Government Financial Reports (FOI)

Request

Please provide all Government Financial Reports that are presented monthly to the Executive Leadership Team from November 2017 to the present date.

Response

The audited States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts provide a breakdown of Government finances, including a comparison to the income and expenditure approved by the States Assembly as part of the Government Plan and, previously, the Medium Term Financial Plan are available at the following link:

States of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts

In addition, reporting of the financial position as at the mid-year was re-introduced as part of the Government Plan six monthly report in 2020 and will be published again in August 2021. Please see the following link:

Government Plan Six Monthly Reporting

On that basis, Article 36 of Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (information intended for future publication) has been applied as all prior years have been reported through the Annual Report and Accounts and the first six months of 2021 will be reported as part of the Government Plan Mid-year Report within 12 weeks of this request.

Furthermore, the release of the information as requested is considered prejudicial to the commercial interests of both the Government of Jersey and third parties as the monthly figures are reported prior to any accounting adjustments and corrective action being taken to inform decision-making.

There may be public interest in the commercial information however it was considered that this is outweighed by the potential for commercial and/or financial damage through the interpretation of financial information not intended for publication. Articles 33(b) (Commercial interests) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has therefore been applied.

It is also considered that to release the information in this format without further context and confirmation of the subsequent action taken could have a negative effect on confidence in the Jersey economy and directly affect the financial interests of the Government of Jersey. Article 34(b) of Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 is therefore applied in order to preserve those interests.

Articles applied

Article 33 (b) - Commercial Interests

Information is qualified exempt information if –

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Article 34 - The Economy

Information is qualified exempt information if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice –

(b) the financial interests of the States of Jersey.

Article 36 - Information intended for future publication

(1) Information is qualified exempt information if, at the time when the request for the information is made, the information is being held by a public authority with a view to its being published within 12 weeks of the date of the request.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant –

(a) of the date when the information will be published;

(b) of the manner in which it will be published; and

(c) by whom it will be published.

(3) In this Article, “published” means published –

(a) by a public authority; or

(b) by any other person.