Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur

CHANGES to the policy direction of the Council of Ministers over the next three years are being proposed in a series of amendments to the Strategic Plan.

Suggested amendments from backbenchers include capping the population, improving work incentives for Income Support and backing tourism investment with grants.

The Strategic Plan sets out a three-year ‘to-do list’ for the Council of Ministers and is the major policy set-piece of the political calendar. It sets a list of targets for each of the ten departments to achieve and criteria to measure progress or failure.

States Members will debate the plan and the 11 amendments lodged so far on Tuesday, 2 June.
The amendments lodged so far are:

Deputy Roy Le Hérissier
• Only implement the Williamson reforms subject to Scrutiny approval.
• Set up a whistle-blowing system for public sector staff.
• Consider a walk-in GP system.

Deputy Shona Pitman
• Put the Jersey Youth Service on a statutory footing.
• Achieve more local political education in school.

Deputy Trevor Pitman
• Provide alternative careers to finance for young people.

Deputy Debbie de Sousa
• Improve incentives to work in Income Support.
• Make Income Support forms easier to fill in.
• Improve training available on Income Support.
• Strengthen the role of the parishes in Income Support.

Deputy Daniel Wimberley
• Maintain the Island’s population at current level.
• Create an annual report on peak oil and climate change.
• Investigate environmental taxes.
• Unlink environmental measures from green taxes to ensure future funding.

St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft
• Support arts and heritage.
• Support the recruitment and training of honorary police.
• Encourage sporting excellence.
• Create an Air Quality Strategy.
• Create an annual report by the Environment director.

Deputy Paul Le Claire
• Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Introduce a children’s commissioner.
• Create a ‘culture of openness’ in the States.
• Allow media access to family courts.
• Set up time limits for access to public information.

Senator Ben Shenton
• Set up a grant system for investment in tourism.

Deputy Mike Higgins
• Place more emphasis on diversifying the economy.
• Investigate borrowing as an alternative way of paying for long-term capital projects.

Deputy Geoff Southern
• Create an over-arching policy commitment to a more equal society.