month, Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham issued a strong statement demanding improvements from the Danish ferry operator claiming that services levels had fallen “short of what was promised”.
Prompted by a letter from the Jersey Hospitality Association expressing strong concerns in the wake of news that high-speed Poole sailings would “temporarily pause” between November and April due to “lower passenger numbers during the winter season”, Deputy Farnham said the matter had been escalated to the “highest level” at the ferry firm.
The ferry firm was awarded the contract to provide a service between Jersey, the UK and France in December 2024 following a tender process, which saw Guernsey opt to stay with Brittany Ferries in a move which created division between the islands.
In his letter to Deputy Morel, Deputy Tadier added: “Given the significance of this
service to the island and the public interest surrounding its procurement and service delivery, making the contract publicly available would help foster trust and ensure clarity regarding its terms and obligations.
“Furthermore, previous ferry providers published their operating agreements on the Ports of Jersey website.”
The panel has requested a response from the Minister by next Wednesday, and is due to question Deputy Morel publicly at a quarterly Scrutiny hearing on Thursday 25 September.