Latest news with #StatesAssembly
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Plan to help Jersey's ageing population proposed
Calls have been made to improve planning policies to help Jersey's ageing Inna Gardiner has lodged a proposition to create an "age-friendly infrastructure framework" to adapt planning standards to help elderly said the framework would have age-inclusive planning guidance, improve public transport accessibility and promote "10-minute neighbourhoods" to keep GPs, pharmacies, shops and parks within walking said the island faced a "profound demographic shift" with Statistics Jersey suggesting the older population was expected to increase rapidly over the next 20-30 years. 'Rare opportunity' The proposition also calls for a commitment to developing anti-slip pavements, doorways without steps and more public toilets and sheltered said she felt the island's infrastructure and planning policies needed to adapt."This [framework] gives Jersey a rare opportunity to plan ahead to adapt our public spaces, transport networks, and services before they become inadequate," she added."Failure to do so will increase long-term dependency, health and care costs, and social isolation among older islanders."The earliest date for debate of the proposition at the States Assembly is 8 July.
BBC News
08-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Guernsey election manifesto booklet costs taxpayers £133k
The 2025 Guernsey general election booklet cost taxpayers £133,026.89 to produce and distribute across the island, according to the States. In a review of the 2020 general election, the States Scrutiny Management Committee (SMC) said: "The booklet was used by 87% of people in 2020."A UK firm was used to print the booklet, which contains 80 could provide either two or four A4 pages for the booklet. Booklet the 'key document' for voters Unlike in 2020, when candidate's submissions were spell checked and re-formatted, the States Assembly and Constitution Committee instructed manifestos should be reproduced in the booklet as submitted by deadline to submit manifestos was 14 May at 17:00. A third of manifestos in the booklet were described as "dull" and "corporate" by a leading academic, speaking to the Your Voice, Your Vote podcast. As part of the SMC review of the 2020 election the States manifesto booklet was described as "by a significant margin, the most frequently used and the most useful source of information."Scrutiny's survey of voters showed "the manifesto booklet was the key document for voters."
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Compensation calls for Blue Island passengers
Deputy Inna Gardiner has called for passengers impacted by Blue Islands flight delays and cancellations to get compensation. Passengers travelling by Blue Islands have faced recent disruption with some islanders missing medical appointments in Southampton because of cancellations. The airline removed 28 flights from its summer schedule due to one aircraft being damaged and another new addition to its fleet being delayed. Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel acknowledged the airline had not been performing well enough but said a compensation scheme could make flight routes less viable. Deputy Gardiner told the BBC that islanders could not continue to pay for delays and cancellations. She said: "I would encourage the minister for sustainable economic development and the consumer council to get together to find a way that islanders can be protected, can be compensated and can be reimbursed. "Whether its through the insurance company, or through the airline or through a special compensation scheme." Deputy Morel said a compensation scheme would not be introduced in this government term. He said: "If you start a compensation scheme its going to add significant cost to the viability of the routes, that means routes will become less viable and so you could see airlines pulling out of certain routes if they are forced to be part of a compensation scheme. "It would take some time to look at properly and its not something we are going to look at between now and the end of the states assembly." More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey During a States Assembly sitting, the minister encouraged islanders to get travel insurance. However Deputy Louise Doublet responded by saying insurance companies were not always paying out because they wrongly thought islanders were protected by EU law regarding flight cancellations. The Jersey Consumer Council said UK and EU law meant passengers on UK and EU-based airlines could claim more than £200 compensation for cancellations - but the equivalent law does not exist in the Channel Islands. Deputy Morel said if this issue was happening to people they should go to the Channel Islands' financial services ombudsman. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Hospital patients let down by cancelled flights Blue Islands removes 28 flights from schedule Government of Jersey
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Answers needed on health overspend, says deputy
The head of Jersey's Public Accounts Committee says answers are needed on why there is an overspend in the health department. Deputy Inna Gardiner's comments follow the publication of the States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts which showed the government's consolidated fund - essentially its current account - was in deficit, in part, because of extra health spending. Gardiner said: "We need to establish if there is an inherent structural deficit in health or if it's a case of bad management of money." Minister for Treasury and Resources Deputy Elaine Millar, who oversees all government spending, said it was not bad management and the health overspend was not a problem unique to Jersey. However, Gardiner said questions needed to be asked as the health budget had increased by nearly £100m since 2022. She said: "We are all aware that the health department overspent in excess of £30m year after year after year. "The health department budget in 2022 approved by the States Assembly was £226m. The budget approved for 2025 was £322m and we are already hearing that in 2025 the budget was constrained and they are going to overspend. "So we need to understand what is happening there and how money can be spent wisely within the department." Millar said: "We have had to invest more into our health care spending and we are not alone in doing that. "The cost of sending people off-island for specialist care, prescriptions are becoming more expensive and it's down to the nature of the population. "So we have had to spend more on health and we've had to take money from contingency to meet those costs." She added: "I don't think it's bad management of money... everyone is seeing healthcare costs going up, jurisdictions have ageing populations and we need to make sure we can provide services to our whole community." On 30 April, in a meeting with the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet, said he would need more money for health during the next few years. Binet told the panel: "I'll be coming to the assembly to ask for money to improve preventative health care, and women's health issues will come into that and digital connectivity. "We will need in excess of £100m over five years and I want that additional money, I don't care where it comes from, even if it's from the strategic reserve." However, Millar said using the strategic reserve fund was not something that had been discussed. Millar said: "The strategic reserve fund is there for a number of reasons. "It's not a piggy bank that you can just draw on at will. But, clearly, we will look to how we fund health. "Jersey has a reputation for prudent financial management, and it's essential we continue that reputation, that we spend money wisely and we use money from the right sources to fund all our expenditure needs." Binet said Health had been facing "unprecedented demands, cost increases for drugs and off-island care - all running well above inflation and additional service requirements". He said "studious efforts" had been made over the past two years "to implement savings measures in many areas, with quite a high degree of success". "We require a large investment in both preventative health care and digital services over the next five years in order to improve efficiency and help reduce costs, and I have been clear about my intention to take a proposition to this effect to the assembly in the next few months," he said. "I have also stated, publicly, that I intend to hold a public consultation on the possibility of introducing some charges, in some areas of health provision, before the end of this parliament." Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Health budget needs extra £24m a year - minister £28m health shortfall forecast for end of the year Government of Jersey
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
States Code of Conduct revision aims 'to build trust'
States Code of Conduct revision 'to build trust' The Privileges and Procedures Committee said the revision followed a consultation period A revised Code of Conduct for the States Assembly has been proposed following a report found there was a lack of trust in the institution. The 2024 Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey Report found the States Assembly was "the least trusted institution in the island", the Privileges and Procedures Committee (PPC) said. It said the revision followed a consultation period where members were asked to identify changes they would like to make to rules against which their behaviours were judged. Chair of PPC Constable Karen Shenton Stone said the rules were "fundamental to building trust and respect in our Assembly".
